Business Major investor in ADP Dental Company

ADP Dental Company Ltd announced today that European Acquisition Capital Ltd (EAC) is making a major investment in the company in return for equity. This injection, combined with bank debt, will give APD a war chest of over £20 million to invest in growing the current business and making further acquisitions over the next few years.

ADP ranks amongst the six largest UK dental corporate chains, with 23 practices and a dental laboratory in Southern England. Ben Chaing, ADP's Managing Director, said that the new funds from EAC and the bank will boost the company's growth prospects significantly. The investment will go towards improvements in the current business and a major growth drive. Mr Chaing said that the company's major thrust would be on growth through acquisition; targeting mixed NHS/private practices of three or more chairs in the South of England. Some of the funds are also earmarked for improvements in the current practices.

Alongside the investment, ADP is boosting its senior management team. The current team of Ben Chaing (Managing Director), Jitesh Patel (Operations Director) and Jonathan Woodbridge (Finance Director) will be joined by Richard Flaye, a seasoned publishing entrepreneur, who will take up the new role of Executive Chairman. Jonathan Heathcote, an EAC Director, said, 'Dentistry in the UK is undergoing major change with corporate bodies likely to become increasingly important players in the next few years, to the benefit of dentists and patients alike. We believe ADP will rapidly emerge as one of the most significant players in the industry.'

Business Kate Scheer joins KaVo

KaVo announce the appointment of Kate Scheer as marketing manager for KaVo UK from January 2002.

Over the past ten years Kate has worked with several major dental retailers and manufacturers.

Kate's experience is expected to add weight to KaVo's new management structure and enhance the KaVo teams' efforts in marketing its laboratory products to dentists and technicians in the UK.

Business ASME electives promoting education

The revised General Dental Council (GDC) 'First Five Years' document, for the first time, includes learning outcomes in the recommendations for undergraduate dental education and there is considerable interest in the issue of developing guidelines for the implementation of these recommendations in the undergraduate dental curriculum. This will also have implications for postgraduate dental education through VT, GPT, SHO training and recertification. The Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) has taken on the role of providing a forum for the discussion of such issues and also provides a forum for cross fertilisation of ideas in medical and dental education.

ASME Executive Committee recently elected four new members to help raise the profile of dental education nationally. Mark Brennan is a lecturer in medical and dental education at University of Wales College of Medicine and has organised dental educators workshops at ASME's annual scientific meetings. Dr Peter McCrorie, head of the department of medical and healthcare at St George's Hospital Medical School is a member of the editorial boards for 'Medical Education' and 'Medical Teacher'. Professor Jill Morrison is professor of general practice in the University of Glasgow and is particularly keen to promote high quality research in medical education. Dr Peter Mossey, honorary consultant in orthodontics at the University of Dundee, has channelled his interest in professional educational process through membership of a variety of organisations including MADEN, LTSN, International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and SCPMDE.

Details of ASME's activities can be found at the ASME website (www.asme.org.uk) , where there is also a link to the ASME Journal 'Medical Education'.

Diary

March 2002

The Royal Society of Medicine Odontological Section Meeting: Part V Date: 18.03.02 Venue: The Royal Society of Medicine Contact: Lochana Nanayakkara, Secretary Elect, Section of Odontology, The Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London, W1G OAE. Tel: +44 (0)207 290 3934 Fax: +44 (0)207 290 2989

Study Day of the North Western Division of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners: Planning for Excellence in Crown and Bridgework Date: 20.03.02 Venue: MANDEC Dental Hospital Contact: Janet Bradshaw, Ian Wood's Dental Practice, 45 Northenden Road, Sale, Cheshire, M33 2DL. Tel: +44 (0)161 973 6356

May 2002

British and Irish Dental Associations Annual Conference Date: 02.05.02–04.05.02 Venue: Waterfront Hall, Belfast Contact: Claire Burns, Conference Manager, British Dental Association, 64 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8YS. Tel: +44 (0)207 563 4590 Fax: +44 (0)207 563 4591 Website: www.bda-events.org.uk

British Society of Periodontology Spring Scientific Meeting Date: 19.05.02–21.05.02 Venue: The Grand Hotel, Brighton Contact: Mrs A. Hallowes, Administrative Secretary, 44 Pool Road, Hartley, Wintney, Hook, Hants. RG27 8RD. Tel: +44 (0)1252 843598 Fax: +44 (0)1252 844018 Email: bspadmin@btinternet.com

'Happiness in Dentistry' seminar – how to run a profitable cosmetic based practice Date: 20.05.02 Venue: British Dental Association, London. Contact: Helena Casbolt, Graffo Script, 8 Selbourne Road, Southgate, London. N14 7DH. Tel/Fax: +44 (0)20 8882 1226 Email: hcasbolt@aol.com