CDO smiles on Smile House

Chief Dental Officer for England Dame Margaret Seward CBE officially opened Smile House, the new headquarters of the British Dental Health Foundation, recently. The Mayor of Rugby, Bill Shields welcomed over 50 senior representatives of the major dental institutions, oral health companies and other organisations to Rugby for the event. BDHF chief executive Nigel Carter recently helped complete negotiations to acquire the International Health Foundation, moving forward the agreement to manage the IHCF's accreditation process. Above photograph shows CDO Dame Margaret Seward, BDHF President Mike Joy and Rugby Mayor Bill Shields.

BDA Museum's crown jewels

To celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee, the BDA Museum is exploring the relationship between dentistry and the monarchy through an unusual collection of dental heritage, photographs and archives. The BDA Museum's collection includes many objects with a royal theme, from dental instruments made for royal dentists to toothpowder pots embellished with the sometime unsuspecting monarch of the time. Even royal dentures are included!

Ministry of Health oral hygiene campaign from the 1940s.

The 'Jewels of the Crown' exhibition also features the Windsor's association with the BDA from the beginning of royal patronage in 1931. The Queen is currently the patron of the BDA, while HRH Duke of Edinburgh became the President of Honour in 1980. At the time of HRH Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne, oral health in Great Britain was in an appalling state. 'Jewels of the Crown' takes a 'snapshot' of oral health issues in the 1950's – a turbulent time for dentistry in post-war Britain.

Sir Edwin Saunders' dental instruments made for the Prince of Wales, c. 1890.

Jewels of the Crown can be seen in the BDA Wimpole Street offices from June to July 2002, and is kindly supported by Link51 Storage Systems.

New training institute for dental industry

The Dental Industry Training Institute was launched recently by its parent organisation The British Dental Trade Association. Marking the occasion at the Spring Reception of the BDTA, the President of the BDTA, Stephen Lawry said that training and education are now recognised by most companies in the dental industry as key elements in their continuing development.

The formation of the new Training Institute means that benchmark training standards can now be established for people of all disciplines, whether employed directly by companies providing equipment or support services to the industry and the dental profession. It will be mandatory for all members of the Institute to participate in the CPD scheme. Only those members that have passed the BDTA certificate (part I) will be eligible to become full members of the Institute.

Brian Whitby, managing director of Castellini UK Ltd became the first honorary fellow of the DITI. The award acknowledged the pivotal role Brian had played in launching the BDTA certificate (part I) in 1997, which was effectively the start of an increasingly strong commitment to training by companies in the dental industry.

BDTA President Stephen Lawry presenting DITI Honorary Fellowship to Brian Whitby.

No more drilling and filling

Researchers at Queen's University in Belfast have developed new technology - which could mean the end of drilling, filling and injections for some people.

The technology is now undergoing tests on patients after it was recently passed as being safe to use on patients. It involves putting a plastic cap on a tooth and squirting ozone at the bacteria which are causing the tooth decay- stopping them in their tracks.

There is even evidence that the caries can be reversed, as the tooth begins to re-mineralise and harden. Most of the research is on primary caries - the first cavity in a tooth which is obviously most common among the younger age groups.

However, dentists' drills will not become totally obsolete. Existing fillings will still need repaired and replaced. In addition, the ozone does not work on interstitial caries. For large numbers of patients this technology could mean no restorations.

About 100 dental practices in the UK, including some in Northern Ireland, are now trying out the device on patients. They will feed what happens back to the researchers.

Awarding dental achievers

The Dental Awards, organised by Nexus Healthcare in association with the British Dental Health Foundation, took place recently. Now in their fifth year, the Awards offer the opportunity to recognise outstanding hard work, innovation, vision and dedication in the dental profession.

'Dentist of the Year' is Murray Hawkins (left) with Steve Getraer, managing director of Henry Schein.

The 'Dentist of the Year' award was awarded to Murray Hawkins of The New Centre Practice in Gillingham, Dorset. The judges were impressed by his outstanding leadership skills and exceptional level of patient care and innovative dental techniques.

The runner-up award was Dr V. K. Joshi, consultant in restorative dentistry at St Lukes Hospital London.

The awards were presented by Steve Getraer, the managing director of Henry Schein, sponsors of the ceremony.

BOS celebrate new premises

The British Orthodontic Society (BOS) recently celebrated the formal opening of its four storey headquarters in London's Gray's Inn Road. Guest of honour was CDO Margaraet Seward who acknowledged the vision and hard work which had created an impressive centre for the advancement of orthodontics in the UK.

Above photograph shows (from left to right) Dr Lesley Laxton, BOS member, David Tidy, BOS secretary, and Dr Chris Wright, secretary of the community group of the BOS.

Restoration of the BOS HQ at 291 Gray's Inn Road, included stripping out the interior and was carried out with the help of a grant from the Kings Cross Regeneration Scheme. The value of the property is now twice the purchase price of two years ago.

In addition to having its own administrative centre, the BOS can now accommodate its library and archive and it has new meeting rooms. The HQ is intended for use by all BOS members, whether UK or international.

The first orthodontic organisation, the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics, was established 95 years ago. In 1994 it merged with four other UK orthodontic organisations to form the BOS which began its life in a small basement office in the Eastman Hospital.

Police seek help with their enquiries

Devon police are seeking dentist's help in identifying a man, whose remains were found near Wisford Hill on Exmoor National Park. The enquiry team is trying to discover who this man is and how he died. What is known about the human remains so far is they belong to a man, aged 20-30, slim build, 5ft 8ins to 5ft 9ins tall and with black hair.

The dental records of the man whose body was found in Exmoor National Park.

The investigation team are liasing with forces across the country to search missing person records. Forensic test results indicate that the man could have been dead for about two and a half years. Officers are now also renewing their search through the national missing persons database with this new information.

An incident room has been set up at Taunton police station. If you can supply any information as to the identifcation of this man please call the incident room on 01823 363636.

Museum volunteers

Interested in preserving dental history? The BDA Museum is currently seeking enthusiastic volunteers to help bring the museum's rich collection alive and assist with a number of projects that aim to improve the access and storage of the collection.

The museum already has the help of several volunteers who have undertaken a wide variety of projects, such as cataloguing the George Cunningham glass slide collection and the important Lilian Lindsay archive collection. Planned projects in the future include rehousing the Museum's collection into the different storage spaces; devising creative storage systems; reviewing the quality and diversity of the collection. We need a regular commitment, but the time and days are entirely your choice.

It will be a chance to use skills and knowledge to enhance the cultural significance of the collection for the benefit of the museum and its future visitors. It will also be an opportunity to meet new people and become more involved in the activities of the BDA.

If you are interested contact Claire Sutton at the BDA Museum on 020 7563 5839 or e-mail c.sutton@bda-dentistry.org.uk.

New General Dental Services committee

From January 2003, a new General Dental Practice Committee will take the place of the current General Dental Services Committee (GDSC) and Private Practice Committee (PPC).

This committee will reflect the mixed economy of general dental practice and aims to represent and promote the interests of dentists in all types of general practice (GDS, private, PDS, corporate, specialist practitioners, including practice owners and non-owners).

Elections for this new committee will take place in October, however for it to successfully unite general practitioners across the UK, and represent the profession as a whole, it is vital that everyone's voice is heard.

If you are working in any area of general practice anywhere in the UK and do not have an NHS number and are not an NHS assistant i.e. fully private practitioners, NHS deputies working in general practice, then the BDA need to know so that you can be sent a ballot paper.

Please contact Robert Ind, Policy Directorate, British Dental Association. Tel: 020 7563 4560 or fax: 020 7563 4561 or e-mail: r.ind@bda-dentistry.org.uk to exercise your right to vote.

Dunstable practice sets county standard

Bedfordshire dental practice JG McKeon became one of the first in their county to achieve accreditation.

The Dunstable practice, run by Gabriel McKeon since 1971, took part in the scheme to help raise people management skills in line with the high level of dentists' professional expertise.

Mr McKeon says that building up good principles of practice, with continuing feedback and self appraisal certainly makes the system work well.

Filling the dentist gap

Measures to ease a national shortage of dentists are to be announced by the Scottish Executive. It aims to recuit and retain NHS dentists by offering cash incentives for people entering the profession and for existing practices which offer training places to new graduates. This is viewed as a serious problem in a country where dental health is already well below the rest of Europe. The BDA thinks the new measures will bring immediate and positive results but recognise that more radical long-term treatment will be required.

Heroics of naval dentist are rewarded

Quick-thinking Royal Naval Officer Tim Elmer was awarded a top award for helping save the life of a female rating trapped under a lift on an aircraft carrier. In an unrelated incident he was also in the team from HMS Invincible that gained international recognition for helping save lives from a sinking Greek ferry.

Surgeon Commander (Dental) Elmer, 36, won the Harvey-Fletcher Prize for Dental Officers, awarded by the Royal Navy Dental Service, for his emergency action in helping the trapped rating and for routine duties while serving on HMS Invincible. Commander Elmer, then a Lieutenant Commander, went into action when the emergency involving the lift was sounded on the carrier which was tied up in Portsmouth Naval Base. The rating suffered severe crush injuries and he and others calmly and swiftly assessed her condition in challenging conditions. The casualty later recovered in hospital after the accident in the boat's aircraft hangar in early 2000.

Commander Elmer said that he was proud to receive the award and that he hope it underlines the multi-tasked role of dental surgeons on ships and how they do much more than look after the teeth of the crew.

The Harvey-Fletcher Award is awarded in memory of Dental Surgeon Rear Admiral E Fletcher and Fleet Surgeon Christopher Harvey who made the first survey of Royal Naval dental health and urged the need for qualified dentists in naval hospitals. The award, made every three years, recognises the contribution of a medical and dental officer to the greater efficiency of the Naval Dental Service and improvement in health of the Fleet.

Diary

September 2002

European Association for Cranio-Maxillofacial Congress 2002 Date: 03.09.02–07.09.02 Venue: Münster, Germany Contact: Ariane Minarik, ABC Congress Service, Arberstr. 18, D-81679, München. Tel: +49 (0)189 23115015 Fax: +49 (0)189 263167 ABC-Congr-Service@t-online.de

BDA/MDDUS 2002 Scottish Young Dentist Conference Date: 06.09.02–07.09.02 Venue: Dunblane Hilton Hydro Contact: Fiona Angus, Deputy Scottish Secretary, 4 Atholl Place, Perth PH1 5ND. Tel: +44 (0)1738 441 040 Fax: +44 (0)1738 441042 f.angus@bda-dentistry.org.uk

British Society of Paediatric Dentistry 50th Annual Scientific Meeting Date: 11.09.02–14.09.02 Venue: University of Sheffield Contact: Dr Helen Rodd, Department of Child Dental Health, School of Clinical Dentistry, Claremont Crescent, Sheffield, S10 2TA. Tel: +44 (0)114 2717885 Fax: +44 (0)114 271 7843 h.d.rodd@sheffield.ac.uk

Euopean Festival of Oral Science Joint Meeting of the IADR Date: 25.09.02–28.09.02 Venue: Cardiff, Wales Contact: PEF Conference Secretariat, World Trade Center, Cardiff International Arena, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff, CF10 2EQ. Wales. Tel: +44 (0)2920 232322 PEFOFIADR@global-meeting.co.uk Website: www.global-meeting.co.uk

October 2002

Faculty of General Dental Practitioners National Study Day Date: 18.10.02 Venue: Didsbury, Manchester Contact: Janet Bradshaw, Ian Wood's Dental Practice, 45, Northenden Road, Sale, Cheshire, M33 2DL Tel: +44 (0)161 973 6356