Mervyn Yewe-Dyer

Mervyn Yewe-Dyer who is a GDP in Alton, Hampshire, has been appointed Dental Adviser to the Health Service Ombudsman. Prior to working in Hampshire, Mervyn was Chief Dental Adviser and Deputy Chief Dental Officer for Scotland.

Drowning victim

Detectives from the City of London Police urgently seek the assistance of Dental Surgeons in identifying a woman who drowned in the River Thames on August 23 this year.

The victim is a white female with mild freckling and was approximately 30-40 years of age.

  • Her dental features are as following:

  • 1. Dental restorations as charted are amalgam.

  • 2. The horizontal lines on the chart depicts teeth missing.

  • 3. There is marked gingival recession around many teeth indicating excessive tooth brushing. There is tooth brush abrasion especially on the upper left first and second premolars, indicating that the deceased was more than likely right handed.

  • 4. There is a 2mm diastema between the lower left central and lateral incisor, probably due to drifting bearing in mind the lower left premolars and molars are missing.

  • 5. This woman was a fastidious tooth brusher.

  • 6. She was a non-smoker.

  • 7. She is not a city dweller as her lungs were pink.

  • 8. She was clean and well-kempt.

  • 9. She has had seven teeth extracted, perhaps ten if wisdom teeth are included although, they could possibly still be unerupted. One is still present.

  • 10. The pattern of extraction in an otherwise good dentition suggests they have been undertaken on a financial decision, between restoration costs or extraction.

NB: the lower right second premolar is rotated mesially.

The dental chart (below) was prepared for the police by Mr Colin Bamford, dental surgeon and forensic odontologist. Any dental surgeon who believes they have information which may assist the police can contact the enquiry team at the following address: Snow Hill Police Station, 5 Snow Hill, London, EC1A 2DP. Tel: 0171 601 2471. Detective Constable Ian Kellaway is the officer dealing.

NBDN sets up new dental nurse qualification

Left: Stephen Lambert-Humble, Chairman of NBDN (left) with Jane Renehan, Chairman of the Special Care Dental Nursing Working Group, and Mike Prendergast, President of BSDH.