Oral health care video

In conjunction with BBC Resources in Manchester, East Cheshire NHS Trust has produced an oral health care video — Marvellous Mouths. This is aimed primarily at carers of the elderly, seeking to educate them so that residents can keep their teeth as long as possible.

The video has been given a treatment which is both educational and entertaining. It blends a mixture of archive footage with graphics, and a light-hearted script read by former Boon star Michael Elphick.

Above left to right: Dr Helen Parkinson, Ruth Ward, Professor Frazer McCord, Diane Oxbury and Carol Wolverson.

Television weather presenter Diane Oxberry — who has a perfect smile and perfect teeth according to dental experts — was on hand to help launch the project.

New FDI speaker

At the recent Annual meeting of the FDI World Dental Federation in Mexico City, Dr John Hunt was elected Speaker of the FDI General Assembly to succeed Dr Reginald Hession. The General Assembly is the governing body of the FDI, similar to the BDA Representative Board. He joins Dr Bill Allen as a member of the FDI Council.

Professor Newell Johnson was re-elected to membership of the FDI Commission, which is the committee responsible for the FDI's scientific activities. Dr Peter Swiss, the UK National Secretary, was elected to membership of the newly constituted Communications and Membership Committee. All these appointments are for a three year period.

Help in a crisis

Crisis, the national charity for homeless people, is appealing to dentists to work voluntarily in their shelters over the Christmas period, and help provide essential services for over 4,000 homeless people at 40 shelters.

For over 25 years the Crisis Open Christmas network has provided vital shelter, companionship and services to one of the most vulnerable groups in today's society. Open from 23–30 December these shelaters offer a range of services in central London and throughout the country, including access to dentists, doctors, nurses, chiropodists, opticians and hairdressers. Visitors to the shelters will also have access to food, clothing, washing, facilities, housing and benefits advice, and entertainment.

If you are a dentist, dental hygienist or dental nurse and can offer help this Christmas please call Flt Lt Ian Jones at RAF Wittering Dental Centre on 01780 783 838 for further details. If you wish to help in any other way please call Crisis on 0171 655 8312.

Scholarship awards

Three winners of the 1999 Medical Insurance Agency (MIA) Scholarship Awards were recently awarded cheques totalling £10,000 at a ceremony at the General Dental Council.

The 1999 winners were Mr Mandeep Ghuman, Miss Sneha Thakrar and Miss Zoe Harrington.

Above left to right: Dr John Clubb, Miss Zoe Harrington, Dame Margaret Seward, Miss Sneha Thakrar and Mr Mandeep Ghuman.

Dame Margaret Seward paid tribute to the long-standing support of the MIA, which provided the means for dentists and dental students to further their studies. The cheques and commemorative certificates were presented by Dr John Clubb, Chairman of the MIA.

Whitby dental team wins IIP

It's all smiles at Whitby dental practice as they celebrate achieving the prestigious Investors in People Award. The team are only the twenty-third dental practice in the UK to have achieved this award.

Pictured above is the Whitby Dental team receiving their award from Elaine Rogers of Cewtec. From bottom left to right: Rachael Bailey, Jenny Wyatt, Lyndsey Shipman — middle left to right — Elizabeth Gore, Elaine Rogers, Carol Dewhurst, Margaret Chambers, Evelyn Fenn— top left to right - Ellen Wilson, Alison Darling, Denise Sherlock, Roy Bennett and Joanne Smith.

Endodontic Society VDP prize

The British Endodontic Society Vocational Dental Practitioner Prize of £350 was awarded to Nitin Nagpaul (centre) by the President Peter Carotte (left). The Canterbury scheme organiser Huw Winstone (right) was also present

www.rdental.com

Launched in October 1999, www.rdental.com has quickly established itself as a major online destination for dental professionals. The site offers an extensive range of professional tools and services, as well as exclusive continuing education and content supplied by an internationally recognised board of advisors. It is also in the process of developing a consumer component that will be fully functional in early 2000. It will allow patients to locate dentists in their area and provide comprehensive, credible information edited by the Board of Advisors.

Rdental.com recently announced that it has become a member of the Amazon.com Associates Program. Participation in the program will allow rdental.com to significantly expand the number of third party products it offers on its site, and will provide members and visitors with easy access to a wide array of both dental and non-dental books and other resources.

Do your bit for Children's promise

Ivoclar Vivadent has signed up to support a unique millennium appeal, asking its employees to donate the value of their final hour's earnings of this millennium to help the children of the next.

Children's promise is a fundraising initiative that will enable significant help to be offered to children suffering from homelessness, abuse or neglect. It unites seven major charities working with children, including Barnado's, BBC Children in Need, Childline, The Children's Society, Comic Relief, NCH Action for Children and the NSPCC. The appeal, made possible by Marks and Spencer in partnership with Millennium Experience, was launched with the personal support of Prime Minister Tony Blair.

For further information on how you can be involved, call 0870 607 1999, e-mail childrens.promise@newmill.co.uk or view the website, www.marks-and-spencer.co.uk/promise/promise.

3M prize

The ninth 3M Dental Postgraduate Prize for Conservative Dentistry was awarded at a recent ceremony at The Eastman Dental Institute. Dr David Hall (left) and Dr Adrian Birkett (right) were jointly presented with their awards by Doug White, national sales manager of 3M Dental UK.

Lean Memorial Award

The Lean Memorial Award is made every year to a Dental Officer serving in the Royal Air Force who has made an outstanding contribution to patient care in the Service.

The Lean Memorial Award is made every year to a Dental Officer serving in the Royal Air Force who has made an outstanding contribution to patient care in the Service.

This year the award has been made to Wing Commander Colin Cook who is currently serving at Royal Air Force Halton. A practising dental officer, he is also the Clinical Advisor in Radiology for the Defence Dental Agency. His particular responsibility has been the development and tuition of radiography training at the Defence Dental Agency Training Establishment, Aldershot.

The above photograph shows Wing Commander Cook (left) receiving the award from Air Vice Marshall McIntyre.