New research suggests that 3.8 million people in the UK were covered by private dental plans or insurance in 2022 – increasing from 3.2 million in 2019. On 18 April, market analyst LaingBuisson published a report on the UK healthcare landscape. The findings suggest that demand for private dental coverage in the form of insurance and dental plans is steadily rising. The researchers considered data about private dental services going back to 2007, before which uptake of dental insurance was decreasing. LaingBuisson said the number of dental insurance subscribers increased by 23% in 2021 and 22 ..read more

This month, Tracie Barnett shares her six top tips for mastering the role of the treatment coordinator. Congratulations on your new role as a treatment coordinator (TCO)! And what an amazing role it is! Over seven years ago, I became a TCO, after twenty-three years of dental nursing and feeling that I needed a change. I was honoured to be given the opportunity to share my knowledge and passion for dentistry with my patients. I was excited to run my own clinics and be the point of contact for patients throughout their treatment journey. This was a responsibility that I was ready to take with bo ..read more

Siobhan Kelleher explains why now is the moment for dental hygienists and dental therapists to work to their full capabilities to improve oral health outcomes. These are exciting times for dental hygienists and dental therapists. The chief dental officer (CDO) for Ireland, Dr Dympna Kavanagh, recently said of the profession: ‘We are the right people in the right place at the right time.’ This positive affirmation from the CDO should be music to our ears. Support from this quarter will help ensure that oral health starts to be recognised as a key element of a wider general health strategy. If a ..read more

Hear how a husband and wife team brought to life their dental practice, Love Teeth, with flair, comfort and quality at the centre. Meet Kunal Patel – the vivacious co-owner of Love Teeth in London alongside his wife, Lucy Patel. He has grown the business significantly in recent years and now operates from five locations in Worcester Park, Cheam, Hook, Stonecot and Sutton, with a new practice opened at the beginning of April 2024 in New Malden. Kunal qualified in 2010 and has since completed various educational courses to further develop his skills and expertise. He is one of only two dentists ..read more

Join Harbinder Dewgun, Amanda Bassey-Duke, Robiha Nazir and Kunal Rai on Thursday 25 April at 7pm as they discuss why we have AI in our practice – and how it’s helping our practices and patients grow. Join three leading dentists who have seamlessly integrated cutting-edge dental AI into their practices. Tapping into their firsthand experience, this webinar will reveal how AI has transformed their clinical workflows, patient relations and practice growth. Learning outcomes Discover the diverse ways dental AI is being utilised in today’s practices, from enhancing diagnostic precision to streaml ..read more

The Times has released its annual ranking of university courses by subject – find out which universities ranked highest for dentistry in 2024. Every year The Times creates a Good University Guide, ranking UK universities as a whole and by individual subject courses. The factors which affect the ranking are teaching quality, student experience, research quality, entry standards and graduate prospects. These are combined to create an overall score. For 2024, the highest ranking dentistry course was at Queen’s University, Belfast with a score of 100. It scored particularly highly in entry standar ..read more

Dental specialist financial adviser Aaron Prested discusses some recent changes and what dentists should be aware of in terms of planning for the financial year ahead.  Some of the changes announced in the spring budget and autumn statement of 2023 are coming into effect now. This and the end of the financial year mean there are some important details for dentists to consider when planning. Additional ISA allowance During the spring budget, chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced an additional British ISA allowance of £5,000 for investment in UK companies. The date of when this ..read more

Anthony Gillitt discusses the power of multi-material technology in creating efficiency and profitability in dental labs. In the ever-evolving landscape of dental technology, staying ahead of the curve is not just helpful – it’s essential. That’s where PolyJet technology comes in. Stratasys, a leader in 3D printing technology, pioneered this multi-material jetting innovation, offering dental labs a pathway to increased efficiency, accuracy, and profitability. Efficiency At the heart of PolyJet’s appeal lies its ability to 3D print different resins simultaneou ..read more

Dentistry is delighted to announce National Dental Hygienist and Dental Therapist Day – a brand new national day dedicated to celebrating the invaluable contributions of dental hygienists and dental therapists. In association with the British Association of Dental Therapy (BADT), the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT) and the Irish Dental Hygienist’s Association (IDHA), this new national day will take place on 1 May. This is to commemorate the day direct access came into force for dental hygienists and dental therapists on 1 May 2013. To mark the inaugural National Dental Hy ..read more

Join Emma Downing on Wednesday 24 April at 7pm as she discusses SMOP smart licence – the no commitment introduction to using SMOP. This webinar will explore SMOP by Swissmeda’s open platform and cloud-based storage solution for prosthetically driven implant planning and guide design. Learn how this platform helps with communication, sharing the workload and achieving safe and predictable results. Learning outcomes Understand the benefits of SMOP and its patented guide design Learn how to use the SMART portal Learn how to upload and merge data Learn how to plan the fixtures. Dentistry Webina ..read more