As dental professionals discuss their experiences of returning to work after miscarriage, the British Dental Association (BDA) has called for NHS miscarriage leave to be extended to dentistry. In March, NHS England announced that 10 days’ paid leave would be available to staff who suffer a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy. Their partners can also take five days of leave, and those who miscarry after six months would still be offered paid maternity leave. The BDA ‘strongly welcomed’ this change, saying it was ‘the right call’. However, it also noted that the policy does not currently ap ..read more

Ibrahim Numan discusses how underutilised dental therapists are impacting the industry and how to use them to their full scope of practice. How big is the issue of dental therapists not being used to their full potential in the UK? Huge! I’m very passionate about dental therapists being utilised in practice and it’s something I have been fighting for since graduating five years ago. But the truth is, people have been fighting for this cause since 1932. The most important thing to note here is the significant difference in the way a dental therapist would be utilised in an NHS/mixed practice co ..read more

A new study from Cancer Research UK suggests that the number of cigarettes smoked daily has stalled after reducing steadily until 2019. Published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, the study investigates trends in cigarette consumption from 2008 to 2023. Data from more than 57,000 smokers in England was analysed. Overall, the number of cigarettes consumed each day fell by more than one quarter, with the average smoker consuming 11 cigarettes daily rather than 14. However, the reduction has plateaued since 2019 – the daily average increased by one cigarette in the final four years of the study ..read more

In the first of his brand-new column Kaival Patel of Kana Health Group shares how he plans to dive into business ownership and brand building in dentistry. True or false? I put the drill down on the last day of my vocational training and I instantly knew that six years from that moment I would own my first practice. I carefully designed a one-page business plan and spent a couple of hours mapping out my next 10 years.  On the first half of the page I noted that I would own five dental practices all in/around Milton Keynes and Bedford and on the other half I outlined my plan to start ..read more

Kent Express Dental Supplies explains how conditions such as root caries and dry mouth can be addressed in older patients. As the population of the UK is living longer, the absolute and relative numbers of older people retaining their natural teeth is on the rise. This means that conditions such as root caries and dry mouth will become more prevalent. The provision of patient-centred, minimally invasive treatment plans using only the most suitable materials is therefore essential for restoring and maintaining dentition. Why are older adults susceptible to root caries? There are many physical c ..read more

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) has announced a new undergraduate dental degree commencing in 2025. The RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences will offer a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree from September 2025. Student recruitment will begin shortly, with prospective students able to apply for a place this year and graduate in 2030. Conceived in collaboration with Plymouth’s Peninsula Dental School, the degree will be the first community-based undergraduate dental programme in Ireland. The RCSI hopes that the community approach will benefit local disadvantaged co ..read more

‘If you want to reach a higher level, you have to learn from someone who is already at the higher level’ – find out more about Invisalign training with Ryan Molis. If you want to carry out the best Invisalign treatments, you need to learn from the best practitioners from the outset. So says Dr Amo Sohal, co-founder of an award-winning dental practice and Diamond Invisalign provider, speaking to FMC after attending The Big Three webinar hosted by top US Invisalign clinician Dr Ryan Molis.  During the webinar, Dr Molis divulged three transformational practices he c ..read more

Practice Plan introduces some of the common myths that hold dentists back from introducing private dentistry to their practice and why they might not be such a problem. In their pithily named ‘Great Barrier Relief’ booklet Practice Plan debunks some popular myths that may have deterred people from introducing private dentistry into their practice. Making the choice to reduce or hand back your NHS contract can be a scary prospect. It’s tantamount to stepping into the unknown, something that would make most people feel uncomfortable. However, over the years we’ve noticed some changes to the den ..read more

From the moment their name was announced to how they’ve celebrated since, dental professionals share their experiences of winning at The Dentistry Awards 2023. The Dentistry Awards highlights talent, innovation, and dedication in dentistry. Every holder of an award has demonstrated exceptional skill, patient care and community contributions. The Dentistry Awards 2023 was bigger and better than ever! In November, FMC announced the list of winners and celebrated their outstanding contributions to dentistry at the prestigious awards ceremony at The Athena in Leicester. As this year’s awards are n ..read more

An MP has called on the government to ban vape brands from sponsoring sports kits to help tackle youth vaping. This comes after Blackburn Rovers FC has faced criticism by MPs for its sponsorship deal with vape brand Totally Wicked. The brand is currently the football team’s front of shirt sponsor, and the pair have been in partnership for six seasons. St Helens Rugby Football Club is also sponsored by the vape brand – its stadium is called the Totally Wicked Stadium. The issue was brought up in parliament today (1 May) by SNP MP Kirsten Oswald. She said: ‘We already know that more than one in ..read more