News
|Dental outreach p20|Public health p44|Practice news p18 GDC withdraws entry qualification INSPECTION
An independent inspection, commissioned by The General Dental Council (GDC) into the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) of England’s Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS), has led to the withdrawal of the qualification.
The LDS, which is sat in two parts, serves as an alternative route towards GDC registration to the council’s Overseas Registration Exam. However,
Accreditation award for Perth clinician
A Perthshire dentist has become the first clinician in Scotland to achieve Accreditation for the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD). Dr Elaine Halley, of Cherrybank Dental Spa, completed the rigorous two-stage process that is only awarded to clinicians who have achieved a level of excellence with regard to their cosmetic dental skills. The BACD accreditation pathway has been in place since 2005 and candidates must demonstrate their ability to diagnose, plan and execute cosmetic treat- ment to the highest standards, showing that it can be performed safely, ethically and competently.
after an inspection into the first part that was sat in June, the GDC found “serious issues with the award” and withdrew the second sitting that was due to be sat in September.
A statement from the council read: “The council endorsed the recommendation of the inspectors that the LDS was ‘insufficient’ for registration as a dentist in the UK. The report was shared with the college, who agreed to withdraw the first sitting of part two and to
develop an action plan that addresses the issues raised in the report, before running any further sittings.
“The GDC is working with the college to bring the LDS up to the required standard. The report of the inspectors will be published on the GDC website at a later date.”
The RCS have indicated that the second part is provisionally scheduled to sit in April, pending the outcome of the inspector’s report. However,
this still leaves a cohort of dentists who sat the first part in limbo as they wait to hear whether they will have to resit the exam and when they will be allowed to complete the second part.
The GDC said: “We are sympathetic to candidates of the LDS and appreciate that they are in a difficult position. However, we must be assured that dental professionals are safe to practise on patients when they join the registers.”
Funding boost set to create a Special Smile
Education.Charity workers express their joy after securing the future of a vital project
A dental project that promotes oral healthcare through play has received a funding boost that will enable them to continue in the Glasgow area for a further 18 months. The Special Smiles project,
run by the charity Action for Sick Children (Scotland), has secured funding to the tune of £30,000 from the Hugh Fraser and Pfizer foundations. Catherine Nelson, Dental
Left: Dr Elaine Halley
6 Scottish Dental magazine
Playbox Co-ordinator for the charity, explained that if the funding hadn’t been found the project would not have been able to continue. She said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have managed to secure sufficient funding to ensure the continuation of the project. I have been working on this project for seven years now,
developing and refining the idea of the Dental Playboxes. I think it is a wonderful project and I would hate to see it die a death through lack of funding. “This project represents so much of what our charity stands for in helping vulnera- ble children and young people meet their healthcare needs. Special Smiles provides this often forgotten group of young people with information and preparation for treatment in a fun way, appropriate to their age and understanding.” Thanks to the funding boost, the Special Smiles project will be offered to 12 schools over the next 18 months, and this could increase to around 16 if additional funding is secured. Catherine explained that they are still waiting to hear back on a further £8,500 worth of
funding that would allow them to run for another two years. The grants they have
received so far will go towards covering the project’s staff, resources and running costs, including: Special Smiles Playboxes and Playpacks for every school, training for staff and parents, a part-time project co-ordinator (15 hours a week) to produce and distribute resources and deliver the training, as well as a range of back-up support.
® For more information and to download a copy of Action for Sick Children (Scotland)’s publication Preparing your child for dental treatment,please visit
www.ascscotland.org.uk Turn to page 33 for an in-depth look at the Special Smiles project.
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