Prospering in a recession p14 | Rotary endodontics p25 | Tough times. IDA chief executive calls for Government to act
Survey warns of 1,000 job losses
A survey of Irish dentists has warned that the dental sector could be facing up to 1,000 job losses in the coming year.
The report, commissioned by the Irish Dental Association (IDA), found that 86 per cent of dentists saw their turnover fall in 2011, with 49 per cent recording falls of more than 20 per cent.
More than 300 dentists contrib- uted to the survey, conducted by Omega Financial Management, with half of respondents indicating they expect their turnover to fall further in 2012. One in four said that they believed their practice would be reducing staff numbers as a result. The survey also found that one fifth of dentists want to sell their practice, but are prevented from doing so because there are so few buyers in the market.
Fintan Hourihan, chief executive of the IDA, said that the findings high- lighted how the recession, allied to the cutbacks in government dental schemes, are affecting Irish dentists. He said: “We have highlighted on many occasions the negative
impact the cutbacks to the Medical Card scheme and the PRSI scheme are having on patients. This survey looks at the negative impacts they are having on dentists and employ- ment in the sector.
“We have already
seen 2,000 job losses over the last two years”
“We have already seen 2,000 job losses over the last two years and if a quarter of dentists say they are looking at reducing staff numbers, that translates into 1,000 job losses. If the government is serious about dental health and growing employ- ment, they will take action now.” John O’Connor of Omega Financial Management reported that 40 per cent of dentists now expect to have to work until at least 70, as their retirement plans have been compromised. He said: “The main reasons for this are falling turnovers, the collapse in the value of surgery buildings and insufficient levels of pension funding. These challenges are being exacerbated by falling numbers entering the profession and setting up new practices, making it more difficult for those wishing to retire to do so.”
News
Dental X-rays to predict future fractures
SWEDISH STUDY
Dental X-rays could be used to predict which patients are at risk of fracture in other parts of the body, according to a new study.
The University of Gothenburg researchers found that sparse bone structure in the lower jaw in middle age is directly linked to the risk of fractures in other parts of the body in later life. Researchers from the univer- sity’s Sahlgrenska Academy examined 731 participants in the Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg who underwent baseline dental examinations in 1968.
The study showed that the bone structure of the jaw was sparse in about 20 per cent of women aged 38 years to 54 years when their first examination was performed – and these women were at a significantly greater risk of fracture. The study also found that the older the individual, the stronger the link between sparse jaw bone structure and fractures in other parts of the body.
Research recommends fluoride policy changes CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
Dublin Dental School research into protecting the teeth of pre- school children with disabilities has been included in the Health Research Board’s (HRB) Picture of Health 2011 publication. The publication outlines the findings and achievements of more than 40 out of 105 HRB- funded research projects that ended in 2010.
The Dublin study, carried out by Professor June Nunn and Dr Darius Sagheri, looked at separate groups of pre-school children with disabilities and found that decay started to
two shouldn’t be given fluori- dated toothpaste. This research has recommended a change to the current policy and identified the need for more motivational approaches in dental health education.
Dr Darius Sagheri (right) with Dr Jacinta McLoughlin, Dublin Dental Hospital and Enda Connolly, chief executive of the HRB
become evident after the age of three.
Prof Nunn explained: “Up to three years of age there was virtually no dental decay in these children. But once you got over that threshold that’s
when decay started to develop, and when they have decay it tends to remain untreated. Protecting these children needs to start earlier.”
The current recommendation in Ireland is that children under
The study of almost 350 children found that an intensive educational programme with parents had little impact on the dental health of the children. “Parents wanted more owner- ship of how they access infor- mation,” said Prof Nunn. “They don’t want someone on their doorstep telling them how to clean their child’s teeth or what their child should be eating.”
Ireland’s Dental magazine 7
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