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DROP IN PRIVATE DENTAL


COMPLAINTS THE number of complaints about private care handled by the Dental Complaints Service (DCS) dropped by more than 40 per cent last year, new figures show. The DCS processed 1,068 complaints in


2014 compared to 1,876 the previous year – a drop of 43 per cent. The large decrease is being attributed to


the introduction of a new complaints management system last May which has improved the way complaints are classified and helped identify those which fall outside the organisation’s remit. In addition to complaints, the DCS dealt with 1,012 enquiries between May and December 2014, with an annual total of 7,718 telephone calls. The most common treatment complaints


related to dentures (18 per cent), followed by crowns (17 per cent) and fillings (11 per cent). Complaints about implants and bridges each made up nine per cent, while braces and root treatment made up eight per cent each. The proportion of complaints about


dentists dropped slightly from 96 per cent in


2013 to 93 per cent in 2014. There was a small rise in complaints about clinical dental technicians over the same period, from 1.5 per cent to three per cent, and for dental technicians, from one per cent to two per cent. Complaints about dental nurses rose from 0.15 per cent to 0.5 per cent. The largest number of complaints was made in the south east of England, accounting for 24 per cent of the total. London came second with 19 per cent of complaints, followed by the south west of England on 11 per cent and the north west on nine per cent. In contrast, only 0.5 per cent of complaints were made in Yorkshire and Humber. Nine per cent of complaints were made about care in Scotland while three per cent related to Wales and 0.5 per cent in Northern Ireland. Head of Service at the DCS Hazel Adams


said: “We’re now in our ninth year and we’re continuing to adapt and improve the service that we deliver.


“The DCS uses a three-step service to assist


patients and dental professionals to come to a mutually agreed solution and our team of specialist volunteer panel members and trained staff ensure that we offer a high quality service that helps facilitate mutually acceptable solutions for both parties.” Find out more about the DCS at www. dentalcomplaints.org.uk


DENTAL CONSENSUS ON TACKLING ANTIMICROBIAL


RESISTANCE A CONSENSUS report setting out a comprehensive blueprint to help dentists play their part in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been launched by the BDA. The report summarises the findings of an


DENTISTS FEELING


“DISSATISFIED WITH LIFE” DENTISTS are almost twice as likely as the general population to feel dissatisfied with life, according to research from the British Dental Association. Figures also suggested general dental practitioners (GDPs) who mainly carry out NHS work are


less happy than those who mainly do private work. A total of 481 community dentists and 903 GDPs responded to the survey in June and July


2014, with results published in the report Is there a well-being gap among UK dentists? Almost half of the GDPs and community dentists surveyed (47 per cent) reported low levels of


life satisfaction with a similar proportion (44 per cent) reporting low levels of happiness. Almost six out of 10 GDPs said they experienced high levels of anxiety during the day compared to 55 per cent of community dentists. Among associates, stress levels increased in line with the


number of hours worked. Those who worked part time (30 hours or less) reported higher levels of well-being than those working full time. Four out of five GDPs perceived their general


health as “good”, with almost 40 per cent describing it as “very good”. Dentists aged under 35 rated their health most highly, but this feeling diminished gradually with age. The report concluded that there is indeed


a “well-being gap” between the dental profession and the general population. This is consistent, it states, with wider research suggesting UK dentists are exposed to “occupation-specific stressors which put them at risk of high levels of work-related stress”. The BDA said it plans to build on the research


by examining further the relationship between working conditions, high job stress and mental well-being in dentists. “A key aim of this research will be to develop effective strategies for preventing high levels of work-related stress and reducing levels of burnout among dentists,” the report added.


event hosted by the BDA last year to consider how best to conserve the effectiveness of existing antibiotics and overcome barriers to reduce inappropriate prescribing. The meeting brought together antimicrobial specialists, educators, defence organisations, the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners, the Association of Clinical Oral Microbiologists and the Cochrane Oral Health Group, as well as representatives from government and the pharmacy, medical and veterinary professions. The consensus report points out that not


only is cross-professional and international collaboration required but patients and the public also need to be made aware of AMR and understand the difference between antibiotics and analgesics. The chair of the BDA’s General Dental


Practice Committee, Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, said: “The most challenging situation for time-pressured dentists is when a patient arrives unexpectedly in severe pain, when you have a queue of patients waiting to be seen. “Dentists need time to assess these emergency cases and provide effective treatment. Governments need to recognise this and fund the care for emergency patients rather than leaving it to the good will of dentists.”


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