Diary dates p16 | Interview p20 | Obstructive sleep apnoea p37 |


News


Northern Irish dentists’ earnings hit new low


Associate dentists in Northern Ireland are the lowest paid in the UK according to the latest Dental Earnings and Expenses report for 20ı3/ı4. The average taxable income for associ-


ates in the province stands at £54,200, a decrease of 27.ı per cent since 2008/09. In Scotland the average associate income of £56,200 was only slightly higher than their NI counterparts falling 24.7 per cent from from the 2008/09 figure of £74,700. In England and Wales the average taxable income for associates was £60,600, compared to £75,400 in 2008/09. However, for principal dentists in NI,


the average taxable income of £ıı5,500 is second only to England and Wales’ dentists at £ı32,ı00. This is despite falls since 2008/09 of 22 per cent in NI and 2ı per cent in England and Wales. In Scotland, principal dentists’ average taxable income


was reported to be £98,400. Peter Crooks, chair of the Northern


Ireland Dental Practice Committee (below), said: “Our priority is patient care, but politicians can’t keep taking money out of dentistry and expect business as usual. Eight years of sustained cuts are making it harder for practitioners in Northern Ireland to deliver the service our patients deserve.” Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen,


chair of the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee (GDPC), said: “Dentists keep being asked to do more with less. Since the financial crash, both practice owners and associates have had to stomach around a 20 per cent drop in


Illegal whitening warning for Belfast businesses


TOOTH WHITENING


Belfast City Council has issued a public warning of the dangers of illegal tooth whitening after noticing an increase in the number of busi- ness offering the service in the city and surrounding area. Last month (September) the


authority sent a letter to more than 500 businesses reminding them of the law governing tooth whitening and offering further advice and information. This move comes a matter of


weeks since a BBC investigation highlighted that a Belfast-based illegal tooth whitener was still practising despite being convicted in April and fined more than £ı,000. Samuel Irvine-Madine pleaded guilty at Belfast Magistrates Court to unlawfully holding himself out as being prepared to practise


dentistry at HD Smile Clinic on the Shankhill Road. A Belfast City Council spokes-


person said: “While cosmetic piercing businesses must be regis- tered with Belfast City Council, any business which offers tooth whit- ening without being registered with the GDC is breaking the law. “If the council becomes aware of


an individual or business offering this service illegally, we must inform the GDC which may bring legal proceedings.” The warning letter advises busi-


ness that council staff will visit any business that is selling tooth whitening products to ensure they are compliant with the legislation. If found to be in breach, council staff are allowed to seize the products, and any subsequent enforcement action could result in a fine of up to £20,000.


their real incomes, and these cuts have consequences. Patients inevitably suffer when our profession is left incapable of investing in new equipment, and facing down a bourgeoning crisis of morale. “When tooth decay remains the number


one source of hospital admissions among children the only option on the menu in Holyrood, Westminster, Stormont and Cardiff has been swingeing cuts. It’s time we saw some real investment in oral health.” Figures for General Medical Practitioners were also released at the same time. The average taxable income for UK GMPs (contractor


and salaried) in ı3/ı4 was £90,200. In Northern Ireland the figure was £96,500, Scotland £86,500, Wales £85,900 and in England £90,700.


New president for


IADR in Ireland Cork clinical fellow Dr Paul Brady has been elected as the new president of the Irish divi- sion of the International Association of Dental Research (IADR). As part of his duties as president, Dr Brady


will be responsible for organising the next IADR meeting, which will take place at the Kingsley Hotel in Cork on 3 and 4 March 20ı6. Dr Brady is a full-time clinical fellow in the


oral surgery department at Cork University Dental School and Hospital, and he says the 20ı6 meeting is a great opportunity. He said: “This will be an opportunity for


researchers from the three dental schools in Ireland to present their research. Currently, the Department of Health is developing a National Oral Health Policy which holds as its central aim the development of services sympathetic to the current and future oral health needs of the Irish population. Such policies will have to take into account the best evidence available.”


Ireland’s Dental magazine 7


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