www.mddus.com


children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital for a general anaesthetic (GA) – and this is for a preventable disease. Having a GA is traumatic and also incredibly expensive at around £1,000 per operation. This is money that could be better spent elsewhere in the health service.” He recalls sitting in on a recent assessment session in which a two-year old child needed nearly all of her teeth extracted under GA. “It’s appalling,” he says. “Imagine how devastating that was going to be – not for the surgeon doing it or the parents, but for the child who will wake up in pain. “We don‘t need to find a cure for toothache – we know the cause and


the cure, and we know we can prevent it, but we have to get the message across in a way people will hear it and be motivated to act on it.”


Innovator Now a fellow of the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) programme, which earned Ben a funding boost to further develop his app, he was among a handful of health professionals (and the only dentist) to be selected by the NHS to join the elite team two years ago. Now in its third year, the programme has around 40 innovators, from


NTIST


is very exciting in the beginning and expectations are high. But then they hit the ‘trough of disillusionment’ when you think ‘this is never going to scale’. There are many barriers to innovation in the NHS, but also some amazing people who will enable it.”


Hi-tech motivation Available for both Apple and Android devices, Brush DJ has to date been downloaded more than 313,000 times worldwide and translated into 14 languages: “It is very exciting,” Ben says. “Tooth decay is not just a UK issue, it is a global problem and so it’s exciting the app is reaching people far and wide. But there is still a long way to go.” He is passionate about his app and insists technology has an important


part to play in modern dentistry. “People are spending so much time with their smartphones, using apps for everything from shopping and banking to social media and dating. If you are trying to engage people and grab their attention to promote evidence-based oral health, an app can help”. In the dental surgery where Ben works as an associate, he sees


tech-savvy children as young as four using mobile devices. It is those youngsters and their parents that he wants to target and motivate in a bid to get everyone brushing effectively. Seeing the first-hand impact of preventable tooth decay on his young patients inspired him to take action. He explains: “Extractions due to tooth decay are the biggest reason


sole traders like Ben to multinational companies like Boots who have inventions or the capability of developing their ideas. And it really does ‘accelerate’, as Ben points out: “You can get a warmer


reception when you knock on the door of someone high up in the NHS, rather than just turning up and telling someone ‘I have developed this...’.’” As an NIA fellow he has both mentored and inspired other innovators.


His advice to young or established dentists who are reading this and have an idea is to contact the Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) in England or Scottish Health Innovations Ltd (SHIL) who can provide help and support. Just like raising a newborn baby, developing an app demands a lot of


patience, time and money. It also requires continual nurturing. So how does a busy dentist balance his career with his app development, NHS Innovation Accelerator commitments and fatherhood? “I don’t watch much TV,” he laughs. When he is not treating patients, trying to change behaviours and


revolutionise modern dentistry, Ben enjoys running, cycling and gardening. “I think you need to regularly do sport of some description,” he says. “It helps both physically and mentally.” When asked about his plans for the future, Ben says his immediate priority is Hannah. “The app was the first baby, now we have a physical one, which is going to be more expensive and time consuming, but she gives better cuddles!”


Links • Find out more about the Brush DJ app at www.brushdj.com


• NHS Digital Apps Library – apps.beta.nhs.uk


• If you are inspired by Ben’s story visit www.ahsnnetwork.com or www.shil.co.uk Kristin Ballantyne is a freelance writer based in Glasgow


PHOTOGRAPHS: BEN UNDERWOOD


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