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Welcome News


Welcome to your


THE issue of chairside assistance is a common theme in MDDUS dental advice calls. Who can provide appropriate chairside assistance and is it always necessary? Make sure you don’t fall foul of General Dental Council rules by reading my advice on page 4. It is unusual for higher courts


to hear claims arising out of professional negligence, particularly those of relevance to dental practice. On page 10, MDDUS dental adviser Stephen Henderson highlights key learning points from two recent high-profile cases. Treatment coordinators are


becoming an increasingly valuable part of the dental team, but they must work within limits. Alun Rees explains on page 6. Maintaining good relationships with dental colleagues is key to a successful work life. Dentist Laura McCormick offers advice on page 5. Do you know how long to hold onto dental records and


study models? Risk adviser Alan Frame has practical advice on page 7. Practitioners often struggle with periodontics in general practice, but on page 8 restorative dentistry specialist Dr Madeleine Murray explores common risk areas when managing patients with periodontitis. We stick with this theme in our case study on page 14 which explores an allegation of clinical negligence and failure to diagnose and treat periodontal disease. With her catchy slogan “Pick it, lick it, stick it”, restorative dentist Dr Serpil Djemal is helping to change the way UK clinicians deal with dental trauma. Read all about her innovative campaign to save teeth and rebuild smiles in our feature on page 12.


• Doug Hamilton Editor


ESSENTIAL GUIDE FOR


IMPLANT DENTISTS DENTISTS who carry out implant work can benefit from a new guide which offers practical advice on the latest developments in the field. Key points for clinical practice answers a broad range of questions


across four main topic areas in implant dentistry. These are: drugs and diseases; biological parameters; reconstructions; and biomechanical aspects. The report was written by a group of dentists who attended the


European Association for Osseointegration (EAO) 2018 Consensus Conference and observed expert discussions on emerging techniques and hot topics in the field. It provides a clear summary of the experts’ findings and gives readers


key facts to include in their clinical practice. The guide is written in a helpful question-and-answer format and is available in nine languages. Access at: www.eao.org/mpage/kpfcp


REPORT HIGHLIGHTS SIGNIFICANT UNAWARENESS


OF ORAL CANCER MORE than 8,300 new cases of oral cancer are now diagnosed in UK adults each year, representing a 49 per cent increase over the last decade, according to a new report by the Oral Health Foundation. The UK’s first State of Mouth


EDITOR: Doug Hamilton BDS LLM MJDF RCS (Eng)


MANAGING EDITOR: Joanne Curran


ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Jim Killgore


DESIGN: Connect Communications www.connectmedia.cc


CORRESPONDENCE: SoundBite Editor MDDUS Mackintosh House 120 Blythswood Street Glasgow G2 4EA


t: e: 0333 043 4444 jcurran@mddus.com w: www.mddus.com


SoundBite is published by The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, Registered in Scotland No 5093 at Mackintosh House, 120 Blythswood Street, Glasgow G2 4EA. The MDDUS is not an insurance company. All the benefits of membership of MDDUS are discretionary as set out in the Articles of Association. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors in SoundBite are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland.


GPst is published by The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, Registered in Scotland No 5093 at Mackintosh House, 120 Blythswood Street, Glasgow G2 4EA. The MDDUS is not an insurance company. All the benefits of membership of MDDUS are discretionary as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.


Cancer report highlights that less than half of UK adults can identify common potential warning signs including long-lasting mouth ulcers (42 per cent), red or white patches (31 per cent) and unusual lumps (47 per cent). There is also uncertainty about where mouth cancer appears, while more than four in five adults (82 per cent) are unsure how to check for mouth cancer.


Sixty per cent of smokers and almost 90 per cent of those who drink more than 20 units of alcohol a week cannot identify the symptoms of mouth cancer. Men are around 25 per cent less likely to know symptoms associated with mouth cancer compared to women, while a large proportion of over-65s (85 per cent) also do not know what to look for. Chief Executive of the Oral


Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, said: “For so long, mouth cancer seems to have gone under the radar. It is now time for us to take notice and learn what we need to, so that we can help protect ourselves and others around


us.”


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