www.mddus.com REDUCTION IN ANTIBIOTIC


PRESCRIBING BY DENTISTS DENTAL practices in England dispensed nearly a quarter fewer prescriptions for antibiotics in 2017 compared to 2013, according to figures published by the English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR). Antibiotic prescribing in primary care settings overall fell by 13 per cent over the period, with a 24 per cent drop in dental prescribing. Dental practice contributed to eight per cent of antibiotic prescription items in primary care in 2017. The need to preserve the potency of existing antibiotics was underlined


recently in a report by MPs which estimated that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could kill up to 10 million people per year by 2050. The reduction in antibiotic prescribing has been applauded by the BDA, but


President Susie Sanderson added: “There is a whole range of fronts where we still need to secure progress to avoid inappropriate use of antibiotics in dentistry. Properly funded emergency treatment slots, and removing the pressures that push dental patients to GPs, are key to bringing down antibiotic prescribing.”


DENTISTS ‘SHOULD BE PROUD’


OF INSPECTION IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS in dental practices inspected by the Care Quality Commission “should make the profession proud”, the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (FGDP UK) has said. The CQC’s latest annual State of


Care review shows that of over 1,300 practices inspected last year, the proportion requiring enforcement action dropped from two per cent to one per cent. The number needing improvement in specific areas (‘requirement action’) fell from 10 per cent to nine per cent, and the percentage meeting the required standards in all five key areas assessed rose from 88 to 90 per cent. Ninety-two per cent of practices re-inspected after being given


requirement actions were found to have addressed the identified concerns, as had 80 per cent of those re- inspected following enforcement action.


All practices were again judged to


be responsive and caring and 99 per cent considered effective, while the number deemed to require action on safe care dropped from four to two per cent. Practice leadership was highlighted as one area requiring improvement. FGDP UK dean Ian Mills said dentists should be “extremely proud of the consistency with which they provide high quality care to their patients.” He added:


“Focusing on leadership and management


remains the key to our profession making further improvements, and the value of practice managers is once again highlighted in this regard.”


ANNUAL GDC RENEWAL REMINDER


DENTISTS are reminded they must have renewed their GDC registration by 31 December or they will be removed from the register and not allowed to practise. To renew GDC registration, dentists will need to:


• pay the annual renewal fee (ARF) • make an annual, or end-of-cycle, CPD statement • declare that they have or will have indemnity.


The quickest way to renew is via eGDC (www.egdc-uk.org). It can also be done by post (forms and payment must have been posted by 18 December) or by calling 0800 197 4610. This year, all dentists (except those who joined the register in


2018) will need to make either an annual CPD statement or an end-of-cycle CPD statement. This is a new requirement of the Enhanced CPD scheme, rolled out at the start of 2018. Dentists who have not done any CPD this year will need to make a ‘zero-hours’ CPD statement. For queries, contact the GDC by phoning 020 7167 6000 or by email at renewal@gdc-uk.org.


SERIOUS DENTAL DECAY IN CHILDREN


MAY INDICATE NEGLECT DENTAL decay requiring hospital care could be a sign that a child is suffering neglect, according to a study published in the BDJ. Researchers from King’s College, London conducted


an audit of under-16s who were admitted for oral and maxillofacial surgery for incision and drainage of a dental/facial abscess under general anaesthesia between January 2015 and January 2017. Among 27 children included in the study, 11 were


known to social services (SS). Five patients out of the 27 were discussed with a trust safeguarding team member during their hospital stay and of these five, one new SS referral was made and three cases were re-referred due to new safeguarding concerns. On average 3.2 teeth were extracted with an average hospital stay of 2.5 days. The researchers said: “Where parents or carers


repeatedly fail to access dental treatment for a child’s tooth decay or leave dental tooth pain untreated, ‘alarm bells’ should ring for clinicians to consider neglect.” They recommended that all children admitted with


dental/maxillofacial space infections, where dental neglect may be present, should be discussed with the local safeguarding team. Source: BDJ


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