Primary dental care : journal of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (UK)最新文献

This paper is based on an assignment written as part of the work required for the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK)'s Certificate in Mentoring in Dentistry. Its author is currently a trainer for the first year of foundation training in a general dental practice in Kent. The paper commences by defining mentoring. It explores the relationship between postgraduate trainers and trainees and goes on to explain how it is the trainer's role to help trainees to use their strengths to overcome weaknesses. It details the person-centred approach, mentoring theories, helping models, the application of Kolb's learning cycle, the Inner Game theory, and the GROW model. It explores the role of foundation dental trainers as mentors to aid their trainee's ability to use reflective learning, and goes on to consider the implications of the changes that may result in the relationship between trainers and trainees as a consequence of the introduction of national recruitment. Finally, the author reflects on his experiences as a foundation dental trainer.

This opinion paper provides an analysis of the barriers and successes experienced when developing and implementing a pilot scheme to deliver caries prevention using skill-mix in the National Health Service (NHS) General Dental Services. A training programme was initiated to develop the skills of extended duties dental nurses to deliver fluoride varnish to patients in selected dental practices in Croydon, London, UK. In the light of the evaluation of this programme, a recommendation is made that similar preventive schemes should be delivered in the future within the NHS dental contract.

As the new Joint Dental Council appointed by the two Dental Faculties of The Royal College of Surgeons of England begins its work to improve inter-faculty collaboration, this paper suggests some of the issues that will need to be addressed. Drawing on the concepts of 'positioning', 'identity' and 'professionalism', the question is raised as to how the Faculties may seek to engage more meaningfully with dental professionals at large. The need for all Dental Faculties in the British Isles to learn to work together is emphasised. Attention is drawn to the importance, in the rapidly evolving social context in which dental professionals work, of reflecting deeply on the nature of professionalism in contemporary society, and the moral and humanitarian issues that need to be addressed if dentists are to continue to be deemed worthy of the status 'profession'.

Introduction: This paper, the ninth and final one in the series, will address the tenth and final stage of a research project suggested in the first paper. The ten suggested stages are: 1. The initial idea (asking a research question). 2. Searching the literature. 3. Refining the research question. 4. Planning the study. 5. Writing a protocol. 6. Obtaining ethical approval and funding. 7. Piloting the methodology and project management. 8. Collecting data. 9. Analysing the data. 10. Writing up and disseminating the results. The paper outlines the steps that authors should take when seeking to publish the results of research in peer-reviewed journals and how to disseminate results through presentations at scientific conferences. These steps represent the final stage in the research process.

Aims: The overall aim of this study was to determine whether general dental practitioners (GDPs) in West Sussex were aware of and followed National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on dental recalls. The study also aimed to identify factors in the GDPs' practice of dentistry that could affect their adherence to NICE guidelines and to gain some insight into their views on this topic and how these might affect their adherence.

Methods: A postal questionnaire, which had previously been piloted, and an explanatory letter were sent to a random sample of 195 GDPs representing 50% of the GDPs contracted to the West Sussex Primary Care Trust. Those who did not respond were sent the questionnaire and letter for a second time. The questionnaire consisted of 50 questions that covered awareness of, attitudes towards and adherence to the NICE guidelines on dental recalls, risk factors, and the GDPs' practising profile. Resulting data were entered into a database and, where appropriate, statistically tested with the chi-square test, with the level of statistical probability set at P<0.5.

Results: Data were obtained from the 50 questions in the questionnaires. Only key results are presented in this abstract. Ten of the 195 GDPs had either moved away from the area or were orthodontists. The final sample was therefore 185, of whom 117 returned questionnaires, a response rate of 63%. Seventy-three per cent of the respondents had qualified in United Kingdom. Sixty-five per cent were male. The mean age of respondents was 43 years. Seventy-one per cent worked as GDPs within the General Dental Services (GDS) or Personal Dental Services. Concerning NICE recall guidelines, 94% stated that they were aware of them, 61% said they agreed with them, and 64% that they adhered to them. Female GDPs were statistically far more likely to state that they followed NICE guidelines ( P =0.0043). Seventy per cent of GDPs reported that they still recalled their patients at six-month intervals and only 3% that they recalled their patients according to need. Eighty-five per cent reported taking radiographs at two-year intervals and/or according to patient need, and 68% that they gave oral hygiene advice six monthly or at every recall. Risk assessments were reported as being always carried out by 65% of responding GDPs for caries, 83% for periodontal disease, and 81% for oral cancer. Ninety per cent reported that they thought risk factors were relevant when setting the recall interval and 82% thought that six-monthly recalls allowed appropriate screening to take place.

Conclusions: Only 3% of responding GDPs recalled their patients according to patient need, in line with NICE recall guidelines, although the majority of GDPs agreed with the guidelines and stated that they adhered to them; however, this was in contrast to the 70% of GDPs who continued to recall at

This brief paper explains why the art of negotiation has become far more important for general dental practitioners. It explains that negotiations take place with patients, with practice staff, and with funding agencies such as Primary Care Trusts. It sets out the principles for successful negotiation and gives two examples of how they can be applied. It concludes that negotiation is a skill that can be learned and that it will be a key skill as the profession faces future challenges.

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, or broad thumb-hallux syndrome, is a well-defined rare congenital disorder characterised by postnatal growth deficiency, craniofacial dysmorphism, broad thumbs and great toes, and mental retardation (intellectual disability). Occurrence may be either sporadic or through autosomal dominant inheritance. Reports of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome are scarce in the literature. This case report describes the oral and dentofacial findings of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome affecting a 13-year-old Indian female, including the uncommon presence of talon cusps and an unerupted supernumerary tooth.