Dental Prof

EU law makes dental tourism easier

- New EU legislation should make it easier for British cpatients to overcome the difficulties of finding an NHS dentist and seek private dentistry abroad instead, it’s been claimed.
/>
/>According to EU health commissioner Androula Vassiliou, British consumers may soon be able to visit another European country for dental treatment and claim the cost of the treatment from the NHS.
/>
/>Ms Vassillou promised the controversial proposal on cross-border healthcare would be discussed when she was made Health Commissioner for the European Parliament earlier this year.
/>
/>At the time she said: ‘It is estimated that only 1% of patients leave their country for healthcare abroad. That is not an amount that will put national health systems in danger.’
/>
/>Dentistry abroad is already frequently cheaper than private treatment in the UK, but the latest move is set to make it even more inexpensive.
/>
/>It will not, however, cover cosmetic dentistry such as tooth whitening.
/>
/>A recent report by the NHS Information Centre found that the number of people being treated by NHS dentists fell by 1.1 million between 2006/07 and 2007/08.
/>

EU law makes dental tourism easier

- New EU legislation should make it easier for British cpatients to overcome the difficulties of finding an NHS dentist and seek private dentistry abroad instead, it’s been claimed.
/>
/>According to EU health commissioner Androula Vassiliou, British consumers may soon be able to visit another European country for dental treatment and claim the cost of the treatment from the NHS.
/>
/>Ms Vassillou promised the controversial proposal on cross-border healthcare would be discussed when she was made Health Commissioner for the European Parliament earlier this year.
/>
/>At the time she said: ‘It is estimated that only 1% of patients leave their country for healthcare abroad. That is not an amount that will put national health systems in danger.’
/>
/>Dentistry abroad is already frequently cheaper than private treatment in the UK, but the latest move is set to make it even more inexpensive.
/>
/>It will not, however, cover cosmetic dentistry such as tooth whitening.
/>
/>A recent report by the NHS Information Centre found that the number of people being treated by NHS dentists fell by 1.1 million between 2006/07 and 2007/08.
/>

Olympic fever hits The Dentistry Awards!

-

Olympic athlete-turned-television-personality Kriss Akabusi will take the stage on 12 December to compere the event, adding his exuberant personality and infectious laughter to proceedings. 

The announcement of Kriss Akabusi is particularly topical with Team GB doing so well at the Beijing Olympics!
/>   
/>Kriss's enthusiasm and attention to 'focus, innovation and teamwork' (FIT) when giving motivational speeches fit perfectly with the ethos of The Dentistry Awards.

Bringing together more than 600 people from all over the country, the awards celebrate passion, commitment and success throughout the dental profession.
/> 
/>So the question is, when can we expect to receive your entry?

The competition splits the UK into nine regions, with four award categories to choose from. The winners from each region then compete for the coveted UK overall prize in each category.
/> 
/>With three weeks to go until the deadline to enter – 17 September – why not remind yourself of the different categories just waiting for you to enter. Which one catches your eye?
/> 
/>♦ Best Practice             ♦ Best Team                   ♦ Best Young Dentist
/> 
/>NEW FOR 2008 – The UK Outstanding Achievement Award
/>
/>Having listened to your feedback, we are thrilled to launch this brand new category.

The award acknowledges outstanding contribution during the calendar year of 2008, and will be judged independently of the regions resulting in a UK overall winner.
/> 
/>Please visit www.dentistry.co.uk/awards2008 for full details of the categories and entry hints and tips, or call us on 01923 851734 for an entry form.
/> 
/>Please let us know that you are entering by calling us on 0800 371652 to register your details as soon as possible to that we can look out for your entry in the post.

Olympic fever hits The Dentistry Awards!

-

Olympic athlete-turned-television-personality Kriss Akabusi will take the stage on 12 December to compere the event, adding his exuberant personality and infectious laughter to proceedings. 

The announcement of Kriss Akabusi is particularly topical with Team GB doing so well at the Beijing Olympics!
/>   
/>Kriss's enthusiasm and attention to 'focus, innovation and teamwork' (FIT) when giving motivational speeches fit perfectly with the ethos of The Dentistry Awards.

Bringing together more than 600 people from all over the country, the awards celebrate passion, commitment and success throughout the dental profession.
/> 
/>So the question is, when can we expect to receive your entry?

The competition splits the UK into nine regions, with four award categories to choose from. The winners from each region then compete for the coveted UK overall prize in each category.
/> 
/>With three weeks to go until the deadline to enter – 17 September – why not remind yourself of the different categories just waiting for you to enter. Which one catches your eye?
/> 
/>♦ Best Practice             ♦ Best Team                   ♦ Best Young Dentist
/> 
/>NEW FOR 2008 – The UK Outstanding Achievement Award
/>
/>Having listened to your feedback, we are thrilled to launch this brand new category.

The award acknowledges outstanding contribution during the calendar year of 2008, and will be judged independently of the regions resulting in a UK overall winner.
/> 
/>Please visit www.dentistry.co.uk/awards2008 for full details of the categories and entry hints and tips, or call us on 01923 851734 for an entry form.
/> 
/>Please let us know that you are entering by calling us on 0800 371652 to register your details as soon as possible to that we can look out for your entry in the post.

Problems continue two years on from new dental contract

-

NHS dentists and their patients still face significant problems two years after the introduction of the new contract in April 2006.

That's according to reports by the NHS Information Centre.
/>
/>They show that more than one million fewer patients in England have been able to access NHS dentistry since the introduction of a new contract for dentists and patient charges in April 2006.
/>
/>The number of patients accessing NHS dentistry in England in the 24 months prior to 31 March 2008 was 27,049,000, compared to 28,145,000 in the 24 months prior to 31 March 2006.
/>
/>The reports also appear to highlight changes to the type of treatments patients are receiving.
/>
/>Susie Sanderson, chair of the BDA’s Executive Board, said: ‘These reports provide further evidence of the persisting problems with the 2006 NHS dental reforms. More than a million people have now lost access to NHS dental care.
/>
/>‘Those that are able to access care are confronted with a system that discourages modern, preventive care by placing targets, rather than patients, at its heart.
/>
/>‘This is difficult for dentists, who want to focus on providing the best possible care for their patients.
/>
/>‘The apparent change in treatment patterns is also of concern and requires further investigation so that the impact of the new contract is fully understood. Such an investigation was recommended by MPs last month in the report of the Health Select Committee.
/>
/>‘The Government must take note of what these reports, patients and the profession and even the Health Select Committee have told them and act to resolve the issues facing NHS dentistry in England and Wales.
/>
/>‘It is also important that primary care trusts and dentists are properly resourced and supported to ensure the commissioning work they are doing is effective and meets patients’ needs.’
/>

Problems continue two years on from new dental contract

-

NHS dentists and their patients still face significant problems two years after the introduction of the new contract in April 2006.

That's according to reports by the NHS Information Centre.
/>
/>They show that more than one million fewer patients in England have been able to access NHS dentistry since the introduction of a new contract for dentists and patient charges in April 2006.
/>
/>The number of patients accessing NHS dentistry in England in the 24 months prior to 31 March 2008 was 27,049,000, compared to 28,145,000 in the 24 months prior to 31 March 2006.
/>
/>The reports also appear to highlight changes to the type of treatments patients are receiving.
/>
/>Susie Sanderson, chair of the BDA’s Executive Board, said: ‘These reports provide further evidence of the persisting problems with the 2006 NHS dental reforms. More than a million people have now lost access to NHS dental care.
/>
/>‘Those that are able to access care are confronted with a system that discourages modern, preventive care by placing targets, rather than patients, at its heart.
/>
/>‘This is difficult for dentists, who want to focus on providing the best possible care for their patients.
/>
/>‘The apparent change in treatment patterns is also of concern and requires further investigation so that the impact of the new contract is fully understood. Such an investigation was recommended by MPs last month in the report of the Health Select Committee.
/>
/>‘The Government must take note of what these reports, patients and the profession and even the Health Select Committee have told them and act to resolve the issues facing NHS dentistry in England and Wales.
/>
/>‘It is also important that primary care trusts and dentists are properly resourced and supported to ensure the commissioning work they are doing is effective and meets patients’ needs.’
/>

Blow for dental health as EU doubts dairy benefits

-

Ireland’s National Dairy Council (NDC) has failed to convince the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that dairy products promote dental health.

The NDC recently sought scientific substantiation by the EU of its health claim that dairy foods – milk and cheese – reduced dental caries development.

However, the EFSA considered that the foods for which the claim was made were not sufficiently characterised, e.g. nutritional composition and its variability between products were not provided, and that the evidence provided by the NDC was insufficient to establish a cause-effect relationship between consumption of milk and reduction of dental caries development in children.

The experts stated that there were ‘significant weaknesses’ in a study provided on the effect of one 5g piece of hard cheese consumed daily by children between the ages of seven and nine, which ‘limit its value as a source of data to substantiate a cause and effect relationship between the consumption of hard cheese and reduction of dental caries development in children’.

The EFSA concluded that, on the basis of the data presented, a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of milk or cheese and dental health in children.

Blow for dental health as EU doubts dairy benefits

-

Ireland’s National Dairy Council (NDC) has failed to convince the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that dairy products promote dental health.

The NDC recently sought scientific substantiation by the EU of its health claim that dairy foods – milk and cheese – reduced dental caries development.

However, the EFSA considered that the foods for which the claim was made were not sufficiently characterised, e.g. nutritional composition and its variability between products were not provided, and that the evidence provided by the NDC was insufficient to establish a cause-effect relationship between consumption of milk and reduction of dental caries development in children.

The experts stated that there were ‘significant weaknesses’ in a study provided on the effect of one 5g piece of hard cheese consumed daily by children between the ages of seven and nine, which ‘limit its value as a source of data to substantiate a cause and effect relationship between the consumption of hard cheese and reduction of dental caries development in children’.

The EFSA concluded that, on the basis of the data presented, a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of milk or cheese and dental health in children.

Prepare to be shaken and stirred

-

Growing your practice in a tough climate is the theme as keynote speaker and self-confessed ‘leadership junkie’ René Carayol addresses the Private Dentistry 2008 National Conference in November. We look at how he embraces times of change . . .

Inspirational speaker René Carayol is probably best known for his BBC series Pay Off Your Mortgage in 2 Years – television widened his audience – but he has been a huge hit on the speakers’ circuit for some years now – and deservedly so.

His TV appearances went on to include the critically acclaimed documentary for Channel 4 – The Man from the Met – on the challenges facing Sir John Stevens at the helm, and he is now a regular voice on Radio 5 Live and Talk Sport offering phone-in business advice.

But ultimately his pièce de résistance is his ability to turn around companies, and indeed, whole industries with just the power of his words – and the conviction in his delivery.

With a no-holds barred approach to addressing the captains of industry, he tackles his topic in a way that would make Alan Sugar proud.

Although to be fair, he is definitely no Alan Sugar. His delivery is less crusty, smoother, more polished with a huge display of natural charisma – but he has the same principles: he speaks as he finds.
/>‘Leaders are not born or made – they are found,’ says René.

Awarded an MBE in 2004 for his outstanding service to the business community, he says what he sees with an honesty that has been well received throughout business circles.

So successful have his addresses been, that an impressive list of blue-chip companies invite him back for more – and some have sought him in an advisory capacity, among them CBI, McKinsey & Co and Barclays.

He has also provided leadership support to the British Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit.

René’s impressive pre-speaking career equipped him with a strong core knowledge of the skills and attributes businesses thrive upon – serving as he did as an executive main board director for blue-chip companies and also within the public sector (where he is a former non-executive director of the
/>Inland Revenue).

Starting out as a buyer with Marks & Spencer in 1982 and rising through the ranks to Senior IT Manager and Executive, he was headhunted by Pepsi Co in 1992 and sat on the board of directors for Pizza Hut.

He then joined IPC Electric as Managing Director and took the business from the concept stage through to the acquisition by AOL Time Warner. He was the first black person and first IT Director to have ever sat on the IPC board.

As an author, he has produced two books – Corporate Voodoo in 2001 (now in its third edition) and the sequel, My Voodoo in 2003. René is a regular broadsheet columnist, most notably for The Guardian.
/>He is CEO of the Inspired Leaders Network (ILN) that was founded in 2000, and continues to be actively involved in public speaking.

n his website’s blog at www.carayol.com, René says ‘doing nothing is never an option’ from a leadership perspective.

He is certainly a man true to his word: having supposedly retired five-and-a-half years ago, René, 50
/>this month, now travels the globe conducting more than 100 inspirational talks a year.
/>
/>Q. Three words to describe yourself?
/>A. Confident, cosmopolitan and optimistic.
/>
/>Q. What family do you have?
/>A. I was born in Gambia – my mother passed away recently out there. My wife Yvonne died of cancer and, since then, I have been both mum and dad to my son (now 28) and daughter (18). I quickly discovered my wife had been the one who handled all the emotional problems and I’m probably a more rounded person for the dual role.
/>
/>Q. Do you ever get homesick when you’re travelling the world?
/>A. I never get homesick. If I’m away for more than three or four days, I fly my children out to be with me.
/>
/>Q. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
/>A. London, which is where I live (in Swiss Cottage, north west London). It’s the greatest city on the planet and it if wasn’t London, it would be New York. I love the mix. (Although born in Gambia, he has lived in London since he was three)
/>
/>Q. Who are you close to?
/>A. Apart from my two children, my PA, Jill Thorn, who has been with me for 16 years and knows me better than anyone else in the world. We complement each other – the secret of a good business relationship – with completely different skills and different areas of expertise. I worry about the things she doesn’t and vice versa.
/>(In return, Rene’s PA Jill says: ‘He has always been the most charismatic, inspirational boss: you can have a thoroughly bad day, but if you see René, you come away thinking that you can conquer the world.’)
/>
/>Q. How do you relax?
/>A. I’m a bit of a foodie. Cooking with my children is relaxation for me. The kitchen is the best place to relax. I’m also a lifelong Chelsea fan – a season ticket-holder – in the West Upper stand. I love the cinema and I listen to Radio 4 or Radio 5 Live.
/>
/>Q. Do you ever get nervous before public speaking?
/>A. No, it’s what I do. I recently ‘Googled’ Top 10 Fears.
/>Ironically, number one was ‘public speaking’ and number two was ‘going to the dentist’.
/>
/>Q. People you most admire within the business world?
/>A. Steve Jobs (co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc), Stuart Rose (M&S boss with a reputation for turning around struggling retailers), Sir Philip Green (billionaire owner of Bhs and the Arcadia Group) and Virgin boss Richard Branson.
/>
/>Q. Do you ever get fed up with your job?
/>A. Not at all. Do a job you love and you never work a day in your life.
/>
/>Q. Do you ever switch off your mobile?
/>A. No, but it’s always on silent and vibrate.
/>
/>Q. What three things would you take to a desert island?
/>A. A radio, my iPod (music-wise I like everything and anything, but especially soul) and my children.
/>
/>Q. What have been the highlights in your life so far – professionally and personally?
/>A. Promotion to the board of IPC in April 1995 and the birth of my children.
/>
/>Q. What’s the weirdest gig you’ve done?
/>A. I once did a talk at NASA in Houston which was a bit odd – and at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel, I was lowered down from a helicopter to present the closing speech for an audience of 8,000 people! But the strangest must have been in Sun City in Johannesburg where I was on stage with two lions at a
/>conference for Barclays South Africa – funnily enough, none of the speakers overrun!
/>
/>Q. Is money the answer to everything?
/>A. No, but usually it’s the enabler to everything.

The Private Dentistry 2008 National Conference will be held on Thursday 27 November at The Hotel Russell, London. For further information about the Private Dentistry 2008 National Conference, please call Independent Seminars on o800 371652 or visit www.independentseminars.com.

Prepare to be shaken and stirred

-

Growing your practice in a tough climate is the theme as keynote speaker and self-confessed ‘leadership junkie’ René Carayol addresses the Private Dentistry 2008 National Conference in November. We look at how he embraces times of change . . .

Inspirational speaker René Carayol is probably best known for his BBC series Pay Off Your Mortgage in 2 Years – television widened his audience – but he has been a huge hit on the speakers’ circuit for some years now – and deservedly so.

His TV appearances went on to include the critically acclaimed documentary for Channel 4 – The Man from the Met – on the challenges facing Sir John Stevens at the helm, and he is now a regular voice on Radio 5 Live and Talk Sport offering phone-in business advice.

But ultimately his pièce de résistance is his ability to turn around companies, and indeed, whole industries with just the power of his words – and the conviction in his delivery.

With a no-holds barred approach to addressing the captains of industry, he tackles his topic in a way that would make Alan Sugar proud.

Although to be fair, he is definitely no Alan Sugar. His delivery is less crusty, smoother, more polished with a huge display of natural charisma – but he has the same principles: he speaks as he finds.
/>‘Leaders are not born or made – they are found,’ says René.

Awarded an MBE in 2004 for his outstanding service to the business community, he says what he sees with an honesty that has been well received throughout business circles.

So successful have his addresses been, that an impressive list of blue-chip companies invite him back for more – and some have sought him in an advisory capacity, among them CBI, McKinsey & Co and Barclays.

He has also provided leadership support to the British Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit.

René’s impressive pre-speaking career equipped him with a strong core knowledge of the skills and attributes businesses thrive upon – serving as he did as an executive main board director for blue-chip companies and also within the public sector (where he is a former non-executive director of the
/>Inland Revenue).

Starting out as a buyer with Marks & Spencer in 1982 and rising through the ranks to Senior IT Manager and Executive, he was headhunted by Pepsi Co in 1992 and sat on the board of directors for Pizza Hut.

He then joined IPC Electric as Managing Director and took the business from the concept stage through to the acquisition by AOL Time Warner. He was the first black person and first IT Director to have ever sat on the IPC board.

As an author, he has produced two books – Corporate Voodoo in 2001 (now in its third edition) and the sequel, My Voodoo in 2003. René is a regular broadsheet columnist, most notably for The Guardian.
/>He is CEO of the Inspired Leaders Network (ILN) that was founded in 2000, and continues to be actively involved in public speaking.

On his website’s blog at www.carayol.com, René says ‘doing nothing is never an option’ from a leadership perspective.

He is certainly a man true to his word: having supposedly retired five-and-a-half years ago, René, 50
/>this month, now travels the globe conducting more than 100 inspirational talks a year.
/>
/>Q. Three words to describe yourself?
/>A. Confident, cosmopolitan and optimistic.
/>
/>Q. What family do you have?
/>A. I was born in Gambia – my mother passed away recently out there. My wife Yvonne died of cancer and, since then, I have been both mum and dad to my son (now 28) and daughter (18). I quickly discovered my wife had been the one who handled all the emotional problems and I’m probably a more rounded person for the dual role.
/>
/>Q. Do you ever get homesick when you’re travelling the world?
/>A. I never get homesick. If I’m away for more than three or four days, I fly my children out to be with me.
/>
/>Q. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
/>A. London, which is where I live (in Swiss Cottage, north west London). It’s the greatest city on the planet and it if wasn’t London, it would be New York. I love the mix. (Although born in Gambia, he has lived in London since he was three)
/>
/>Q. Who are you close to?
/>A. Apart from my two children, my PA, Jill Thorn, who has been with me for 16 years and knows me better than anyone else in the world. We complement each other – the secret of a good business relationship – with completely different skills and different areas of expertise. I worry about the things she doesn’t and vice versa.
/>(In return, Rene’s PA Jill says: ‘He has always been the most charismatic, inspirational boss: you can have a thoroughly bad day, but if you see René, you come away thinking that you can conquer the world.’)
/>
/>Q. How do you relax?
/>A. I’m a bit of a foodie. Cooking with my children is relaxation for me. The kitchen is the best place to relax. I’m also a lifelong Chelsea fan – a season ticket-holder – in the West Upper stand. I love the cinema and I listen to Radio 4 or Radio 5 Live.
/>
/>Q. Do you ever get nervous before public speaking?
/>A. No, it’s what I do. I recently ‘Googled’ Top 10 Fears.
/>Ironically, number one was ‘public speaking’ and number two was ‘going to the dentist’.
/>
/>Q. People you most admire within the business world?
/>A. Steve Jobs (co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc), Stuart Rose (M&S boss with a reputation for turning around struggling retailers), Sir Philip Green (billionaire owner of Bhs and the Arcadia Group) and Virgin boss Richard Branson.
/>
/>Q. Do you ever get fed up with your job?
/>A. Not at all. Do a job you love and you never work a day in your life.
/>
/>Q. Do you ever switch off your mobile?
/>A. No, but it’s always on silent and vibrate.
/>
/>Q. What three things would you take to a desert island?
/>A. A radio, my iPod (music-wise I like everything and anything, but especially soul) and my children.
/>
/>Q. What have been the highlights in your life so far – professionally and personally?
/>A. Promotion to the board of IPC in April 1995 and the birth of my children.
/>
/>Q. What’s the weirdest gig you’ve done?
/>A. I once did a talk at NASA in Houston which was a bit odd – and at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel, I was lowered down from a helicopter to present the closing speech for an audience of 8,000 people! But the strangest must have been in Sun City in Johannesburg where I was on stage with two lions at a
/>conference for Barclays South Africa – funnily enough, none of the speakers overrun!
/>
/>Q. Is money the answer to everything?
/>A. No, but usually it’s the enabler to everything.

The Private Dentistry 2008 National Conference will be held on Thursday 27 November at The Hotel Russell, London. For further information about the Private Dentistry 2008 National Conference, please call Independent Seminars on o800 371652 or visit www.independentseminars.com.