BDIA Dental Insider Issue 1 2024

Dental

BDIA Yorkshire 3 Peaks Charity Event

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This event is your chance to conquer the stunning Yorkshire Three Peaks while supporting a great cause. Lace up your boots and get ready to hike through the breath taking landscapes of Ribblesdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or just looking for a fun challenge, this event is perfect for all levels. Enjoy the camaraderie of fellow participants as you trek through Pen-yghent, Whernside, and Ingleborough on this classic 24-mile circular walk.

Make a difference while experiencing the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable adventure!

Cost: £99 per ticket with all profits going to Mind. Date of event: Saturday 7th September

The Voice of the Industry

BDIA

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Whilst every care has been taken to ensure accurate information is published in Dental Insider, the publishers and authors take no responsibility for claims made by suppliers of dental products listed and advise that you should contact your professional advisor before progressing on any details printed. The views stated in articles and correspondence are not necessarily the views of the editor or the BDIA.

That’s debatable…

On July 4, we have a general election to look forward to, so parties and politicians are ramping up their efforts to reach out and maximise their appeal to voters. There are many ways to do this – from utilising digital technology and social media, to delivering speeches, and even some good oldfashioned boots on the doorsteps for some “real conversations”. The last of these are often horribly awkward, and very obviously stage-managed. If the campaign managers think these show authenticity I would suggest that that is highly debatable!

The focus on the campaigns puts me in mind of a BDIA Summer Conference many years ago. As is always the case the BDIA had put on an impressive programme (a look ahead to this year’s event appears on page 13) and in one of the interactive sessions, the speaker asked the audience, “What makes a good dentist?”  There were several answers offered: compassion, empathy, understanding, communication skills… and within a few minutes, the list seemed exhausted. Though there was the notable absence of something which would seem fundamental to dentistry, that being clinical skill. Whilst, of course, we all want a dentist who is nice and kind and friendly, equally, we want someone who knows what he or she is doing, and has the actual ability to treat us in the best possible way! A similar thing applies to politicians, there is often a focus on how they look, how they communicate and get their message across – but of course what truly matters is what the message actually means, and what they would do if elected.

It can be frustrating when politicians dance around questions rather than answering, or just blindly repeat tired slogans and soundbites, but before criticising them perhaps we should consider our own role in creating the environment which encourages such

Eddie MacKenzie is the editor of Dental Insider

behaviour. After all, are they not just reacting to the reality of voter expectation and demands? Do we, as voters, not decide what qualities to reward and punish? Being an MP is a job, and so an election campaign is effectively a long-winded job series of job interviews. The point of any job interview is to explore someone’s suitability for the role they have applied for, however, this is not a perfect science. I suspect most companies have had the experience of appointing someone who looked to be a great fit for a role, only to find after they have been appointed that they are better interviewees than workers. If this is a regular occurrence, then it might be a sign that there is something wrong with the interview process itself, so perhaps you need to consider what changes can be made to make it more effective, and make sure you are judging what needs to be judged.

Obviously one of the problems is that even extensive interview processes are relatively short periods of time to get to know someone – and when someone is being interviewed they are naturally presenting a particular version of themselves they think will make them more attractive to the company. Because of the relative brevity, inevitably, interviewers are trying to gain as much information as possible from candidates and are taking all manner of things into consideration. Take for example something like presentation and clothing. What one wears might have very little to do with their ability within a particular role, but if one candidate is smartly dressed and another in a scruffy football shirt and baggy jeans then they might well give a different impression to the interviewer about themselves, their attitude, and their seriousness about the role. Some people might not like this, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t so.

However, it should also be remembered that an interview is a two-way process, and the interviewee will similarly be making judgments about the company as a potential employer. And if an organisation has a strict dress code where employees are expected to be suited and booted every day, that may make it considerably less appealing than a

rival where a more casual dress code is in force. So, although not directly related to the work of a particular role, it is worth bearing in mind that such matters might well be important. The subject of dress codes is explored on page 32 by the BDIA’s HR partner, Croner.

Of course, all the leaders in the upcoming election will be impeccably attired for the now obligatory ‘leader debates’. Imported from the US, the events are an uncomfortable fit for

our multi-party electoral system, and the broadcasters have struggled to find a format which really works. Far from being a debate where matters are discussed and thoroughly hashed out, more often than not they are used as an opportunity to deliver rehearsed lines to audience members who have already made up their mind where their votes are going. Thankfully, not all debates are as pointless, as was shown at this year’s BDIA Dental Showcase (a full

review of which appears on page 16 when Edmund Proffitt, the BDIA’s chief executive, chaired a debate featuring Jason Wong, CDO for England, and Chris McConnell, past president of the BACD and director/co-founder of Real Dentist Academy. The subject for debate was the future amalgam, something Sophie Chalk discusses in her article on page 22. Some might think it a curious topic given the international commitment to phase down its use. However, the practicalities of managing

that decline, the pros and cons of alternative materials and the absence of knowledge about their long-term impact on the environment were all questions Jason and Chris covered in detail. The presentations gave rise to a number of thought-provoking questions showing the audience all appreciated the informative talk. Whether they all agreed or not though… well that’s debatable.

News from the Profession

Dental hygienists and therapists to gain ‘greater powers’ following public consultations

The Department of Health and Social Care has announced plans to streamline processes within dental and pharmacy settings and improve patient experiences by granting ‘new powers’ to dental hygienists and dental therapists, as well as pharmacy technicians, following two public consultations.

The move will reportedly help to free up access to care for patients across dental practices and pharmacies while building on efforts to improve access to primary care, including through Pharmacy First and the Dental Recovery Plan.

Andrea Leadsom, primary care minister, has announced dental hygienists and dental therapists will be able to supply and administer medicines, including pain relief and fluoride – without sign off from a dentist. This, in theory, will free up more time for dentists, allowing them to deliver more patient-facing clinical services and improving access to primary care services for patients.

The announcement is part of the latest series of measures the government has brought forward to cut waiting lists and improve access to primary care, which includes the publication of the Dental Recovery Plan, which aims to free up 2.5m more appointments this year, and the expansion of the Pharmacy First scheme, which enables pharmacists to treat seven common conditions, and will reportedly free up to 10 million GP appointments per year.

There are currently over 25,500 pharmacy technicians working in pharmacies across England, Scotland and Wales, while there are 9,733 dental hygienists and 6,198 dental therapists currently registered with the General Dental Council in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom added, “We want to give patients faster, simpler and fairer access to the care they need, when they need it – and giving these powers to pharmacy technicians, dental therapists and hygienists will do just that. Today’s announcement shows we are continuing to deliver on our promises made to improve access to primary care for all, building on the government’s long term ambitions, including through the Dental

Recovery Plan and the expansion of the Pharmacy First Scheme.

“We want to ensure our fantastic staff are recognised for the vital work that they do, working to their full scope of practice and delivering for everyone who walks through their doors.”

Miranda Steeples, president of The British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy, said, “BSDHT welcomes plans to enable our professions to work to the full extent of their skillset and give them new powers that enable them to offer patients the care they need. Everyone will benefit from an oral healthcare team that runs more smoothly and uses its time effectively.”

Fiona Sandom, chair of The British Association of Dental Therapists, said: “The British Association of Dental Therapists is delighted that dental therapists and dental hygienists will soon be able to supply and administer certain prescription only medicines to patients without a need for a patient specific direction (PSD) or a patient group direction (PGD). This will allow dental therapists and dental hygienists to use their full scope of practice and deliver the care they have been trained and educated to deliver.”

GDC publishes ‘update on transparency, trust, and improving the FtP process’

The General Dental Council (GDC) is looking into the level of detail published from Interim Orders Committee (IOC) hearings, and how it plans to report deaths during an FtP (fitness to practise) investigation.

The GDC states that it recognises FtP is a stressful and difficult process, noting that it has taken various steps to minimise unnecessary stress and anxiety and ensure that the small number of dental professionals involved in an investigation are supported and that their mental health and wellbeing is a priority.

Last year, following an inquest, a coroner raised concerns with the GDC about the level of detail that is put into the public domain regarding allegations being considered by an IOC.

The GDC has expressed great sadness about learning of the death of a dentist whose case was under investigation and send their deepest sympathy and thoughts to their family.

The regulator recognised the concerns raised by the coroner and at the time, work was underway to review the policy on the publication of IOC outcomes. The aim of the review is to ensure the correct balance of the public interest in open justice and safety, against the interests of the dental professional, particularly when assessing untested allegations. The role of the IOC is to assess immediate and serious risks to public safety or confidence and to take action when necessary. It does not have a role in making findings of fact.

The GDC is working to build a framework to report the causes of death of dental professionals where there is an active FtP case, guided by an evidence review and engagement with experts including the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group. The regulator explains the work underway to bring together a report that covers the period 2019 to 2022, to be published in 2024.

Stefan Czerniawski, executive director of strategy, said, “We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of a dentist whilst they were under investigation. We are committed to reflecting and learning lessons where we can and are developing a process to undertake a serious incident review when we become aware that someone has died while subject to a fitness to practise investigation.

“We want to build and maintain trust between us and the dental professionals we regulate. Minimising stress experienced in the fitness to practise process is one way to do that and we have a number of improvements underway. Reporting the causes of death of registrants will also improve transparency. However, balancing transparency with the public interest, our responsibilities as a regulator and the impact on dental professionals requires consideration of different perspectives and views in order to ensure constructive discussion about what are often difficult and sensitive issues.”

Implications of legal ruling under review

Following the Court of Appeal’s ruling in General Dental Council (GDC) v Williams, the regulator has undertaken to consider whether the judgment had implications for the outcomes of previous fitness to practise cases.

The judgement, announced in May 2023, confirmed that the relevant NHS regulations permitted “top-up” private fees in addition to band three NHS charges—in this case for a more aesthetic ceramic crown.

The Court of Appeal upheld an earlier High Court decision that the

proper interpretation of the contract regulations allowed for top-up fees in certain circumstances.

The GDC appealed that judgment to establish clarity about how the contract regulations should be interpreted for dental professionals, dental practices, NHS bodies in England, and for the purposes of its regulatory activities.

The regulator has carried out a review of 124 cases involving ‘top-up fees’ since the contract regulations came into force. Having reviewed all the circumstances of the relevant cases and engaged the services of independent

legal counsel, no further action was required, as it was established that the outcomes in these cases did not depend on the interpretation of the contract regulations which was at issue in the Williams case.

It is for the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS bodies in England, who have responsibility for the contract regulations and associated guidance, to consider necessary actions and communicate any implications for NHS dental charges to patients and dental professionals.

Jason Wong named CDO for England

When Sara Hurley vacated the role of Chief Dental Officer (CDO) for England in June last year, Jason Wong MBE – deputy CDO at the time – stepped up to fill the void at Interim CDO until a new permanent replacement was named by NHS England and the department of health and social care.

On Monday 22nd April, Jason Wong was named as Sara Hurley’s permanent replacement.

Jason was awarded his MBE for services to dentistry and oral health

in 2020, the same year he became deputy CDO. He previously chaired local dental networks throughout the Midlands and the East of England, and had served as secretary of the Lincolnshire Local Dental committee for 16 years.

According to NHS England, Jason’s new role as CDO, “sees him working in collaboration with local and regional teams to deliver improved outcomes for patients, while also championing the role of dentists and dentistry within the health system.”

News from the Profession

NHS Dental Recovery Plan officially unveiled

Following early leaks to the press, NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have released the NHS Dental Recovery Plan. Various dental associations and organisations were quick to issue responses, even before the official announcement. Read a snapshot of those reactions on page 5.

Victoria Atkins, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, explains that the plan has three components, “In 2024, we will significantly expand access so that everyone who needs to see a dentist will be able to. This will begin with measures to ensure those who have been unable to access care in the past 2 years will be able to do so – by offering a significant incentive to dentists to deliver this valuable NHS care. We are introducing mobile dental vans to take dentists and surgeries to isolated under-served communities.

“We will launch ‘Smile for Life’ – a major new focus on prevention and good oral health in young children, to be delivered via nurseries and other settings providing Start for Life services, and promoted by Family Hubs. We will also introduce dental outreach to primary schools in under-served areas, and take forward a consultation on expanding fluoridation of water to the north-east of England – a highly effective public health measure.

“We will ramp up the level of dental provision in the medium and longer term by supporting and developing the whole dental workforce, increasing workforce capacity as we have committed to do in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, reducing bureaucracy and setting the trajectory for longerterm reforms of the NHS dental contract.

“The publication of this recovery plan is a significant step on the journey to improve and transform access to NHS dentistry and deliver care that meets the diverse oral health needs of people across England,” says Jason Wong, Chief Dental Officer, England (interim). “The NHS dental service is an essential cradle-to-grave prevention service. The government’s launch of Smile for Life and the focus on early years is welcome, particularly for England’s most deprived communities. The consultation on expanding water fluoridation in some parts of England is an opportunity to improve the oral health of communities for generations to come.

“Offering dental teams a new patient premium to treat patients who’ve not seen an NHS dentist in over 2 years will help more patients access NHS dental care. Changes such as uplifting the minimum unit of dental activity (UDA) value to £28 will make NHS dentistry provision more attractive and the service more sustainable. More importantly, it will make the NHS dental service fairer.

“Growing the workforce so that more patients can access NHS dental care is critical in helping us improve and expand services. We will support government and the General Dental Council (GDC) in the introduction of provisional registration and making it easier for international graduates to work in England while maintaining our high standards. I have always been a strong advocate of the use of skill mix and look forward to further developing this in the provision of NHS care, and we will support the implementation of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.”

Andrea Leadsom, Minister for Public Health, Start for Life and Primary Care, adds, “This recovery plan addresses the urgent need to boost access, and we aim to make sure everyone needing NHS dentistry will be able to access it. Not only that, but we are building capacity for the long term, supporting our excellent dental staff to work at the top of their training, and encouraging more hard-working dentists to those areas of England that are currently under-served.”

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said:,“NHS dentistry was hit hard by the pandemic and while services are

improving – with 23 per cent more treatments delivered last year compared to the previous year – we know that for too many people, accessing a dentist isn’t as easy as it should be.

“That’s why we’re taking action today to boost the number of NHS dentists, help cut waiting lists and put NHS dentistry on a sustainable footing for the longterm. Backed by £200 million, this new recovery plan will deliver millions more NHS dental appointments and provide easier and faster access to care for people right across the country.”

The recovery plan also includes steps to improve access for patients immediately, suggesting changes so more dental therapists, hygienists, dental nurses and dentists can treat further NHS patients.

As outlined, “Dental care in England could not function without the vital contribution of its dental care professionals, including dental therapists, hygienists and nurses. As set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, we will expand dental therapy and dental hygiene undergraduate training places by 28 per cent by 2028 to 2029, and expand training places by 40 per cent from current levels to over 500 places by 2031 to 2032.

“Dental therapists’ scope of practice means that they can deliver much of the routine care that dentists provide so more therapists means more care for NHS patients. In addition to dental therapists and hygienists, we will also encourage greater numbers of dental nurses and clinical dental technicians into relevant education and training programmes.”

Honouring the dental industry in style

The 2024 Dental Industry Awards are now open for entries. The awards recognise excellence in the UK dental industry – and with so much excellence to choose from, it’s little surprise that they have gone from strength to strength in their 11 years.

Dental practice simply couldn’t function without its support network, which is precisely why FMC developed the Dental Industry Awards. In a nutshell, the awards exist to honour the organisations and individuals whose passion, talent and expertise make UK dentistry what it is.

From best-in-class training to innovation in technology or simply sustained excellence in customer service, the awards cover virtually every aspect of the dental industry.

The ceremony provides an opportunity for companies, teams and individuals to be formally acknowledged for achievements, projects and the high quality of work they do.

No matter the size of your business, if you excel in your field then this is your opportunity to be recognised.

Leanna Ellis, FMC’s awards director said, “Last year we came together for the biggest celebration of the industry that we’ve ever hosted – and we’re already expecting 2024 to be bigger and better, which is why I’m very excited to announce this year’s awards will be held at Wembley Stadium! This iconic venue

is the perfect setting to shine a light on the best in the dental industry. It’s a unique opportunity to celebrate the work of the businesses that support dentistry in the UK, and to let your hair down with colleagues past and present (and maybe future). No matter how big or how small you feel your business is, we encourage you to get involved – enter this year and celebrate the success of this great industry that we’re all part of.’

A new category

This year sees the introduction of a new category in the shape of the Sustainable Business Award, which allows entrants to showcase their commitment to operating a sustainable business. Focused closely on action and impact, if you’re serious

The categories

 Website of the Year

 Excellent Use of Social Media

 App of the Year

 Excellent Use of PR

 Dental Brand of the Year

 Dental Industry Event of the Year

 Short-Term Postgraduate Course of the Year

 Marketing Campaign of the Year

 Dental Industry Employee of the Year

 Team of the Year

 Customer Service Provider of the Year

about making a difference, this is the award for you.

Sustainability is the word on everyone’s lips, with around two thirds of practices looking to investigate their suppliers’ green credentials in the next 12 months.

Submitting your entry

Registering couldn’t be simpler, just go to dentistry.co.uk/dental-industryawards and click on ‘register now’. Then add your details and select your categories. Standard entry fee is £50+VAT per category.

When it’s time to submit the entry, log back in and follow the simple instructions to upload your files directly to the entry portal.

 Advertisement of the Year

 Servicing and Repair Company

 UK Exporter of the Year

 Corporate Social Responsibility

 Dental Practice Corporate Group

 New Product or Service Launch of the Year

 Product/Service of the Year

 Funder of the Year

 Sustainable Business Award

 Business Leader of the Year

 Outstanding Business of the Year

Over 1,000 companies confirmed at IDS

The dental community is coming together for the 41st International Dental Show (IDS) in Cologne in less than a year. The trade fair is already announcing a convincing number of applications for March 25-29, 2025: Over 1,000 companies from 52 countries have already confirmed their participation at the biggest forum of the international dental industry, including the international market leaders. With this positive, intermediate result and a high rebooking rate, IDS 2025 is carrying on the success of the previous events and underlining its position as the key platform for innovations and business developments in the global dental industry.

In addition to the largest participation from Germany, the strongest international exhibitor participants currently come from France, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Spain and the USA. Numerous foreign group stands have also already confirmed their attendance, for example, from

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore and the USA.

The field of participants, who have already registered, stand for the diversity and high quality of the exhibitors that will be represented at the trade fair next year, which covers the entire spectrum of the dental world. The visitors can look forward to a wealth of innovations in the Cologne exhibition halls, because at IDS the companies grant insights into the latest technological developments, present current research results and demonstrate forward-looking trends.

In addition to the comprehensive presentation of products and services from the dental industry, the spectrum of exhibits ranges from analogue and digital solutions for the dental and dental technology section, through to a multitude of services, including advanced information, communication and organisational technologies.

IDS 2025 will be staged in Halls 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11 of the Cologne fair grounds on exhibition space spanning around 180,000 square metres. The perfectly designed hall layout with four entrances for the visitors enables an ideal tour around the entire dental show and thus offers maximum visibility for the exhibiting companies. In 2025, Hall 1 in particular will have a direct connection to the Entrance West via an additional passage and is thus more readily accessible for the visitors.

Interested manufacturers still have the opportunity to register for IDS 2025 on the IDS website and present their products and services to top decisionmakers from the dental industry, dental technicians trade, specialised trade, education and industry sectors.

The application form is available at www.english.ids-cologne.de/forexhibitors/become-an-exhibitor/ exhibitor-application/

International recognition of medical devices – what does it mean for the dental industry

Edmund Proffitt looks at the MHRA’s new approach to medical device regulation.

It’s just over a year now since the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, announced plans for international recognition or Product Regulatory Equivalence (PRE) for medical devices being placed on the market in the UK. He stated then that from 2024, the MHRA “will move to a different model which will allow rapid, often near automatic sign-off for medicines and technologies already approved by trusted regulators in other parts of the world such as the United States, Europe or Japan.”

The announcement explained that the MHRA would have the responsibility for all ‘recognition route’ applications. At the time details of how the process would work and the products it may apply to were not given, but the announcement was in line with the proposals for regulatory reform previously identified by the Life Sciences Council Advisory Group. Indeed, international recognition and routes to market in the context of medical device regulation had been key components of our engagement with the MHRA in recent years and we have continued to make the case for a pragmatic solution to the regulatory challenges currently facing our industry.

Too good to be true?

In short, the chancellor announced that the UK would, in future, allow products

Edmund Proffitt is the chiel executive of the BDIA.

certified by ‘trusted’ international partners such as the EU (CE marking) and USA (FDA certification) on to the domestic market. We are talking GB presently, as Northern Ireland remains part of the EU regulatory regime.

Against a background of confusion arising from the MHRA’s existing plans for its UK MDR and UKCA marking, the extension of UK recognition of CE marking for UK and GB bound products, and the EU extension of CE certificates, with certain key caveats, the simple clarity of “rapid, often near automatic sign-off” of CE (and other internationally certified products) for sale on our market certainly seems ‘too good to be true’. This is particularly so for our market for dental devices which relies so much on imported, for this read predominantly CE marked, goods. This ‘near universal’ recognition could be the key to freer market access and an end to the current regulatory confusion, the significant expense of bespoke UKCA product certification and compliance with UK Approved Body involvement, and any questions on the future viability and availability of products in our market.

The roadmap

In moving towards the glittering prize of international recognition the MHRA has significantly upped its game, with Dr Laura Squire having been drafted in to oversee this ambitious move. In January this year the MHRA published a roadmap setting out its plans for new medical device regulation.

The roadmap, which the BDIA was pleased to discuss with the MHRA ahead of its publication, set out a proposed consultative and legislative

pathway for the introduction of a series of new Statutory Instruments (SIs) and paving the way to international recognition. In terms of recognition, the key points of the roadmap were:

 The planned introduction of a new framework for international recognition of medical devices, enabling swifter access for devices already approved by comparable regulators as well as for those who have Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP) certificates.

 To conduct stakeholder discussions, to include the BDIA and other associations, regarding international recognition to continue through 2024.

 That towards the end of 2024, draft legal text of the future core regulations (which would facilitate international recognition) would be made available when submitted to the World Trade Organization, with a view to the legislation being laid in Parliament at the beginning of 2025.

The devil is in the detail

Though this new pathway for market access sounds simple in concept, in practice it is incredibly complex. The MHRA has to ensure patient safety and balance this with market access and the requirements of a number of international certification systems.

‘Near universal’ recognition is the ultimate prize. With CE marking this is more straightforward as there is greater domestic regulatory continuity, whilst for something like US FDA 510K, which relies on a predicate premise, this is much more complex. Translating the international recognition concept

BDIA Update

into the detailed text of UK regulation is a very complex task, and the devil really is in the detail. The classification and associated risk profile of products is also important, with differences in rigour applying to class III implantable devices, varying proportionately to the humbler class I device, along with ensuring that these products are safe and conform to all our domestic needs, including units, labelling and instructions for use.

Regulatory reform is complicated business and involves a number of mandatory processes stretching across government departments and ministerial responsibilities, with the result being that the timelines set out in the roadmap are not precise. The given timings are indicative and will inevitably be subject to factors outside of the MHRA’s control, such as a general election. Though we are hopeful that this concept crosses party political boundaries and will progress whatever ‘colour’ the next government may be.

The BDIA is delighted to be working as a trusted adviser with the MHRA in this process, working with other key stakeholders right at the heart of influencing and implementing a policy that will significantly impact on the medical and dental devices market

for many years to come – a positive gamechanger.

Not plain sailing

In navigating the course of new, radical medical device regulation there are many complexities and issues to resolve. These include the future role of UK Approved Bodies, and indeed the UKCA mark. Set up and encouraged to facilitate the issuing of the UKCA mark, what will be the AB role in the international recognition process? How does this all mesh with the MHRA’s role as a domestic and internationally recognised regulator? Will this policy actively encourage inward investment in the UK Life sciences sector, and will it make the UK internationally attractive and a hub for innovation? What are the chances for more global mutual recognition in future? Will it provide more cost-effective procurement for the NHS? After all, what seems an attractive route to market to one sector may not tick all the boxes for other sectors. The dental market is different to other domestic device markets and developing a successful ‘one size fits all’ regime is a very significant challenge for us all.

These and many more questions are being raised and addressed as this piece

is written. There is a strong Government commitment to this pathway, and industry desperately needs a very clear regulatory pathway, proportional regulation and a period of stability.

Optimism

So, what does this all mean for the British dental industry? In short, the consensus is that well-considered, proportionate and effective regulation introducing international recognition will be a good thing for our industry. As a sector dependent on the importation and sales of dental equipment, delayered regulatory simplification, clarity and no specific need for a separate UK certification (UKCA) process are all good things. For UK manufacturers the opportunity to, say, obtain CE certification and use this to access the UK, EU and other global markets recognising CE is surely also a good thing.

The MHRA is also championing international recognition and mutual recognition globally through its role in the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) and there is a growing global interest and alignment in regulatory harmony and recognition. It could be that our maligned MHRA is now leading the world.

The domestic position on the future of amalgam in light of the proposed EU ban

At the BDIA’s recent Dental Showcase the ‘Great Amalgam Debate’ chaired by the BDIA’s chief executive, Edmund Proffitt, the then interim CDO for England, Jason Wong, confirmed that the domestic position regarding the future use of dental amalgam is not likely to follow the proposed course of the EU, but the trajectory of the UK’s existing position as a signatory of the Minamata Convention. Phase down is still on the table, opposed to any ban.

In November 2023, the outcome of the COP-5 meeting regarding future mercury/amalgam use was to uphold the phase-down approach for dental amalgam. The Parties were unable to agree on a phase-out date, and there was no consensus on excluding dental amalgam from government insurance policies and programmes. An additional requirement was agreed for the publication of national action plans highlighting progress made/ being made on phase-down or phase-

out every four years. Whist the market position in Northern Ireland remains complex and bound to EU rules, the wider domestic plan seems to be to follow the Minimata phase down route.

In the meantime, we understand that work will be undertaken by Cochrane and SDCEP looking at amalgam alternatives, and the impacts of their use.

Edmund Proffitt.

Jason Wong.

Announcing this year’s BDIA Annual Conference

Darryl Moore looks ahead to this year’s BDIA Late Summer Conference.

The scene is set for this year’s BDIA Annual conference, taking place on 19-20th September in Liverpool. Be sure to book your places for what promises to be an insightful, inspiring and informative couple of days. Be in the room where it happens!

On day one, we gather at the iconic Liver Buildings, with breathtaking views of the majestic River Mersey. Gain insights and gathering new tools, allowing you to consider growth options for your business from those ‘in the know’. Top off the evening with a meal at the renowned Riva Blu restaurant followed by dancing the night away to a medley of Beatles classics.

Darryl Moore is the marketing and communications manager at the BDIA.

Day two takes us to the Spine building, directly next to the hotel and one of the most sustainable buildings in Europe. Today we will hear from clinicians and service providers about what really goes on in their world and how it applies to yours.

Unwind in comfort at Novotel, Liverpool

Put your dancing shoes down and retreat to the comfort of the newly opened Novotel in Liverpool’s Paddington Village. Recharge in stylish accommodation designed to provide perfect blend of luxury and convenience.

Why attend?

Professional development: Discover and learn about changing landscapes and the opportunities they present.

Networking: Connect with peers, industry leaders and experts to foster meaningful collaborations.

Inspiration: Immerse yourself in an

environment of innovation and creativity, sparking new ideas and perspectives.

Memorable experiences: Create lasting memories against the backdrop of Liverpool’s iconic landmarks and culture

Don’t miss this opportunity to ‘be in the room where it happens’ and be part of an extraordinary gather of industry professionals.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Elevate your dental expertise

A review of the new BDIA Introduction to Dentistry Advanced Certificate.

Empower your team with the latest knowledge and skills to drive your dental business forward. Introducing the BDIA Introduction to Dentistry Advanced Certificate, a comprehensive educational resource designed specifically for professionals in the dental industry. Building upon the foundation of the popular Introduction to Dentistry Certificate, this advanced programme offers enhanced learning opportunities to deepen understanding and expertise of dental knowledge required when dealing with the profession across sales and marketing.

Features and Benefits:

 Expanded Curriculum: Dive deeper into clinical and technical workflows to broaden your knowledge base.

 Interactive Learning: Engage with interactive content to enhance comprehension and retention.

 Multimedia Integration: Access video content and downloadable audio modules for dynamic and flexible learning experiences.

 Convenient Accessibility: Study anytime, anywhere, on any device, to suit your schedule and preferences.

Course overview:

The BDIA Advanced Certificate comprises eight self-learning modules, covering a wide range of topics in dentistry. From restorative procedures to orthodontics and beyond, each module is designed to provide comprehensive insights and practical skills for employees working in the dental Industry.

Key Modules:

 Restoration of Teeth: Explore dental caries, endodontics, tooth wear and restoration techniques from both clinical and technical points of view.

 Replacement of Teeth: Learn about oral changes following tooth extraction, removable and fixed appliances, bridgework, and implantology.

 Periodontal Therapy & Management: Gain expertise in periodontal anatomy, disease diagnosis, surgical techniques, and oral hygiene practices.

 Orthodontics: Understand the principles of orthodontics, including fixed and removable applicances and aligner technology.

 Aesthetic Dentistry: Master smile design, dental whitening, composite bonding, and veneer applications.

 Digital Dentistry: Embrace clinical imaging, digital impressions, CADCAM technology, and artificial intelligence in dentistry.

 Evidence-Based Dentistry: Utilise clinical research and evidence-based practices for informed decisionmaking.

 Sedation, Pain & Anxiety Control: Understand physiological and anatomical causes of pain. Explore pain management techniques including conscious and intravenous sedation.

Who should enrol:

The certificate is ideal for non-clinical staff in customer-facing roles who have completed the BDIA Certificate:

Introduction to Dentistry. Whether in sales, marketing, customer service, or management, this course equips industry professionals with essential dental knowledge to excel in their respective roles and enhance patient interactions.

Examinations:

Students will have two years to study before taking the final exam, consisting of 90 minutes of multiple-choice questions covering all 8 modules. A pass mark of 60 per cent is required, with distinctions awarded for scores of 80 per cent or higher. Digital certificates will be issued upon successful completion.

Pricing:

 BDIA member companies: £650+VAT

 Discounts are available for BDIA Members: 10% for 6-10 students | 15% for 11 – 20 students | 20% for 21-30 students | 25% for 31+ student enrolments made at the time of booking.

 Advance your career and deepen your understanding of dentistry with the BDIA Advanced Certificate. Enrol today to unlock new levels of knowledge and drive success in your career!

Scan the QR code here to sample a demo module of the programme.

Email darrylmoore@bdia.org.uk for further information.

Embark on an adventure for mental health: BDIA Yorkshire Three Peaks Charity Challenge

Attention all BDIA members! Get ready to lace up your hiking boots and join us for an unforgettable adventure in the picturesque Yorkshire countryside. The BDIA is proud to present the BDIA Yorkshire Three Peaks Charity Challenge in aid of mental health, supporting the esteemed charity Mind.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday September 7, 2024

Location: Ribblesdale, Yorkshire

About the Challenge:

The Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge is a renowned feat, encompassing a 24-mile circular route that includes summiting three iconic peaks: Ingleborough, Whernside, and Peny Ghent. This exhilarating journey boasts over 5,000 feet of ascent and typically takes around 12 hours to complete.

Why participate:

Support Mental Health: By joining this challenge, you’ll contribute to a worthy cause, helping raise vital funds for mental health initiatives through Mind.

Adventure and Exploration: Experience the breathtaking beauty of the Yorkshire Dales as you conquer each peak, surrounded by stunning landscapes and panoramic views.

Physical and Mental Wellness: Engage in a rewarding physical challenge while promoting mental well-being and resilience.

Guided assistance:

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, we are partnering with a local team to provide expert guides and assistance throughout the journey. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a first-time adventurer, our experienced guides will support you every step of the way.

The route:

Starting point: The adventure

begins in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, where you’ll embark on a scenic journey through the rolling hills and picturesque valleys of Yorkshire.

Summit highlights: Ascend Ingleborough and Whernside, marvelling at panoramic views of the dales and beyond. Each peak offers a unique perspective of the stunning landscape.

Final descent: Conclude the challenge with a triumphant summit of Pen-y-Ghent before descending back to Horton-in-Ribblesdale, completing the epic journey.

Join us:

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a meaningful adventure while supporting mental health awareness. Dust off your hiking boots, gather

your friends and colleagues, and join us for an unforgettable expedition through the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

Visit BDIA.org.uk/events or scan the QR code for further details on how to sign up and participate. Let’s make a difference together as we journey through the Yorkshire countryside in support of mental health. See you at the starting line!

Celebrating all that’s new and exciting in dentistry

A look back at this year’s BDIA Dental Showcase.

BDIA Dental Showcase 2024 was a bustling hub of activity. It gave practice owners and managers an opportunity to engage with the entire industry in order to make more informed decisions for the future of their businesses.

Whether looking for state-of-the-art technologies, revolutionary treatment materials or other innovations designed to optimise clinical workflows across the practice, dental professionals had a chance to discover the latest in the market and even test out solutions for themselves.

For this to be effective, BDIA Dental Showcase collaborates closely with key industry partners and sponsors, whose contribution to the event and to the profession is appreciated no end. NSK (Official Handpiece Partner 2024) returned to Showcase after seven years away from major events. Alexander Breitenbach, UK MD at NSK, shared why they chose this exhibition and what he thought of his two days in London, “This event is all about BDIA member companies presenting their wares to the profession. There has been a really positive vibe from the audience and exhibitors. It’s great to come together as industry and profession to showcase what we have to offer and to promote clinical excellence. The benefits of attending for dental professionals are, without any doubt, the fact that everyone is here, so you can make informed decisions when looking to buy and invest.”

For SDI, BDIA Dental Showcase is the only dental event that they attend.

Jayne Cahill, UK sales manager at SDI, said, “We’ve always supported the event and for us, it’s the most successful show. We speak to clinicians and we take orders – if you’ve got a new product to detail, this is the show to come to! We only attend one show a year, and our choice is always BDIA Dental Showcase so I would recommend anyone who

hasn’t visited or exhibited to do so! To sum it up in one word, successful!”

The gathering of profession and industry enables attendees to interact directly with manufacturers, product experts and thought-leaders in their

respective fields, providing another key benefit of attending the UK’s largest dental exhibition. Nicola Kevill, National Sales Manager UK & Ireland at Septodont UK (Event Sponsor), commented, “A key reason to come to BDIA Dental Showcase is that it’s great

for networking – you get to see lots of different dentists and companies. It’s also great to see demonstrations from product representatives and clinicians can gain CPD, including from within the clinical workshops we supported. BDIA Dental Showcase is really important for

the industry to gain access to clinicians, to collaborate with colleagues and to be able to network freely.”

The Clinical Excellence Workshops were brand-new for 2024 and were extremely well-received by the profession. The

sell-out sessions were enthusiastically supported by the industry. They provided a unique opportunity for dental professionals to receive handson instruction from leading clinicians and first-hand experience of various clinical products and techniques. These practical workshops are just one example of how BDIA Dental Showcase continues to innovate in order to meet the changing needs of the dental profession.

Also new for 2024 was the ADI Implantology Zone and Theatre, hosted by the Association of Dental Implantology (ADI). Amit Patel, Immediate Past President of the ADI, and Pynadath George, President-Elect of the ADI, reflected on the event, “This is the first time that the ADI has been part of BDIA Dental Showcase. It has given us an opportunity to get dental implants out to the general dental population. Implants can be seen as a closed-door network, but hopefully this will expose more colleagues – including dentists, dental hygienists/therapists and dental nurses – to what we do and what type of treatment is available. We are also grateful for being able to bring more implant companies to the exhibition, including manufacturers and implant education providers.”

It is this approach to the annual event that makes dental individuals and organisations come back time and time again. Mark Allen, Managing Director of Coltene (Event Sponsor), said, “As a manufacturer, we have been coming to BDIA Dental Showcase for 35 years. The spirit of the show means we can find new business, get new leads and show new products – that’s why we keep coming back.”

It’s no wonder that BDIA Dental Showcase has remained a long-term staple in the dental calendar for profession and industry alike. For 2025, all visitors can expect even more networking opportunities and exciting new features. It will be a platform for innovation and inspiration, product launches and live demonstrations, with the chance to create and maintain meaningful relationships between profession and industry once again.

A global event

Sophie Chalk reports on the AEEDC Dubai 2024.

For those who have attended the AEEDC Dubai 2024, you will already appreciate the sheer scale of the event. Indeed, as I witnessed during my own inaugural visit earlier this year, AEEDC is a comprehensive representation of the global dental industry.

Official post-conference figures released state that approximately 66,000 delegates made the journey to the Dubai World Trade Centre in February. An impressive 155 countries were in attendance, including teams from everywhere from Saudi Arabia to Turkey, India, the US, the UK and more. The breadth of visitors highlighted the enormous value of being able to share innovation and education across countries, cultures and industries, while also engaging with individuals from around the world.

At the heart of AEEDC Dubai was the colossal exhibition, with over 5,300 brands and 3,900 companies spread across 59,000m2 in more than seven halls, reaching out into the connecting corridors and lining the walkways with all manner of products, technologies and services. This was a stunning display of everything that dentistry today has to offer, with a vast range of dental manufacturers, suppliers, intermediaries, academic institutions, research specialists, training providers and software developers – you name it, it was there. Many were arranged according to country of origin, demonstrating the elegance of Italian design, the precision of German manufacturing, the cutting-edge of South Korean technology and so much more.

To do the exhibition justice, a couple of days would have been needed for browsing alone. There were certainly plenty of experts to interact with

Sophie Chalk is an editorial director at EK Communications.

across every clinical discipline and field of dentistry imaginable. More than that, though, the atmosphere was light, conversations flowed everywhere you looked and there was a palpable buzz in the air. The post-event report suggested that approximately £9bn worth of trade was completed over the three days – an impressive sum by any means, though not surprising given the scale of things.

Of course, the event was highly conducive for networking amongst a broad and extremely diverse audience. There seemed to be as many visitors looking for products as there were those seeking to make new connections, to meet with new people and strengthen working relationships with international colleagues. The event’s figures suggested that around 600 business meetings took place

“The post-event report suggested that approximately £9bn worth of trade was completed over the three days”

between 430 participants from 86 different countries in the Dental Business Hub alone. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that twice that number happened in less formal ways throughout the exhibition. Just as with many of our UK-based conferences and exhibitions, the true value of attending such an event is in the face-to-face interactions that happen, which foster collaboration

and give all sides useful insight into what is available to them.

It would be remiss to reflect on AEEDC Dubai 2024 without a mention of the educational programme that was presented. Curating a scientific programme to address the needs and interests of dental professionals across the globe is no mean feat, but there was almost certainly something for

everyone. The 155-strong international speaker line-up consisted of renowned experts and thought leaders from all corners of the profession. From the few I was able to attend, it became quickly apparent that delegates were gleaning useful insights and taking away plenty of food for thought to apply back in their own practices and organisations. Over 150 sessions and 25 hands-on workshops took on complex and intricate clinical topics spanning a broad repertoire of topics from treating failing cases to addressing advanced complications. Specialists in their subject areas explored innovative diagnostic solutions, presented new research and discussed the potential for AI-driven technology now and in the future. The programme was highly complementary to the exhibition, with various specialists sharing their own experiences with materials and equipment that delegates could find out more about amongst the sea of stands.

As if all this wasn’t enough, the event was situated amongst the extravagance that is Dubai. A 30-minute cab ride in any direction took you from the Dubai Mall to the beach, to the Old Souks, Miracle Garden and Global Village, ensuring plenty of entertainment for all the family. Several cancelled return flights actually meant that my colleague and I saw rather more than we initially thought we’d have time for, and we made the most of a couple of hours on the beach before enjoying the Dubai Fountain by the Burj Khalifa. (A must for anyone with even a single evening to spare!)

All in all, it was clear what all the fuss is about when it comes to AEEDC Dubai 2024. For organisations looking to broaden their scope and stretch out into international markets, this is definitely an event to consider in the future if you have not already.

UK versus overseas exhibitions

Seb Evans explores the allure of the overseas exhibition and questions whether it’s pulling delegates away from shows on home turf.

In an era where the world seems increasingly connected, the dental industry, like many others, finds itself at a crossroads.

The question at the heart of many discussions within the community is whether to attend the growing number of overseas dental exhibitions and do they post a significant threat to attendance at UK-based events?

After recently attending AEEDC, as well as previously heading to Germany for IDS, I’ll explore both sides of the current landscape and question whether UK dental exhibitions offer unique value that we can’t gain elsewhere.

The allure of overseas exhibitions

There’s no denying it; overseas dental exhibitions have their own special allure.

Take DentalForum in Spain, for instance. It’s a cozy, more intimate affair, offering a weekend getaway at a lovely hotel where suppliers and dental service organisations (DSOs) can have one-on-one chats.

It’s easy to see why many in the UK dental profession enjoy these trips –they blend work with a mini-vacation, offering a refreshing break and a chance to make personal connections in a laid-back setting.

The draw of these international

Seb Evans is an account manager at Barker PR.

gatherings grows with their exotic locations and the promise of combining business with leisure.

For many UK professionals, attending such events offers a dual opportunity: to expand professional horizons while enjoying a break from the routine.

The case for UK exhibitions

Despite the charm of international events, UK dental exhibitions hold their ground with distinct advantages.

The British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show (BDCDS) Birmingham is a shining example of how large, vibrant, and enriching UK dental exhibitions can be.

These aren’t just events; they’re epic gatherings that showcase the newest innovations and bring together minds from all corners of the dental world.

The beauty of UK exhibitions lies in their scale and variety. They welcome everyone – manufacturers, suppliers, practitioners, you name it – creating a melting pot of ideas and innovations.

Imagine getting a bird’s-eye view of the entire dental scene in one go. Moreover, UK exhibitions are increasingly raising the bar in terms of content and guest speakers.

The announcement that Steven Bartlett, a renowned entrepreneur from Dragon’s Den, will be a keynote speaker at the BDCDS in Brimingham, signals a shift towards integrating broader business insights into dentistry.

Bartlett’s experience in building brands and leveraging social media for business growth will offer invaluable perspectives to attendees, blending entrepreneurial spirit with dental innovation.

The unique value of UK events

UK exhibitions are adapting, growing, and proving they’re where the heart of the dental community beats strongest.

They’re about more than just showcasing products; they’re about building a community, sharing knowledge, and pushing the industry forward together.

And let’s not overlook the practical perks – they’re easier to get to, more affordable, and packed with opportunities for local networking and professional growth.

By elevating the quality of speakers, diversifying the range of exhibits, and enhancing networking opportunities, UK events are positioning themselves as indispensable hubs of knowledge and connection.

They offer a blend of scale, diversity, and quality that is difficult to replicate.

Furthermore, attending UK exhibitions

holds practical benefits for local industry.

They provide a platform for sustained community building, offering regular touchpoints for the industry to come together, share insights, and forge partnerships.

The best of both worlds

It’s clear that overseas exhibitions have their unique draw. Some offer intimate settings for deep dives into networking, whilst others showcase products that aren’t even available to purchase in the UK yet.

But when it comes to the big picture for dentists and practices up and down the country, UK exhibitions are unparalleled. They serve as the industry’s main stage, offering a blend of learning, networking, and innovation that’s hard to beat. There’s something irreplaceable about

coming together on home turf, where the UK dental industry shows off its best and brightest.

So, while there’s something magical about both types of events, UK exhibitions, with their grand scale and ambitious programming, are truly special.

And with big names like Steven Bartlett joining the lineup, they’re proving to be not just educational but also inspirational.

Embracing the best of both worlds

The global dental exhibition scene is rich and varied, offering a wide spectrum of opportunities for networking, learning, and business development.

As the dental industry continues to evolve, the synergy between local and international events will be crucial. The intimate networking abroad and

the expansive learning experiences at home are not in opposition but are complementary parts of a vibrant global community.

UK dental exhibitions, with their ambitious programming and commitment to innovation, offer compelling reasons to stay local.

The presence of speakers like Steven Bartlett is a testament to the industry’s forward-thinking approach, promising attendees not just insights into dentistry but a broader understanding of business and success in the digital age.

While the siren call of overseas exhibitions will always be there, the value and impact of attending UK-based events have never been stronger.

All the more reason to celebrate and participate in the UK’s homegrown exhibitions, ensuring a thriving, connected community that looks ahead with confidence and ambition.

It is curtains for amalgam?

Sophie Chalk discusses the changing regulations regarding the use of amalgam.

The European amalgam ban has been a heavily featured topic across both the national and professional media in recent months. The potential impact it could have on patient care and consequently the oral health of the nation continues to be debated. In particular, its effect on an already fragile NHS dentistry has become

Sophie Chalk is an editorial director at EK Communications.

the focus of concerns for those who believe more needs to be done before amalgam can safely be phased out completely. Amalgam has been used in dentistry since the 1800s because it offers a cost-effective and strong restorative solution. However, concerns surrounding risks to human health and the planet have brought

questions about its appropriateness into the limelight. As the latest news continues to ricochet around the UK profession, it’s important for members of the trade to know what’s going on.

What you need to know

Research has shown that amalgam

“The biggest concern here is what this would mean for NHS dentistry and the patients that are already struggling to access care in this way.”

“Those who are behind the complete ban of amalgam are focused on the benefits such a ruling would have, reducing the potential risk to human health.”

emits mercury vapour, which bonds to methyl to create methylmercury. This can be harmful for humans to inhale as it is easily absorbed into the bloodstream and organs, or it can travel through the system into the brain. There are also issues regarding the wider environment, as when methylmercury enters water systems it can pollute the oceans and harm aquatic life. Not only does this negatively affect oceanic wildlife, but there is also potential for the methylmercury to accumulate in the seafood that humans consume. The Environment Quality Standards Directive currently regulates mercury levels in fish in order to protect humans from secondary mercury poisoning, but increasing mercury levels could increase the risks.

In light of all this, the use of amalgam has been gradually reduced in recent years. The Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2013 presented an international treaty designed to protect both the human population and the planet. It proposed the phasing down of amalgam use through several specific measures, igniting the beginning of the end for amalgam.

In 2018, amalgam was banned for use on patients who were under 15-years-old, pregnant or breastfeeding, unless absolutely necessary. More recently, the European Parliament voted to ban the use of dental amalgam all together, becoming effective as of January 2025. This move has come five years earlier than originally implied, and has hit the UK dental profession with some force. Though the ban would not be legally absolute in the UK, as we left the EU, Northern Ireland would be expected to meet the change in EU law and the remaining UK countries would face significant challenges with enormous supply chain disruption.

The debate is whether this amalgam

ban is the right move for the UK, the profession and the general public, right now.

For the ban

Those who are behind the complete ban of amalgam are focused on the benefits such a ruling would have, reducing the potential risk to human health. The removal of amalgam from the modern dentist’s armamentarium would also prevent the profession from contributing to the accumulation of methylmercury in the ocean and across other natural environments.

Individuals who are on team amalgam ban argue that alternative materials are available. For example, gold has been cited as a more durable material than amalgam. For professionals promoting minimally invasive dentistry, other materials provide a better solution than amalgam – which, though cheap, strong and durable, still requires the destruction of natural structures. Chemically-bonded ceramic, for instance, has been suggested as a more conservative, aesthetic and less environmentally dangerous option. Composite is another popular alternative to amalgam, once again optimising aesthetics and reducing destruction.

In addition, some would argue that materials like bulk fill composites are a viable option under the NHS, providing a more aesthetic – as well as conversative – restorative solution for patients. This side of the conversation comes with a side note that clinicians must be correctly trained and confident in utilising alternative materials in order for them to be truly effective.

Against it, at least for now

On the other side of the fence, the argument highlights more areas that need addressing before a complete ban should be implemented in the UK. The biggest concern here is what this would mean for NHS dentistry and the patients that are already struggling to access care in this way. Some believe that amalgam alternatives would actually increase the time needed and costs incurred for every restoration placed. As such, this type of restorative dentistry would become highly unfeasible within the existing NHS framework, which is already facing substantial

time and financial constraints.

The British Dental Association (BDA) penned an open letter to all the UK chief dental officers, outlining four key areas that need to be addressed. These are:

 The impact of implementing EU regulation in Northern Ireland

 Renewing the focus on prevention for reduced restorative need among patients

 The potential collapse of the amalgam supply chain across the EU

 The financial impact on dentists if forced to use alternative materials

How this affects industry

Like all major changes within the dental profession, it’s important for individuals to be aware of the latest challenges and opportunities presenting clinicians and practice teams. This situation, however it unfolds, will have a significant impact on how clinicians practise dentistry in the near future. However, a ban on amalgam would also directly affect manufacturers and suppliers that are involved with the restorative dental world. Those who currently provide amalgam materials and related instruments and training courses, which would become redundant, would have to find new products and services to deliver to the profession. For others that already offer alternatives, there would be significant opportunity to broaden the pool of potential customers, and also develop a new or stronger relationship with those offering NHS dental services.

Next steps

Moving ahead, it will be important for the relevant regulating bodies, professional associations, clinical experts and government officials to work together. Questions need answering, plans need to be formulated and the profession needs access to an appropriate solution that will not compromise the quality of care they can provide patients. Whether amalgam is banned completely as of January 2025 in the UK or not, protecting public health should be priority number one.

When is your next dental check-up?

Bridget Francis discusses the importance of recall timings.

Although a level of evidence has supported otherwise, the six-monthly dental check-up has been customary since the inception of the NHS. This article explores this chronicle, so readers can understand the rationale, evidencebase and impact of recall intervals on patients, practices and their business. The initial challenge to this status quo came from Professor Aubrey Sheiham, a man passionate about dental public health and acknowledged as someone who contributed an enormous amount to dentistry, including 480 publications during his career. Aubrey was recognised as a great academic with a courageous willingness to challenge professional orthodoxy and powerful vested interests. In 1977, he published a paper in the Lancet, a world leading

Bridget Francis is the client services director at VSM Marketing.

general medical journal which strives to make science widely available so that medicine can serve and transform society, and positively impact the lives of people. This paper was entitled ‘Is there a scientific basis for six-monthly dental examinations?’

Here is the abstract from the piece; “This review of the need for six-monthly dental checks was limited to persons aged 12 years and more, because there is no data on the rates of progression of diseases of the primary dentition. Dental caries in the permanent teeth is a very slow disease and takes about two years to progress through the enamel. Those having dental examinations at intervals longer than six months were not at a disadvantage. They did not have more severe dental caries or periodontal disease than those attending at intervals of six months. Neither was there any evidence that an interval of more than 6 months would affect the prognosis for orthodontic treatment. Oral malignancies are rare in British populations, and routine 6-monthly screening to detect oral malignancies is unreasonable.”

The reason I share this full abstract

with you is to get across the insights and thought process of Aubrey some 47 years ago. Aubrey challenged the then recommended routine six-monthly dental recall, suggesting it was not only lacking any scientific basis but also risking over-treatment. This led to an outcry from the profession who criticised his work. They were also notably angry and hostile towards Aubrey at this time. However, his critique of the status quo, some 27 years later became mainstream policy, with the 2004 publication of the guideline Dental recall: recall interval between routine dental examinations by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

At this time NICE acknowledged there had been much previous debate around recall interval timing, and this together with the NHS Dentistry: Options for Change (2002) strategy document led to this guidance being introduced. Under this new NHS dentistry arrangement, a comprehensive oral health assessment (OHA) was introduced on the patient’s first visit to the practice. This included a clinical examination, taking of medical history and initial preventive advice.

A discussion would then take place between the dentist and the patient on the findings and together they would agree a personalised care plan. The patient recall period would be determined by this approach along with the NICE guidance. NICE state that the purpose of the guideline is to help clinicians assign recall intervals between oral health reviews, appropriate to the needs of individual patients. These needs included the impact of the dental check on the patients wellbeing, general health and preventive habits, caries incidence and avoiding restorations, periodontal health and avoiding tooth loss, and avoiding pain and anxiety.

This guidance is specific for both children and adults. For children the longest interval should be no more than 12-months. This was based on the fact that evidence suggests the progression of dental caries is more rapid in children and adolescents than in adults, especially in the deciduous (primary) dentition. Additionally, it is important for a child to have a development assessment of their dentition. NICE also stated that a recall period of no longer than 12-months provides an opportunity for reinforcing preventive advice along with the importance of good oral health, laying the foundations for life-long dental health.

For adults aged 18 and over the longest recall interval is 24-months. This guidance is based on patients who have repeatedly demonstrated they can maintain oral health and who are not considered to be at risk of or from oral disease. Again, NICE stated why recalls longer than 24-months would not be desirable because this could impact the relationship between the dentist and the patient, and of course they referred to the fact that peoples lifestyles may change.

For practical reasons the NICE guidance suggests patients aged under 18 years old should be assigned a recall interval of 3, 6, 9 or 12 months. Patients aged 18 years and over should be assigned 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 or 24 month recalls.

This NICE guidance, although promoted by the NHS, is just guidance and is still seen as being based on low quality evidence. A further study called the INTERVAL Trial4 overcome this quality issue by being a UK-wide multi-centre, parallel-group randomised controlled trial with blinded outcome assessment and a four-year follow-up. This study, published in 2021, examined the effectiveness of different dental recall

strategies on maintenance of optimum oral health. The aim was to compare the effectiveness of dental check-ups, at different recall intervals, for maintaining optimum oral health, in dentate adults attending general dental practice. Randomisation of patients was carried out into one of three recall intervals: 6-month recall, adjusted risk-based recall as set out by NICE, and a fixed 24-month recall.

This study outcome was published by the British Dental Journal, who reported the conclusion based on a four-year period, found no evidence of a difference in oral health for participants allocated to a six-monthly or a risk-based recall interval, nor between a 24-month recall period. They also added that patients greatly value and are willing to pay for frequent dental check-ups. This puts this information into context for both NHS and private provision.

In July 2022, the NHS stated the use of personalised recall intervals for patients with good oral health should be extended to allow dental teams to focus on patients with higher clinical need in a timely way, therefore widening access for those who need it. This approach came in from October 2022, effectively pushing out the ‘worried well’ out from a potential 6-monthly appointment up to a 24-month interval. At the same time the NHS committed to materials being available for dental practices, to help manage patient expectations in terms of longer recall intervals. Unfortunately, these materials didn’t appear until early 2024, leaving some patients, including the worried well, unaware of this change to routine six-monthly recalls. This lack of patients understanding may have contributed to the increased press activity on increasing problems around dental access.

These patient facing materials include a number of resources helping practices, regions and systems communicate to patients about the regularity of the dental check-up. Available assets include social media posts, leaflets, poster and

a digital screen for practices along with a campaign toolkit with case studies to aid understanding.

This recall information is included in the National Plan for NHS Dentistry Services in England, which was jointly been published in February 2024, between the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Additionally this plan goes one step further, stating that from March 2024 for 12 months, they will be expanding access so that everyone who needs to see a dentist will be able to do so. This will begin with measures to ensure those who have been unable to access care in the past two years will be able to do so - by offering an incentive of £15 for existing patients and £50 for new patients to dentists, to deliver NHS care.

Additionally, NHS National Service Scotland have in April 2024, also published that the extensive clinical examination now has a minimum recall period of 12 months, and depending on the patients dental history and clinical assessment, a recall frequency can be set at 12, 18 or 24 months.

This opportunity opens up access for more patients with clinical need to be seen. Existing patients need to maintain their oral health at home and ‘what happens in the bathroom’, matters more than ever. The wider dental team can contribute to maintaining patient’s oral health between dental visits by keeping in touch and reminding them of good oral care practices. The wider team can now also contribute to increasing dental access with dental therapists and dental hygienists able to open and close NHS courses of treatment. Ultimately, the dental industry need to leverage this opportunity as it will mean more patients will be seen by more dental professionals. This is not only beneficial for improving the oral health of the nation, but it will also be good for business!

References available on request.

Improving children’s dental wellbeing

Linda Greenwall talks to Dental Insider about the work of the Dental Wellness Trust, and how support from the dental industry continues to help the trust improve children’s oral health and wellbeing in both the UK and South Africa.

Could you start off by telling us a bit about yourself and how the Dental Wellness Trust first came about?

LG: I run a multidisciplinary private practice in London, where I specialise in restorative dentistry and prosthodontics. I also lecture internationally and am past chair of the British Dental Association Metropolitan Branch, founding member and past chair of the British Dental Bleaching Society (BDBS) and founding member and chair of the Women Dentists Network. I launched the Dental Wellness Trust in 2011 with the aim to help raise dental awareness in less fortunate communities around the world.

Tooth decay is the most common noncommunicable disease worldwide, and many children have suffered unnecessarily for far too long. In England alone, tooth decay is the most common disease affecting children and young people, and is the most common reason for hospital admission for six to 10-year olds.

While many aspects of what we do were initially set up to help communities in South Africa, where tooth decay rates in children under five are over 80 per cent, we are a London-based charity and continue to expand our efforts to address the ever-worsening crisis of child dental health seen here in the UK. The charity has one simple mission; to improve the general health and wellbeing of young children – especially those most in need – through dental wellness.

Can you give us some examples of the Dental Wellness Trust’s work?

LG: The trust has many strings to its bow, including the LiveSmart Supervised Toothbrushing Programme, our work with Luton Council, outreach dental care with refugee and asylum-seeking

children, and our annual Saving Kids Teeth Dental conferences to raise awareness of the plight of 48,000 children per year going into hospital to have their rotten teeth extracted, under general anaesthetic.

All of our initiatives and endeavours are connected by our central mission of improving children’s oral health through Dental Wellness Trust programmes, going beyond the UK to promote dental wellness in countries such as South Africa and Kenya.

How does the charity’s supervised toothbrushing programme, LiveSmart, work?

LG: The LiveSmart Toothbrushing Programme was first set up to help communities in the poorest townships

in my hometown of Cape Town, South Africa. Today, the programme is an essential part of the Dental Wellness Trust’s work in the UK. We have trained Toothbrush Mamas – community oral health workers – in South Africa to help reach 21,000 children daily and run 12 soup kitchens to feed the children healthy meals.

We train oral health professionals who deliver oral health advice and education

to teachers and children in schools, and we provide free toothpaste and toothbrush packs that are used for supervised brushing in the classroom. LiveSmart is currently operating in many schools, chiefly in the South of England, and we have ambitious plans to take this important initiative to more schools across the UK, to reach nearly 40,000 children in England.

You mentioned that you work with Luton Council. How did that come about?

LG: Our work in Luton started seven years ago when two young dentists who were working in Luton Hospital were concerned about the number of rotten teeth they were extracting from local children. They approached me to set up an oral health education programme to teach more children in schools about attaining and maintaining healthy teeth. This programme was called Mega Molars.

Following our work teaching in Luton schools, we reached out to seven schools in the area to administer the LiveSmart Toothbrushing Programme. By 2022, we had commenced screening and varnish programmes in three schools. We revisited one of the same schools a year later to screen and apply fluoride varnish to over 400 children. Since then, the trust has worked closely with Luton Council to expand LiveSmart to bring our supervised toothbrushing programme to 23,000 children in the area.

This required an expansion of our programme and we urgently needed to source around 75,000 toothbrushes for one year alone. This is what led me to reach out to Henry Schein Dental who couldn’t have been more helpful, providing us with a very generous donation of toothbrushes and holders in multiple colours to keep our programme on track.

Henry Schein Dental has also been helping us set up a new mobile dental unit that is based at the Dental Centre for Refugee Children in Camden. This is where we have volunteers offering free treatment and preventative advice to children who are most in need. We have already screened and treated over 100 children in our monthly Refugee Outreach Clinics, that we provide in collaboration with the West London Synagogue, and those most in need are referred for free dental care at my Linda Greenwall & Associates Dental Practice in North London.

What have been some key achievements for the Dental Wellness Trust and what has the future got in store?

LG: In November 2023, we held our eighth Annual Dental Conference at the British Dental Association (BDA) in London. The conference focused on the diagnosis, treatment and management of Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation (MIH), which affects around one in eight children in the UK.

Much more needs to be done to improve the treatment and prevention of MIH and our conference was an important stage for furthering work in this area. Our annual conferences can’t happen without support and sponsorship from the dental industry, and Henry Schein’s sponsorship was essential to the success of our 2023 conference.

The next conference we are hosting is on the future of children’s oral health, and is to be held at the BDA in London on Friday November 1, 2024.

We are looking to extend our outreach work in South Africa, where recently we assessed over 400 children in two schools in Mfuleni, providing restorative treatment, along with preventative interventions, such as fluoride varnish applications. We are also working with Henry Schein’s South African business based in Cape Town, Henry Schein Dental Warehouse, to develop an education programme for our outreach clinics.

How can the dental industry further support Dental Wellness Trust?

LG: Support from the dental industry, in addition to our amazing volunteers, is essential for our work to continue year on year. Donations are always extremely welcome and put to good use, but there are also many other ways to get involved. The best place to start is our website, dentalwellnesstrust.org or email us at Charity@dentalwellnesstrust.org

The more support we receive, in whatever form, the better equipped we will be to tackle dental health inequality and improve the general health and wellbeing of young children both in the UK and abroad.

For more information or to get involved

Manage to motivate

James Cooke takes a look at how to keep staff motivated.

In a previous life, I worked in IT recruitment, headhunting candidates with sometimes niche skillsets that were difficult to track down. It was a high-pressure, target-driven role that paid well on the commission front and helped to set me up in life during the first half of my 20s.

However, when an opportunity came up to more than half my income and take a gamble on entering a line of work that appealed to my creative side, I took the plunge! And so here I am, eight years later, editor of The Probe and writing an article for the Dental Insider. There’s certainly a chance that my monthly pay packet might have been a little heavier if I’d stuck to recruitment, but then I wouldn’t have had the chance to tell my story to you lovely people.

When looking back, or discussing careers with friends and colleagues, I can confidently say that I made the right choice. Although I performed well and remained entrenched at the same recruitment firm for what equates to several lifetimes in that industry, the up-and-down nature of the beast wasn’t for me. While others in the office thrived on the highest of highs (scoring a big win on commission front), I never enjoyed those highs as much as I felt the crushing blow of a difficult month, when the numbers on that whiteboard weren’t as lofty as they should have been, and moths fluttered from my wallet whenever I unfolded it.

In the months that I ‘smashed it’ and exceeded my targets, I only ever really felt a sense of relief that I’d justified my job and could live to scour the job boards and LinkedIn for another day.

Conversations have come up at Purple Media Solutions HQ, as well as during BDIA meetings, about the differences in motivating sales staff vs those in non-sales roles, such as administrative or operational personnel. As someone who has lived and worked on both sides of the fence, it got me to thinking about

it. As far as sales teams go, the key motivator is clear: commission. The better their performance, the more money enters their bank accounts.

But what about the office managers, factory workers, administrative staff? Those who keep the business running day-to-day, produce your product or perform the service offered so that the sales team can go out and do their thing.

Show me the money

A competitive salary is a good starting point. Especially in this age of economic uncertainty. After all, why do we all come to work in the first place? It’s not to make friends – although that can be a pleasant bonus – and it’s not for the fun of it. It’s to earn a living, so that we can pay our bills, keep a roof over our heads and food in our families’ bellies. Should team members therefore feel underpaid for the work they do, don’t be surprised to find productivity lagging while staff turnover accelerates. Career advice commonly dished out over the past couple of decades urged employees to job-hop their way to higher salaries as, much like crime, loyalty doesn’t pay.

Buck this trend by conducting regular salary reviews, keeping an eye on what the going rate for each role is across the industry, and rewarding loyal members of staff by paying them at least as much as new recruits. Nothing demotivates employees like seeing an equal role in their team advertised at a higher rate of pay than they receive.

A good set of benefits doesn’t hurt, either. Additions to the usual pension contribution scheme, as well as any medical or healthcare benefits, or even discounts on leisure activities, can go a long way in attracting new team members, and holding on to existing staff.

Day by day

Thinking about my own experience, though, certainly the pay packet is important (when is it not?), and any additional benefits make for a nice bonus. But, on a daily basis, what keeps me motivated now that a commission

James Cooke is the managing editor at Purple Media Solutions.

structure and monthly targets are a thing of my past?

This might sound cheesy but being treated like a human being rather than a ‘human resource’ is top of my list. Feeling valued for the work that I’m doing and being treated like an adult. I’ve worked in micromanaged environments in the past and it’s not been a pleasant experience. That’s not to say that some employees don’t need their hands held at times. Take it on a case-by-case basis and provide autonomy to those who you can trust to get on with their work, and support everyone else until they too know exactly what they need to do. Entry level staff, for example, will need much more support than somebody with several years of experience.

Autonomy, particularly with regard to the clerical workforce, stretches further in the post-pandemic world of the 2020s. Hybrid working is here to stay – with some roles going fully remote. For me, personally, working from home a few days each week has been incredible. I’m just at the right stage of my life to fully benefit, with the opportunity to do school runs and enjoy dinner with the kids. The ability to work around family commitments is something that I wouldn’t give up and, going by conversations had both in the office and at the school gate, this flexibility is greatly valued by working parents – possibly more so than any other factor.

On the flipside, younger workers –those in their 20s and without children – often value more time in the office, as this gives them the chance to socialise. That opportunity isn’t lost on parents, either. I know I enjoy spending two days a week getting some face-to-face time with my colleagues, appreciating the adult conversation on offer, and finding new ways to collaborate. New ideas are often born from office chit-chat.

Socialising should also be encouraged –although employers need to be careful not to make it seem compulsory or that not attending could be detrimental to one’s career should somebody not wish to partake in an out-of-hours event. Of course, a day out during core work hours will feel like a special treat for everyone and encourage camaraderie amongst teammates. A bonus ‘day off’ with colleagues can go a long way to building company loyalty.

Keeping things fresh

Several years ago, I stumbled upon

an article that discussed a four-year itch common amongst employees. A quick search now reveals several articles covering the topic and, although four years is not necessarily a definitive period for such an itch to develop (Google threw up results for three-, five-, and seven-year itches), there is a notable trend that some employees will begin to lose motivation over time. There tends to be an initial spark of motivation that burns bright when a new member joins the team, but that will often begin to fade as the novelty of a new job wears thin.

The best way to offset this is to keep in mind how long team members have been around and completing the same tasks. When the opportunity arises, offer them a new challenge or project to sink their teeth into to keep things fresh. Just be mindful of their current workload so that it doesn’t come across as simply piling more work on them, as this may have the opposite effect and result in demotivation.

I’ve also encountered colleagues in every workplace that I’ve inhabited who simply wish to put in a day’s work, get paid, and go home. New projects or a change in role may not sit so well with them, although the four-year itch or any variation likely won’t apply to these members of staff.

Conclusion

There is, ultimately, no single solution for keeping staff motivated. As is apparent throughout this article, different people will respond to different methods. Some will be keen to tackle new challenges, while others will be happy enough to complete the same task on a daily basis, confident in their ability to do the job well.

The only sure-fire way to ensure colleagues remain motivated is by getting to know each one on an individual level, so as to know what makes them tick as well as what they will respond to. That goes for sales teams in addition to everyone else, as commission won’t always prove the be all and end all.

Ending on another personal note, the biggest motivating factor for me in recent times is the care my employer took when I had something to attend to in my life away from the office. I was given the time I needed, which meant more to me than any annual bonus.

What it all comes down to is the people you work with, getting to know them and what’s going on in their lives. Find out what motivates them, and you’ll know what to do.

Managing summer holidays

Croner discusses how to fairly solve the problems caused by annual leave.

With the arrival of the warmer months, many organisations anticipate the predictable influx in staff absences. From childcare commitments to holidays, there are plenty of reasons why your workforce may be absent from the workplace for an extended period. It’s understandable that companies may start to worry about how to keep their staff productive throughout this period, especially smaller businesses who may not have the staff numbers to cover workloads.

This article will examine some of the most important summertime concerns for companies, along with successful management strategies.

The law

So, what does the current employment law legislation say about this?

In short – nothing! Currently, there is no legal requirement for either an employer or employee to put measures in place to cover workload during holiday leave. However, this does not mean that everyone involved should just assume they don’t have a responsibility to fulfil. It’s recommended that employers liaise with their employees to determine an appropriate workload plan for the period of absence.

Employees have a legal right to take their full statutory holiday entitlement throughout their holiday year. Therefore, employers must avoid declining annual leave repetitively due to lack of cover. Although you can refuse holiday requests on an individual basis, you must allow employees to take their minimum statutory entitlement of 28 days for the year.

Managing workload

Although there isn’t a legal implication of leaving staff workload unmanaged, it can lead to significant challenges for your team and business:

 Missed deadlines

 Employee stress/burnout

 Decreased productivity

 Unbalanced workload allocations

 Poor customer experience

 Slower decision making processes

Ensuring that workload is appropriately handed throughout holiday periods is vital to avoiding these issues, some of which could be catastrophic for businesses and lead to financial losses.

Managing summer holidays

Now that you are aware of the potential consequences of allowing your employees’ work to get out of control, let’s take a closer look at some tactics for navigating the deluge of requests for summer holiday leave.

Planning ahead

The first step to getting ahead of the peak holiday season, is to plan ahead and anticipate an influx of annual leave requests. Encourage employees to begin submitting their holiday requests as soon as possible, so that you can begin to set expectations for the periods in which team members will be absent. It also may be beneficial to review the annual leave requests for the previous year, to get an idea of which staff members are most likely to take leave.

Parental commitments

We recommend considering which employees may have additional childcare commitments throughout the summer holidays so you can start discussing their workload delegations with as much notice possible. It’s also worth keeping in mind that should existing childcare arrangements fall through, employees with children may

need to take emergency leave to cover this.

Utilise software

Human resource information systems are a fantastic way to log, monitor and approve annual leave requests. These systems often include a shared team calendar, making it easy to visualise the time period where staff attendance will be low. Employees can also access this calendar, so they can see who has already requested time off. This can help to reduce the number of unnecessary annual leave requests, for periods where several employees have leave approved. HRIS tools are often a resource utilised by medium to large businesses to maintain an organised schedule. These systems record taken annual leave, so that employees know exactly how much of their holiday entitlement they have left.

Have a written annual leave (AL) policy

In order to maintain equity and impartiality among the workforce, an annual leave policy is recommended. AL policies specify how much holidays employees are entitled to, how they must apply for those holidays, and how those holidays will be handled. A welldefined and clear policy is essential because it prevents misunderstandings and arguments around leave requests, which may quickly spiral out of control. There isn’t a one size fits all policy that is suitable for all businesses, but here are some things you may include:

 The companies holiday year dates

 Consequences of unauthorised leave

 Point of contact for AL requests

 Period of notice required

 Any company shut down period where annual leave is mandatory

 Disclaimer to detail how requests are processed during school holidays/half term

 Reasons why annual leave requests may be refused

When approaching the summer holidays, issuing reminders of the company holiday policies can ensure that awareness of the correct procedures is maintained.

How to manage an absent worker’s workload

Research by The Guardian shows that both small and large organisations are

better equipped to handle additional workloads. As a result, it is increasingly common for medium-sized businesses to hire contract or temporary workers to ease the workload on their teams. But why is this?

Our HR experts stipulate that this is because of two factors; the increased atmosphere of camaraderie commonly found in small businesses and the surplus of resources in larger organisations.

In order to be as inclusive as possible, we will be suggesting some different strategies for managing an absent employee’s workload, focusing on tactics for varying sized businesses:

Rotation schedule

If you have the available staff to cover your absent employee’s workload, then a rotation schedule is a great way to ensure that workload allocations are distributed fairly. When additional workload needs to be delegated, ensure that the responsibility is rotated across the team to avoid overwhelming employees.

Handovers

It’s important to speak with employees ahead of their annual leave to determine what will be done with their current workload. Handover can take place in the form of verbal discussions or written instructions (or both!). They explain the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities that will require actions in your employee’s absence. It may be a good idea to involve the staff members that will be picking up the additional workload, as this gives them an opportunity to ask questions. Here are some details you may consider including in a handover:

 Login details

 Deadlines

 Daily task list

 Access to important inboxes and documents

 General housekeeping

 An step-by-step guide to complex tasks

A handover can also help to avoid reaching out to employees whilst they are out of office. A YouGov poll found that 24 per cent of surveyed employees had been contacted by their employers whilst on annual leave. Contacting your staff whilst they are on annual leave is

unlikely to be reasonable, as employees are entitled to an uninterrupted rest break.

Prioritise workload

There may be instances whereby you don’t have the staff available to cover an absent employee’s workload. On these occasions, speak with the worker in question to establish which tasks in their pending workload are most important, with a view to complete these as a priority before annual leave is taken. Remember not to place unnecessary pressure on employees to complete all of their pending workload before their annual leave, as this may not be feasible. Likewise, adding tasks to the employees workload before their annual leave may also be unproductive if these tasks cannot be completed before the leave period.

Putting work/projects on hold

Once the employee has prioritised their pending workload and established which tasks can be completed before annual leave is taken, the remaining tasks/projects should be put on hold until the employees return. This should be considered a last resort for tasks that are considered non-critical or non-time dependant and will have the lowest impact on business operations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is essential for companies to set up strategies to manage staff workload during the summer months, regardless of legal obligations. Planning ahead, considering parental commitments, utilising software, maintaining a clear holiday policy, and putting in place rotation schedules are key tactics to avoid challenges such as missed deadlines, employee stress, and decreased productivity. Effective management of an absent worker’s workload through prioritisation and handovers is crucial to maintain business operations smoothly.

As a member of BDIA, you can access free complimentary HR support through Croner. If you require assistance with staff absences, holiday polices or HRIS software, then get in touch with Croner on 0844 561 8133 and quote

Personal appearance in an office environment

Croner explores what employers must consider when defining their company dress code.

Personal appearance in the office is a topic that often sparks discussion and debate. What is considered acceptable attire and grooming in a professional setting can vary widely depending on the company culture, industry, and geographic location. While some workplaces have strict dress codes, others adopt a more relaxed approach, leaving employees to navigate the boundaries of what is appropriate on their own.

In today’s modern workplace, the traditional rules around personal appearance are evolving. With the rise of remote work and flexible schedules, the lines between professional and casual attire have become increasingly blurred. However, it’s important for employees to consider the expectations of their specific workplace and industry when deciding how to present themselves. These expectations are often defined within the organisation’s dress code policy.

What does the law say?

Currently, there is no clear definition in UK employment law for what constitutes as an “acceptable” appearance in the workplace.

This means that employers can define company dress codes at their own discretion. It is beneficial for employers to have a set of standards that outline what is appropriate for employees to wear to work, as this can help to avoid to conflicts or disagreements surrounding workplace appearances.

The Equality Act 2010 offers protection against discrimination of certain “protected characteristics”:

 Age

 Gender reassignment

 Being married or in a civil partnership

 Being pregnant or on maternity leave

 Disability

 Race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin

 Religion or belief

 Sex

 Sexual orientation

The most common characteristics that are subject to dress code enforcements are:

 Unnatural hair colour

 Clothing

 Tattoos

 Jewellery/piercings

 Makeup

Evidently, these above features are not classed as protected characteristics. As such, employers do indeed have the authority to threaten disciplinary action and even dismiss if dress code standards are not adhered to. For disciplinary action to be taken, there must be an official dress code policy in place.

The potential risk comes from enforcing dress codes onto employees in a way that discriminates against a protected characteristic. Examples of this include:

 Having a different dress code for different genders (for example if women have to wear high heels to work)

 Telling an employee to change their natural hair colour

 Not permitting an employee to keep their facial hair (where facial hair is considered a part of their religious faith)

 Forcing an employee to remove religious jewellery

Employees who are discriminated against are able to raise a tribunal claim regardless of their length of service.

Pros and cons of dress code VS dress down

So, now that we’ve covered the relevant legislation, it’s time to consider how strict your company’s dress code should be. Appearance policies typically adopt one of the following:

 Full business attire/uniform

 Business casual wear

 Casual dress down

Unfortunately, there are limited studies that provide a statistical perspective on the benefits of a company dress code. Given the bespoke nature of each workplace across the wider dental industry, the impacts of a company dress code can vary drastically from business to business. Both stricter dress codes and casual dress down approaches have advantages and disadvantages; here are some to consider:

 Dress codes:

Equality: If everyone is dressed the same, no one feels discriminated against because of the price or style of their clothes.

Professionalism: A dress code can help your team project an image of consummate professionalism that can impress customers and visitors.

Safety: Some businesses may require

the use of PPE, a dedicated dress code that addresses this can help contribute towards the safety of your workforce.

Inhibiting individualism: Forcing people to dress in a way that contradicts their personal beliefs or self-image is not a healthy practice to encourage in a workplace that values belonging and community.

Deters new talent: Businesses that enforce a strict company dress code may prevent prospective employees from engaging with their organisation. As an example, a dress code that forbids visible tattoos may prevent a talented tattooed candidate from applying for a vacancy.

 Casual dress down:

Morale: Casual clothing standards give workers freedom to display their individuality and flexibility. It can raise morale, which supports creativity and productivity.

Ambiguity: The lack of a defined dress code can make it difficult for employees to determine what their employers find an acceptable appearance in the workplace.

Improved collaboration: Dress down policies can aid in the lessening of the divide between employers/ management and employees. Consequently, there may be an increase in staff contributions,

collaborations, productivity, and creative thinking.

Perceived professionalism: When meeting with clients, staff members wearing casual clothes may convey a less formal image than what your organisation would like.

Identification: Customer may have difficulties identifying staff members if they are dressed in a similar way to other members of the public. This can have an impact on the overall customer journey.

Many workplaces have also adopted the term ‘Business casual’ to describe the suitable type of attire that’s allowed within the workplace. Business casual falls right in the middle of professional business wear and casual dress down in terms of how relaxed the guidelines are.

As we’ve established, it is down to you as an employer to determine how strict or lenient your company dress code is. Consider the direct impacts that your employee’s appearance has on your business, as each case is different! Once you’ve decided what sort of dress code to implement, it’s highly recommended that you write up an official policy to be included in your employee handbook. This will help to set clear expectations to your workforce and help to avoid ambiguity. This policy can also be referred to during

potential disciplinary procedures for inappropriate appearance at work.

Avoiding discriminatory dress codes

There isn’t a one size fits all approach to workplace dress codes. However, there are some considerations that we’d recommend when creating your dress code policy:

 Maintain rules that are equal for men and women. Although they don’t have to be the same, the regulations can have the same standard. For instance, requiring all staff members to adhere to a business or formal dress code, like wearing a two-piece suit. Gender-specific demands, such as mandating women wear skirts or makeup, should be avoided.

 If an employee or worker dresses according to their religion or beliefs, this should be tolerated as long as it does not interfere with workplace safety practices or the successful performance of the assigned workload.

 An employee’s clothes or appearance should be respected, unless it creates a hostile or insulting environment for others.

 An individual who is transitioning

gender should be allowed to dress appropriately for the relevant gender.

 A dress code’s standards should have a reasonable reason or aim, and they should be proportionate to attaining that goal.

 It’s important that the dress code is non-discriminatory and considers the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

 If a relaxed dress code is not suitable for the nature and everyday operations of the business, consider if this could be remedied by implementing a dress down day. This allows for a consistent workforce appearance for the majority of business hours, whilst still affording employees a level of expression and individualism.

Approaching a conversation with an employee about their appearance

All new employees should be issued with a copy of the dress code policy, and any changes should be clearly communicated. Employees are expected to uphold the expectations set in their employee handbook, so any instances where this isn’t happening would certainly justify a discussion with the worker in question.

However, a key consideration is if the dress code violation is detrimental

to their performance. It could be considered unreasonable to dismiss someone for coming to work with coloured hair if there have been no other disciplinary concerns. Ensure that you don’t translate your personal preferences into business requirements and back up your conversation with concrete evidence as to how the employee’s appearance is impacting their performance and the businesses’ success.

Remember to pay particular attention to whether or not your feedback/ instructions will be discriminating against any protected characters, as this would put you at a high risk for a tribunal claim.

Conclusion

In conclusion, personal appearance in the office is a nuanced topic influenced by company culture, industry standards, and legal considerations. Employers must balance professionalism with individual expression while avoiding discriminatory practices to create a cohesive and inclusive workplace environment.

If you’d like some further support to developing dress code policies for your workplace, then do not hesitate to contact Croner on 0844 561 8133 for your free telephone advice.

Lights, camera, action: is it time to update your profile picture?

Seb Evans explains the benefits behind keeping your images and videos completely up to date.

In a world where a picture is worth a thousand words, and a video could very well tell your entire brand story, keeping your company and website visuals up to date is not just smart – it’s absolutely critical.

Let’s dive into the sparkling world of fresh photos and videos, exploring why they’re your dental business’s best friends and how they can transform your online presence into a magnet for clients and partners alike.

Why update your visuals?

First impressions matter. Whether it’s a

Seb Evans is an account manager at Barker PR.

potential client browsing your website for the first time or a long-term partner checking out your latest updates, what they see can make or break their perception of your brand.

Outdated photos and videos are like showing up in last season’s fashions –sure, you might still look good, but you won’t capture attention quite like you would with a fresh, on-point ensemble.

Photos and videos – the dynamic duo

 Photos

These are the silent ambassadors of your brand. A high-quality, recent photo can convey professionalism, warmth, and trustworthiness in a split second.

Whether it’s the smiling faces of your team, the sleek interiors of your office, or the cutting-edge technology you use, up to date photos tell your audience that you’re at the top of your game

 Videos

If photos are the sprinters of the visual world, videos are the marathon runners, carrying your message further and deeper.

They have the power to engage, inform, and entertain, all while giving your audience a richer, more dynamic understanding of who you are and what you stand for.

The magic of updating your visuals

Updating your visuals isn’t just about staying trendy; it’s about telling your brand’s evolving story.

Your business isn’t static. It grows, it innovates, and it overcomes challenges.

Your visuals should reflect this journey, showcasing your latest achievements, technologies, and the vibrant personalities that make your brand unique.

Imagine the impact of a before-andafter patient smile gallery that actually features recent success stories, or a behind-the-scenes video introducing your newest team member and their cutting-edge treatment techniques.

Updates can reignite interest in your services and foster a deeper connection with your audience.

But wait, there’s more!

Search engines and social media platforms love fresh content, and updating your visuals can significantly boost your online visibility.

New photos and videos can improve your website’s SEO, making it easier for potential clients to find you.

On social media, updated visuals can increase engagement, shares, and likes, extending your reach and attracting new followers.

It’s a win-win situation! Updating your company and website visuals might seem daunting, but fear not!

This is where the magic of collaboration

comes into play. Partnering with a professional agency can transform this task from a chore into an exciting adventure.

Find somebody who has the skills,

experience, and creative flair to bring your brand’s visual story to life, ensuring that your photos and videos not only look fantastic but also resonate with your target audience.

A picture-perfect strategy

Here’s how to make the most out of updating your visuals:

 Plan: identify what you want your new photos and videos to achieve. Are you aiming to showcase new services, introduce team members, or refresh your brand’s look? A clear goal will guide the creative process

 Tell your story: every brand has a story, and your visuals are a powerful way to tell it. Think about what makes you unique and how you can express that through images and footage

 Engagement: use your updated images to engage your audience in new and exciting ways. Behind-thescenes peeks, patient testimonials, and day-in-the-life videos are just a few ideas to consider

 Spread the word: once your new visuals are ready, shout it from the rooftops! Update your website, post on social media, and consider an email blast to your clients and partners. Let everyone know there’s something new and exciting to see.

The final frame

In the fast-paced digital world, your online presence is often the first (and sometimes the only) interaction potential clients and partners have with your brand.

Keeping your photos and videos fresh, engaging, and reflective of your brand’s current state is not just a good marketing strategy – it’s an essential one.

Whether you’re ready to dive into a full visual makeover or just looking to spruce up a few key images, remember that this is your opportunity to shine.

And if you’re thinking, ‘Where do I even start?’, experienced agencies can guide you through the process, turning your visual updates into a seamless, enjoyable experience.

So, grab your camera and start snapping!

Finding the balance

Seb Evans explains how achieving the right work-life balance can be tricky when you take on a personal project.

In the balancing act of life, where we play both professional performers and personal project managers, finding the right equilibrium can often feel like walking a tightrope.

Whether it’s a passion for painting, a knack for knitting, or, in my case, a looming home renovation project, our personal endeavours are vital expressions of our personalities outside the office.

Yet, the question looms: how do we manage these projects without letting them upstage professional responsibilities? How do we balance these worlds, possibly even merge them, all while maintaining the harmony between personal satisfaction and professional success?

Personal passions versus professional pursuits

Imagine you’re about to embark on a home renovation project. This isn’t just any project – it’s your ‘Sistine Chapel ceiling’. It demands your creativity, your time, and a significant slice of your focus. Now, blend this with a full-time job, and you’ve got yourself a recipe that requires careful balancing to avoid dropping the ball on one, or both, projects.

Merging worlds

Firstly, consider whether there’s an opportunity for synergy between your personal and professional worlds.

There might be skills, knowledge, or resources from work that can crosspollinate with your personal projects.

For example, project management skills honed in the office can be a boon for overseeing contractors during a home renovation.

manager at Barker PR.

Seb Evans is an account

Lifestyle

Conversely, the creative problemsolving and decision-making required for personal projects can enhance your professional expertise, making you more adaptable and innovative at work.

At Barker PR we’re big advocates for bringing personal hobbies into the work environment – it can help spark creative ideas and sometimes take a regular meeting away from the boardroom to make it all the more memorable.

Setting boundaries

While merging skills and lessons learned from both worlds can enrich your life, it’s crucial to maintain clear boundaries.

Your personal projects, such as, for example, a home renovation, are a space for personal growth, relaxation, and expression.

They shouldn’t encroach on your professional commitments, nor should work consume the time and energy you’ve set aside for personal pursuits.

Establishing these boundaries ensures that neither area suffers from neglect or interference.

Time management

Effective time management is key when balancing personal projects with professional duties. Consider these strategies:

Prioritise: not all tasks are created equal. Identify what needs immediate attention and what can wait, both at work and with personal projects

Schedule your time: allocate specific

times for your personal projects, just as you would for work meetings or deadlines. This might mean setting aside weekend mornings for renovation work or dedicating an hour each evening to planning and research

Learn to say no: both at work and in your personal life, recognise when you’re reaching your limit. It’s okay to turn down additional responsibilities or delay certain projects to maintain your well-being.

Finding the sweet spot

Finding the sweet spot where personal projects enrich your professional life without overshadowing it is an ongoing process.

It requires constant review, experimentation, and a willingness to adjust your approach as circumstances change.

For instance, during intense phases of a home renovation, I may choose to dial back social engagements or use vacation days strategically to create long weekends for bigger projects, ensuring I’m not sacrificing work quality for personal progress.

A professional asset

Interestingly, personal projects can serve as professional assets, illustrating numerous different skills and interests. They demonstrate time management, dedication, and the ability to complete complex tasks – qualities that are invaluable in any professional setting.

Sharing your experiences on social media can also enhance your relationships at work, offering a

glimpse into your world outside the office and potentially sparking collaborations or conversations.

Avoiding interference with work

The caveat, of course, is ensuring your personal endeavours don’t interfere with your work.

This means being mindful of how much mental capacity your projects occupy during work hours.

If you find yourself daydreaming about paint swatches during meetings, it’s a sign to reassess your focus and, perhaps, tweak your scheduling or prioritisation strategies.

The harmonious balance

Managing personal projects alongside professional commitments is an art form, one that requires continuous learning and adjustment.

It’s about finding joy and fulfilment in both areas without letting one overshadow the other.

As I embark on a home renovation journey, I view it not just as a challenge but as an opportunity to grow my professional skills in a personal context –and vice versa.

Remember, the goal isn’t to sacrifice one for the other, but to find a balance where both can thrive.

By setting clear boundaries, managing your time effectively, and looking for opportunities to merge skills and experiences from both worlds, you can build a life that’s beautifully balanced.

Art: but is it teambuilding?

Clementine Rees Brown talks to Jenna Davies about the benefits of art, and the growth of her painting workshops.

CRB: Could you give us a bit of background about your career in dentistry, how you got started, kind of where you’re practising now, that sort of thing?

JD: I qualified from Cardiff in 2007, and did my VT in Carmarthenshire and then I stayed on for a couple of years after. And then about three years into my dental career I decided to take the year out. So, two of my friends and I went to Australia. We took a working

holiday and we went to Melbourne, and spent six months working in the dental hospital there. We did about three or four months travelling after that and then came back to the UK.

Following that I stayed in the same job for a couple more years, then worked in Bridgend for quite some time, until 2019, then I decided that I wanted a change. So I actually went back to the same area I began, Carmarthenshire and I’ve been there ever since.

CRB: Have you always been interested in art? How does it fit in with your work and life?

JD: Yes, I’ve always loved art ever since I could pick up a paintbrush or pen. My mum would just give me some paints and she would just leave me to it! So, it’s always been something I’ve really

Clementine Rees Brown is an editor of Dental Nursing.

Jenna Davies is a dentist at Old Oak Dental Practice and artist based in Carmarthen.

Lifestyle

enjoyed. I would paint throughout my time at university and I really got back into it during covid. When working my art had been put on the back burner as I would often not have energy and because dentistry just took over everything – but then during the pandemic I suddenly had all of this spare time and thought it would be good for me to really start again. It was like I just tapped back into my creativity and I realised it was something that was really important to me and that I really enjoy doing. Since then I’ve just been making more time and prioritising it!

CRB: When it comes to being creative and being artistic, some people think it is either something you have or you don’t, and that it can’t be learned. Do you believe that?

JD: No, I don’t think it’s true. I think everyone has a creative side. I think some people are probably just afraid to do it, maybe someone has said something to them when they were younger and it has put them off pursuing art. But actually the result often doesn’t matter anyway. For me it’s all about the process, and that’s what I teach in my workshops. It doesn’t really matter about the end result is! But,

having said that, like as with anything, like the more you do it, the better you get at it as well.

CRB: In terms of cost efficiency, would you consider art an expensive hobby? How does a complete beginner get started?

JD: Art doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby. You don’t have to go out buying expensive canvases and things. I would start off simply, even with just some paper and some cheap acrylic paints. Acrylic paints are really versatile and user friendly too! And later on you could progress and get cheap canvases These days now it is all just much more accessible than it used to be – so you can get started without spending a lot.

CRB: How does art help in terms of mental health?

JD: Well I was quite an angsty little child at school, and one of the way I coped was through art. If I was nervous I would find myself doodling and drawing. Now I find that when I create a piece of art I become totally lost in it. It actually focuses my mind so I’m not thinking about other things while I’m doing it,

because all I’m doing is just channeling my energy into the art. All my worries dissolve when I am being creative so it is really great for that. The one downside is I can lose track of time, I will be like sitting there painting and suddenly realised I have lost several hours of the day without realising! But no, I find it extremely relaxing – it really calms the mind.

CRB: Because of your love for art you decided to set up workshop evenings, why was that?

JD: It was something I just wanted to share with people. It began within dentistry, I came up with the idea of doing these workshops because, we know dentistry is quite intense sometimes, and it is really important to find ways to destress. So I tried it out with my work team, I got some really good feedback from them and thought that it was something that other teams might want to do. And so it grew from there!

I also find it interesting that there are parallels between art and dentistry. They’re both quite artistic endeavours, they both involve using your observational skills, and using

your hands and being tactile. They can both involve imposter syndrome too, worrying about how something, whether it is a treatment or a painting will turn out!

So there are similarities, and I try to make that point when doing a workshop with a dental team, although now I do workshops with all types of groups/ companies, not just dental teams –because the benefits are universal.

CRB: How many people does a workshop usually accommodate? And what are the sessions like?

JD: Typcially between 10 and 15. The biggest number I’ve had so far is 16. Most of the people who come are quite enthusiastic. They’ll just get stuck in and are really keen to learn!

A workshop typically lasts about two hours – they tend to be in southwest Wales to Cardiff area, but I have done workshops in London too.

CRB: What do people get out of the workshops?

JD: Well, there are a couple of things. But one of the main hopes is that they throw out their perfectionism, and stop trying to get things perfect, 100 per cent, all of the time. I know within dentistry a lot of us can be quite judgmental and give ourselves a hard time, always questioning if what we have done is good enough. Sometimes that can spill over into wondering if we are good enough. Whereas with art we can focus on the process – and actually when we do that the outcome is actually better!

A second thing people gain is engagement. Doing art as a teambuilding exercise isn’t like going and having a team meal together, in the workshops you engage and learn together. There are different communication exercises involved, and it is really interesting to see the verbal and non-verbal communication which goes on.

CRB: It is interesting to hear you say that because when I think of art I think of it as an individual pursuit, how comfortable are people doing it in a group environment?

JD: Art certainly can be personal, so for me, I like being on my own, and just getting lost in what I am doing not thinking about anything else. But then

when you’re in a group of people, it’s a really nice social thing to do together, and I think sometimes maybe you learn stuff off one another as well. You can look at other people’s work and think “That’s cool, how did you do that?” So it can encourage sharing, and learning. That’s what I’ve observed in the groups that I’ve taught.

CRB: What level does someone have to be to benefit from the workshop? Is there something for all abilities in it?

JD: Absolutely, I have had quite a range

– from those who literally haven’t held a paintbrush before to the ones that are extremely good! When running the workshops I try to get the balance right, to give something to beginners as well as something to just help improve the technique of those who are competent, there is something for everyone – that is one of the great things about art!

Lamb stuffed aubergine with feta and toasted almonds

The perfect spring/summer dish for alfresco dining. This recipe combines rich flavours from the Middle East as well as the freshness of the Mediterranean.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 large aubergines halved lengthways

3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Rebecca Haworth is senior marketing manager at Optident Ltd and

Masterchef UK quarter finalist.

Salt and black pepper

1 large onion finely chopped

500 g minced lamb

1 teaspoon tomato purée

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Hand full of toasted flaked almonds

100g Feta to crumble

To add colour and freshness feel free to use fresh herbs, mint, oregano or flat leaf parsley all work well with these flavours

For the side salad I used gem lettuce, sugar snap peas and steamed and cooled asparagus, drizzled with a little olive oil and Maldon salt flakes.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220C° (200C° fan). Place the aubergine halves, skin-side down, in an oven-proof casserole large

enough to accommodate them snugly. Brush the flesh with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Turn the oven down to 170C°.

Make the spice mix in a small bowl by mixing the cumin, paprika and ground cinnamon.

While the aubergines are cooking, make the stuffing by heating the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan. Add half of the spice mix to the pan, along with the onion.

Cook on a medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often, then add the lamb, tomato purée, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Continue to cook and stir for another 5 minutes, until the meat is lightly browned. In the bowl with the remaining spice mix, add the water, lemon juice, and 1 tsp. of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt; mix well.

Add this into the lamb mixture and cook on a low simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the mix from sticking, alternatively transfer it to the oven to cook on 170C° degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Once the lamb is a thicker consistency, spoon the mix into the 4 aubergine halves, cover in foil and bake for around 30 minutes, by which point the aubergines should be soft and the sauce thick.

Top with a crumble of feta and the toasted almonds. You can place under the grill for a few minutes before serving if you like a golden finish.

If you want to make this dish vegetarian you can swap out the lamb for mushrooms or root vegetables.

Rebecca Haworth presents the perfect summer dish.