British dental journal
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British dental journal · Mar 2013
ReviewWhy do GDPs fail to recognise oral cancer? The argument for an oral cancer checklist.
Delays in the diagnosis of oral cancer have been the subject of several cases recently reported in the media. Different types of delays include patient delays, doctor delays and system delays. Although diagnostic delays in primary care constitute a minority of these cases they are potentially modifiable and therefore an important aspect of care to address. ⋯ However several problems in fully assessing patients for oral cancer have been reported. These include time constraints, a lack of remuneration and little training in assessing risk factors and conducting a soft tissue examination. This article reviews these issues and puts forward the case for oral cancer detection as a compulsory CPD topic and a national oral cancer checklist as a tool to ensure all aspects of the oral cancer assessment are considered, which can then be audited and remunerated.
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British dental journal · Mar 2013
Comparative StudySocio-economic status of patients registered with NHS dental services in Scotland: an inverse 'dental' care law?
To compare the socioeconomic characteristics of the population registered with an NHS dentist, split by the NHS General Dental Services (GDS) and Salaried General Dental Services (SGDS) across Scotland. ⋯ Contrary to expectations, no inverse dental care law could be demonstrated for adults receiving NHS dental care in Scotland in the GDS. There was a statistically significant inverse dental care law for children in the GDS. The SGDS has higher registration rates among the most deprived population and acts to reduce inequality in access to dental care, thereby removing any inverse dental care law.