British dental journal
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British dental journal · Oct 2009
Are restrictive NHS contracts of benefit in addressing health inequalities? An ecological evaluation of their value in the North East of England.
To determine if restrictive NHS contracts are of benefit in addressing health inequalities in oral health, by using an ecological approach based upon an area measure of material deprivation. ⋯ Restrictive contracts may be of benefit in addressing health inequalities. PCTs need to carefully consider the impact of ending restrictive contracts on their local populations.
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British dental journal · Sep 2009
Evaluation of a course on the operation and management of a local decontamination unit for undergraduate dental students.
Describe the formulation of learning outcomes and evaluate a new course for undergraduate dental students in managing a local decontamination unit (LDU). DESIGN, SAMPLE AND SETTING: This was a retrospective analysis of questionnaire data from the first cohort of dental students completing the LDU managers course in a UK dental school. ⋯ We describe a series of learning outcomes to support competencies in instrument decontamination for dental undergraduates and a purpose built training facility. The evaluation of the course suggests this model meets current and future General Dental Council (GDC) requirements for training of dental undergraduates. We identified a shortage of appropriately qualified teachers in this subject area and recommend that these deficiencies are addressed as part of a coordinated national strategy.
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British dental journal · Sep 2009
Paediatric conscious sedation: views and experience of specialists in paediatric dentistry.
The objectives were three-fold: to investigate the level of conscious sedation training received prior to and during specialist training in paediatric dentistry; to establish the use of conscious sedation during and following specialisation; and to determine the attitudes of specialists in paediatric dentistry to conscious sedation. ⋯ The most popular form of sedation amongst specialists in paediatric dentistry was NOIS. However, some of the respondents felt that children should have access to other forms of sedation in both the primary care and hospital settings. Additional research on other forms of sedation is required to evaluate their effectiveness and safety.
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British dental journal · Jul 2009
The HIV positive dentist in the United Kingdom--a legal perspective.
In 1991, the United Kingdom Advisory Panel (UKAP) was set up under the aegis of the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (EAGA) to consider individual cases of HIV infected healthcare workers. Policy and guidance relating to HIV infected healthcare workers is set out in a Department of Health report. Although more recently the EAGA has advised that an HIV positive dentist may under certain conditions provide clinical treatment for patients who are also HIV positive, the advice from UKAP relating to exposure-prone procedures means, in effect, that dentists who become HIV positive must cease contemporary clinical dentistry. The plight of dentists who become HIV positive and face this situation has been poignantly described as '...the dental practice equivalent of clearing your desk and being escorted off the premises.'
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Cone Beam Computed Tomography is a relatively new three-dimensional imaging technology, which has been specifically developed for imaging of the teeth and jaws. The aim of this paper is to acquaint the dental team with various forms of this technology and its potential applications. An understanding of the underlying principles will allow the users of this technology to tailor the imaging protocol to the patient's individual needs to achieve appropriate imaging at the lowest radiation dose.