The symposium enjoyed a full house.
By the time the illuminated Christmas tree had been lowered into position outside the Palace of Westminster last November, the ninth Premier symposium in the series was already in full swing just across the river on the Waterloo campus of Kings College, London. Jointly sponsored by Dental Protection and Schülke, this event has now become a regular fixture in the dental calendar and always attracts a full house.
Under the chairmanship of Kevin Lewis the combination of authoritative topical presentations and entertaining speakers makes for a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. Indeed, this is really the secret of its success and this year’s line up of speakers was particularly impressive. In an article of this length it is impossible to reflect the depth of the material that was presented, but hopefully the collected snippets below will be of interest and possibly tempt some of you to attend the symposium’s 10th anniversary later this year.
Prof Tim Newton speaking about body dysmorphic disorder (BDD):
- Two dentists are known to have been murdered by patients with BDD.
- A number of surveys of individuals with BDD have indicated that 71 to 76 per cent had sought cosmetic treatment, and approximately 65 per cent of all cases had received cosmetic treatment.
- Responding to unreasonable requests carries risks and has the potential to do harm.
- Cognitive behavioural therapy is the best option to treat the disorder.
Sue Cunningham speaking about orthodontics:
- Patient motivation and expectation are interlinked.
- If a retainer might be required after the active phase of treatment has been completed, the possibility should be explained and documented before starting treatment.
Speaking about orthognathic treatment:
- A psychiatrist can act as a useful proxy by facilitating communication with young patients during treatment discussions.
- There have been four recorded deaths associated with orthognathic surgery.
- 12 per cent of cases may well have paraesthesia two years post-operatively.
Paul Jenkins discussing the 19 chapters and the appendices of HTM01-05:
- The technical document is still being amended (there have been 22 versions to date) prior to a hard-copy being delivered to all practices this year. Consult that final document before investing large capital sums in new equipment or building work.
- The Care Quality Commission will start inspecting dental practices in 2011.
- Undertake an audit now and start to move towards best practice.
- Don’t get rid of your ultrasonic bath.
Philip Newsome speaking about entrepreneurship in a fluctuating economic climate:
- For the dental entrepreneur, dental treatments are likely to be the only familiar aspect of the job amongst many other tasks that will be far less familiar.
- Sell the benefits of treatment not the dentistry.
- Crystallise your own ideas of how you want to work and write them down before doing anything else. It is the only way to ensure that you create a business that you will also enjoy.
- Recessions offer a period for reflection and retraining for the longer battle ahead.
Derrick Setchell speaking about the dento-legal aspects of restorative dentistry:
- It is the basics that go wrong most often. The fundamental principles learnt at dental school can fall by the wayside some years later.
- Endodontics and the provision of fixed restorations jointly account for over 40 per cent of the negligence claims against UK dentists.
- The majority of endodontic claims relate to incomplete obturation of the root canal system in the presence of residual infection.
- Allegations of undiagnosed/untreated periodontal disease cause 30 per cent of all the highest value negligence claims against dentists and are the fastest growing groups of claims, in the UK.
In addition to the symposium the delegates were provide with lunch, a memory stick containing detailed speakers’ notes, six hours verified CPD and an opportunity to watch the presentation of the Premier Awards which has a total prize fund of £6K.
This year’s winners were of a very high calibre, and even though Sheffield Dental School was predominant amongst the winning entries, Kathy Harley, chair of Dental Protection, who presented the awards encouraged dentists and DCPs from all regions of the UK to participate again next year.
Undergraduate prize1. Richard Beckwith. Difficulties in obtaining valid consent in clinical dentistry.2. Rachel Ingle. A comparison of HTM01-05 guidance with the sterilisation of reusable instruments in the dental practice unit, University of Sheffield.Postgraduate prize1. Flight Lieutenant James Roberts. Instrument decontamination.2. Richard Holliday. Dental record keeping and the role of oral cancer screening in the dental access centre.DCP prize1. Michelle Mitchell. Ethical considerations in 21st century dental hygiene.2. Amy Wilkins. Extending the role of the dental nurse in the orthodontic practice: the patients’ perspective.
If you would like to receive details of next year’s symposium you can register your interest by emailing sarah.garry@mps.org.uk