Speaking at the Westminster Forum on March 13 on the topic of Next steps for dentistry in Englandhe outlined the breadth and depth of education provided in dental schools, emphasising the high quality of teaching and the importance of preparing individuals for a lifetime of professionalism. “Our dental schools are brilliant. We must value and protect them.”
He added that he was frustrated at the way in which the words education and training were often confused and also at the complexity of funding of university courses. He stated that the funding of dental schools is overly complicated with the clear risk that funding earmarked for dental training does not reach the students because of the multiple organisations other than universities it passes through.
It should be remembered, Professor Deery said, that in addition to training and education, dental schools are places where research is undertaken – often world-leading research – and patient care is provided. Students at Sheffield, where he is dean of the Dental School, as is the case in other schools are regularly on placements in general dental practice and the community dental service, yet commissioners in his area were until recently unaware of the collaboration between the dental school and primary care.
The dental profession should work with commissioners to build their understanding of dental education. Without that understanding, it was difficult for dental schools to get their educational model right.
Professor Deery addressed workforce issues, saying that there would be a shortage of dentists by 2024. “We need more dental hygienists and therapists,” he said, “but not at the expense of dentists. I don’t think anyone would disagree that we need to increase the dental workforce.”
He said he wanted to see a more flexible workforce with more expanded duties dental nurses and also more opportunities for dental care professionals to ‘upskill’ and move into new roles. Professor Deery also touched on recruitment problems among research and teaching staff, endangering future dental education. He also highlighted inadequacy of the General Dental Service contract which he said did nothing to foster prevention.
Clare Ledingham, secretary of BSPD, was also a speaker at the event and during discussions she said that undergraduate community outreach placements were being withdrawn, which she felt was short-sighted, and she raised the worrying issue of the shortage of specialists.
Professor Deery agreed that the shortage of specialists was a problem and there needed to be more in paediatric dentistry to work in community clinics and to influence provision of care through managed clinical networks. He also said that there should be more specialists and consultants providing outreach into areas where there were no specialists.
In her talk, Clare highlighted the issues around children’s oral health and explained the launch of Dental Check by One last September and its role in Smile for Life, the preventive programme for England. Several other speakers referenced the importance of Dental Check One in the battle to reduce the high numbers of general anaesthetics for decayed teeth.