Health Secretary Andrew Lansley is planning a huge shake-up of NHS dental services for the coming year, pledging that everyone who lost their dentist to the private sector will have access to a one through the National Health. The government has since set aside £28 million for the scheme, to fund new appointments and home care for more than a million people across the UK.

In 2006, a Labour reform meant that many NHS surgeries chose to go private, in turn, this put pressure on A&E departments, as a lot of people had nowhere to turn for treatment. Mr Lansley spoke to the Daily Mail today and blamed the Labour governments failed policies for the deterioration in service. ‘Giving those people back their NHS dentist is a key priority of mine,’ he said, ‘I am delighted that we have been able to find more money for dentistry because of our successful programme of efficiency savings in the NHS.’

It was recently revealed that children, in particular, where suffering with poor oral health, so the Coalition has tentatively launched several new dental contracts, which focuses on paying the dentist for how many patients they care for, rather than which treatments they perform. Mr Lansley was confident that the changes would yield a positive outcome, saying ‘This is a great example of how the money we are saving by working more efficiently, cutting bureaucracy and rooting out waste in the NHS is being reinvested in frontline services for patients.’

Wrestler-turned-actor Hulk Hogan is bringing in the New Year with a few changes to his public image; he’s shaving his head and removing the iconic moustache in preparation for some new acting opportunities. The 58-year-old is getting ready for some auditions, after only recently recovering from dental complications that left him in agony.

Hulk was undergoing dental implant surgery in October last year, in order to replace some missing teeth and improve his chances of rebuilding his acting career. The wrestler admitted that losing the teeth was his own fault, after neglecting to clean them properly, ‘After many years of not taking care of teeth correctly, I had to finally have surgery,’ he said. Unfortunately, according to the wresting star, his dentist accidentally left a metal tack in his mouth after fitting him for a mould, which developed into a nasty infection that wouldn’t shift for several weeks.

The treatment that followed involved drilling a hole in the side of Hogan’s jaw, in order to remove the infected tissue, then cleaning the area thoroughly. ‘I’m good to go.’ He said today, but added ‘It feels like somebody punched me in the face.’ He also had a few words of advice for his young fans regarding dental care, saying ‘The theme for today is ‘kids, take care of your teeth’, because if you stuff candy in your mouth, you’re going to rot your teeth out.

There’s no denying Charlie Sheen has had rough time of it in the past year or so – mostly of his own doing – but things are looking up for the troubled actor, and he’s got the smile to prove it. The 46-year-olds brand new teeth were on show today, after he posted a picture of himself and his dentist, Dr Kevin Sands, on his web page.

Just a few months back, Charlie was seen around Hollywood looking dishevelled, with wrinkly skin, badly dyed hair, and a decaying smile, complete with gold crowns – something which had previously been blamed on his substance abuse. The Two and a Half Men star also shocked his fans by indulging in drink and drugs, as well as keeping some strange company, and taking part in ill-advised television interviews, where he maintained that he was ‘winning’, rather than unravelling speedily in front of the world’s media. Now, it seems, he’s a changed man; his hair is much improved, his demeanour is calmer, and he described his experience in the dentist’s chair as ‘brilliant’. Dropping hints about his upcoming jobs, the actor plugged his treatment on his website, saying ‘today spent w/brilliant cosmetic dentist Dr Kevin Sands! The grill is now perfect for Fiat, DirectTV & Anger Management! Smile World!’

Charlie’s new sitcom Anger Management has been picked up by FX, and is based loosely on the 2003 movie of the same name.

Soap star Samia Smith has had to take some time off from work due to an abscess, which has been causing her some pain for the past few days. The 29-year-old, who plays Maria Connor in the long running ITV show, has been comforted by the support from her fans via the social networking site Twitter.

Resting at home, under the watchful eye of new boyfriend Will Thorp – who is also an actor in Coronation Street, Samia tweeted; ‘Thank you all for your lovely kind messages re my abscess. I can safely say it’s one of the most painful things I’ve ever experienced!’

The actress had only just separated from her husband Matthew Smith, when she started stepping out with Will, a revelation that raised a few eyebrows on the Corrie set. They had one child together whilst married, and Samia was quick to compare the two experiences when her abscess flared up; ‘Argh!!’ She tweeted, ‘This pain is still so bad!! N yep it’s more painful than childbirth; I had to have a c section! Can’t take any more painkillers!’

Despite her pain, she was hopeful that she would be able to return to work soon, and she later thanked her fans again, saying; ‘Bless u all for ur concern…wouldn’t wish it on any1! Taking everything I can to get rid of it! X’

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, has had orthodontic treatment to give her teeth the appearance of ‘harmonious asymmetry’, it has been revealed. The 29-year-old was anxious to avoid the over-stylised look of the Hollywood smile, and went to London—based French dentist Didier Fillion, to request a more natural look.

Associate of Dr Fillion, Bernard Touati, told The Times magazine that Kate’s teeth look so good because they are not perfectly straight, which is what often makes celebrity smiles look artificial. He said that Dr Fillion had done some ‘little micro-rotations on Kate Middleton, so that it looks like a natural, healthy smile.’

Instead of just adding veneers over the top, the process involves using braces to subtly change the positioning of the teeth, or re-shaping them to make them look natural – even adding veneers with small chips in them. Dr Fillion said; ‘Teeth that look like piano keys are not good, so we try to give back some details, maybe a space we don’t close, or a shorter incisor. Tom Cruise? Too perfect for me. After my treatment, most of my patients do not need veneers.’

When questioned over his treatment of the Duchess, Dr Fillion refused to comment, saying ‘I can’t say anything. I am sorry. I can’t confirm or deny it.’ According to his colleague Dr Touati, Kate could have paid around £3,000 for the treatment.

Health officials in Darlington are blaming the economy for a drop in the number of people attending dental appointments. Families in particular are feeling the pinch as the price of consultations and other treatment rises beyond what they can comfortably afford. As a result, more ways of encouraging people to visit the surgery are being considered. County Durham and Darlington’s director of public health, Dr David Landes, published the figures in his report for the Council’s Health and Partnerships Scrutiny Committee, in an attempt to explain why children’s dental health in the area was slipping below acceptable standards.

A 2008/2009 survey revealed that children under the age of twelve suffering with tooth decay made up more than 40% of that age group, the worst in the country after Middlesborough. The figures were thought to be the result of fluoridated water. However, other results were no more promising; 54% of youngsters not in school were not being seen by the dentist, that number rose even further when the children joined mainstream education. More worrying, between the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 period the number of people visiting the dentist had dropped dramatically, more than 10% in some age groups.

Dr Landes blames this on the rocky economic climate, causing people to tighten their belts. He says; ‘If you need a course of treatment and you’re not exempt, the current fee is £47 and it’s a considerable amount of money, and it could be nearer £100 if you’re with a family. We’re promoting informal sessions, so at least if people are not exempt they’re not going to have that potentially embarrassing discussion in the waiting room.’

Twenty dental practices in the UK have been found lacking, according to information revealed by Which? consumer protection.
Out of ten NHS surgeries and ten private surgeries, eleven were rated ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ after visits from undercover Which? representatives. Dentist where found to rush examinations and overlook vital assessment points – in five cases, the consultation lasted less than ten minutes. It’s also an industry standard to offer an x-ray to a new patient, this did not occur in five of the twenty visits. Soft tissue checks were only made in five of the surgeries reviewed, a procedure that is an integral part of the screening process for oral cancers.

Only three of the twenty offices visited were found to be ‘good’, but none were rated ‘excellent’. Consultations at NHS dentists were eleven minutes long on average, not nearly long enough to have adequately assessed the subject’s conditions, according to industry experts.

The General Dental Council and the Care Quality Commission have both been alerted to the findings and taped evidence has been passed onto them from Which?, whose executive director Richard Lloyd has this to say; ‘In an industry that has not one but two regulators, this level of incompetence is unacceptable. Patients could be left with permanent problems that could have been easily avoided’.
 

UK dentists have spoken about their worry over the impact of NHS cuts on their most vulnerable patients. A recent survey carried out by the British Dental Association has revealed that most dentists think the budget cuts will affect services badly, limiting access to much needed treatments. 

Although job security was a major worry for the majority of those who took part, most dentists were thinking about the effect on their patients before themselves; 83% of respondents said there were longer waiting times for appointments, whilst 72% felt that there was a reduction in available treatments. 58% of those asked thought that the standard of care had been compromised following the announcement of large NHS budget cuts.

The survey was aimed at surgeons whose work centres on patients with special needs, showing that two thirds of dentists in this sector were concerned with their patients being denied access to dental care and as a result being neglected within the system.

fortunately, it seems their voices are not going unheard, as the British Dental Association has said it will be writing to the Department of Health to persuade against Primary Care Trusts making cuts to the services of special needs dental surgeries.

The General Dental Council has named a lack of communication between managers as the reason for slipping standards at Queen’s University in Belfast. The Council voiced concern that this was damaging students’ education and was ultimately putting public safety at risk, commenting that ‘There is very poor communication between the various parties involved in the delivery of the programme’.

Suggestions to modernise the training programmes, improve leadership, and bring in more specialist teachers were put forward, in the hopes that this would turn the tide and improve the standard of teaching. The GDC’s reports was severely critical of the university, commenting on the ‘overall lack of joined-up thinking.  Inspectors were unhappy with the low number of clinical sessions involved in students’ timetables, something which contributes greatly to the amount of practical experience received. A re-inspection is scheduled for early next year.

Professor at Queen’s University Belfast, Patrick Johnston, said that they were aware of the problems and the staff were working on some solutions, saying that; ‘We recognise there was a lack of communication between the various bodies and that may have impacted on students. Now it’s time to move forward.’

In an attempt to rectify the situation, Queen’s University have added four new posts to the team, with three more in the works for the next six months.

People suffering from sleep apnea have been advised to see if cosmetic dentistry procedures could help, after a new report has revealed a link between oral treatments and the illness.

Research by the Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) showed that equipment offered by dentists can be helpful to some patients suffering from sleep apnea.

Dr David Stanton from the PDA said: “Oral appliances and surgical procedures offered by dentists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons can be very beneficial in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.”

The studies found that by using devices that reposition the lower jaw and tongue, sufferers find some relief from the problem.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes people to stop breathing when they are sleeping and is considered a serious condition by the organisation.

Individuals who suspect they have the complaint are advised to be assessed by a dental professional as it has been linked to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.

Wearing a mouthguard when playing sports was recently encouraged by the American Dental Association, which said that failure to have one can lead to an increased risk of the need for emergency dentistry.