Dentistry news
Welcome to the Dentistry News section
On the 10th of January the Department of
Health issued a report proposing that health
professionals should take every opportunity to discuss diet,
exercise, smoking, and drinking habits with their patients. This
proposal has been backed by ministers calling for NHS staff to
"make every contact count". In England 250,000 people visit a
dentist every day, creating a huge opportunity to promote better
oral health and general wellbeing.
Oasis Dental Care is proud to be offing health advice in
line with these recommendations. Eddie Coyle, Head of Clinical
Services, believes that a visit to the dentist could be the first
step to identifying and preventing serious or terminal illness.
At Oasis we share the view that every contact with a patient is
an opportunity to offer relevant health advice to the individual
for the benefit of their long term wellbeing. In many instances
patients attend a dental appointment without any symptoms of
underlying disease which could prove to be serious e.g.
Hypertension (high blood pressure).
In our practices we offer advice on:-
- Alcohol consumption
- Smoking cessation - where you can seek help to stop
smoking
- The health impact of dentally related factors
- Toothbrushing and cleaning your mouth
- Good diet and how to avoid dental decay
- The use of fluoride toothpastes and supplements
Oasis is pleased to have members of the teams who are qualified
to work alongside the dentist as oral health educators, extended
duties dental nurses and dental hygienists and therapists who will
supplement the care and advice given by your dentist in many of our
practices.
Oasis is also participating in the pilot programme for a new NHS
dental contract which has a very clear focus on preventing disease
and ensuring that the patient is aware of their responsibilities
and the risk factors with the overall aim of improving the oral
health of the patients, especially children and the quality of the
care received.