An incremental approach? An honest approach would be better.

This paper argues that before continuing to search for a satisfactory contract for the provision of dental care through the NHS, it is not incrementalism that is necessary, but honesty.

The impact of a guided paced breathing audiovisual intervention on anxiety symptoms in Palestinian children: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Children in Palestine may be at high risk for anxiety symptoms. However, access to mental health services is limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial to examine whether a guided audiovisual paced breathing intervention was feasible, acceptable, and improved anxiety symptoms in Palestinian children.

The Need to Improve Leadership to Address Poor Oral Health.

The FDI World Dental Federation (FDI) has recently published their outline for shaping the future to improve oral health. In the document, several key features were identified including a need for a more collaborative approach across the differing health care sectors and the development of a responsive educational model. While such an approach is to be welcomed, a key element to ensure the realisation of the vision lies with developing leadership within the dental sector.

Improving the Health of the Homeless and How to Achieve It within the New NHS Architecture.

The publication of the National Health Service (NHS) Long Term Plan sees the creation of Primary Care Networks as the most appropriate solution to help improve overall health and address health inequalities. A key segment of society that suffers from poor health is the homeless. While the potential for the group to benefit from the NHS reform policy programme in England exists, it requires stronger collaborative working between the health and social care sectors Not least the new arrangements provide opportunities to tackle existing disease as well as the determinants of future ill health.

Adult self-reported attendance for dental check-ups over a 16-year period in the UK.

Objective To report attendance patterns for dental check-ups in UK adults over the period 1991-2008, and associated factors.Methods Participants were adults aged 16 years and over from the nationally representative British Household Panel Survey, who were interviewed annually. Prevalence of dental attendance was assessed by UK country for each survey year.

Dementia-Friendly Dentistry: Why Dementia Guidelines?

FGDP(UK) recently launched its dementia-friendly dentistry: good practice guidelines publication, which members will have received free-of-charge. Vice Dean and editor of the guidelines, Paul Batchelor, explains why the publication is necessary and why all practitioners should make the effort to incorporate these recommendations into their practice.

The changing epidemiology of oral diseases in the elderly, their growing importance for care and how they can be managed.

This article provides an overview of the changing epidemiology of oral diseases and the impacts for the population. Considerable improvements have occurred in oral health, and many more people are retaining teeth for longer. However, the conditions of teeth and mouth are varied, and all older people are at risk of future oral disease.

Dental specialist lists: are they necessary?

It is usual to hold debates with a live audience. However, they can be held via the written word. Indeed, Letters to the Editor and responses are in many ways a debate.

What do we mean by population health?

The term 'population health' is part of the natural evolution of the science of epidemiology. With the recognition of the importance of a life-course approach to help understand health along with the recognition of the importance of the wider determinants of health, epidemiology requires new techniques and thinking. 'Population health' recognizes that to improve oral health, then the determinants have to be tackled.

Improving governance to improve oral health: addressing care delivery systems.

The evolving role of the state in the provision of health care has seen the adoption of new management philosophies to ensure that goals set for the system are reached. In particular, the term New Public Management (NPM) has tended to dominate reforms to help address perceived shortcomings in public sector services. NPM is based on the use of freemarket type arrangements as a mechanism to solve problems, the control of which provides new challenges.

Negotiation: a necessary art for dental practice.

This brief paper explains why the art of negotiation has become far more important for general dental practitioners. It explains that negotiations take place with patients, with practice staff, and with funding agencies such as Primary Care Trusts. It sets out the principles for successful negotiation and gives two examples of how they can be applied.

Oral health care needs and oral health-related quality of life (OHIP-14) in homeless people.

Objectives: The aim of this study was (i) to determine the oral health status and oral health care needs of this population, (ii) to assess oral health-related quality of life using OHIP-14 and (iii) to explore whether there is a relationship between oral health status and oral health-related quality of life.

Methods: A convenience sample was drawn from eight facilities catering for homeless people in south east London. Participants were invited to attend an outreach dental clinic and receive a clinical oral health and treatment needs assessment.

Addressing underperformance in the United Kingdom NHS dental system and its possible implications for other care systems.

Objective: To outline the rationale for, background to and role of the National Clinical Assessment Service (NCAS) in helping improve the quality of care provided through the NHS dental care system and identify possible lessons for international dental care delivery systems.

Description: Due to shortcomings in the provision of healthcare and changes in societal attitudes towards healthcare professionals new arrangements for ensuring the quality of care are evolving. The performance of individual practitioners is increasingly being challenged as new regulatory mechanisms for the delivery of care evolve.

Patterns of dental service use among homeless people using a targeted service.

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the patterns of dental service use among homeless people using a targeted dental service from 1992 to 2001.

Method: A case-note review of a selection of patients (n = 204) was undertaken using a pre-designed data abstraction form.

Results: For those presenting at their first contact, 40 percent (n = 68) expressed need in relation to oral pain and disease/tissue damage, and 28 percent (n = 33) in relation to dental checking and oral prophylaxis.

NHS dental care and the issues of public service ethos, governance, accountability and probity.

A decision by any government to intervene in dental care requires that accountability arrangements exist and that the public has faith in them. Such arrangements require a range of governance mechanisms that in turn create routes of accountability. If accountability is to have meaning an appropriate probity system is necessary.