Recently the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) brought out some new guidelines for improving dentistry and general dental practice. The leading charity British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) has welcomed these new guidelines, and believes they will help dental practices make better informed decisions regarding dental care and promotion of oral health.
An outline of these guidelines, is advice on Oral hygiene and the use of fluoride; diet, smoking, smokeless tobacco and alcohol intake. There are two areas of the guideline, that are set to make a big impact on general dental practices, and the challenges that will arise as a result of these proposed changes; these are as follows:
- The challenge: delivering patient‑centred oral health advice.
- The challenge: developing new incentives for general dental teams to improve people’s oral health.
Who are these guidelines for?
- Dentists
- Dental care professionals – this includes dental hygienists, dental nurses, dental therapists, dental technicians and orthodontic therapists.
- Dental practice owners and managers.
- Dental practice administrative staff, including receptionists.
- Directors of public health, dental public health consultants and strategic leads who plan local dental services.
- Dental bodies corporate.
- People responsible for educating dental professionals.
- Members of the public
For a more in-depth analysis, and the two focus areas of the guidelines, you can check out the NICE guidelines for December 2015 on their website.