In the depths of winter my time spent providing dentistry in the Peruvian Amazon this summer seems very far away. But what an amazing experience it was!

If you are a member of Dental Protection and you need advice following a complaint, you have access to our expert team of dento-legal advisers.

We are unique in that we are the only UK-based defence organisation serving 64,000 dental members worldwide. This gives us a wide experience and may make it possible for your membership to travel with you.

Milan Chande graduated from the University of Manchester in 2014. As a passionate user of technology, I feel there are many ways in which Young Dentists can help improve the level of service offered to patients at dental practices.

Ciara graduated from University College Cork in 2013, from there she completed foundation training on the Charing Cross scheme in London. Ciara is now in her DCT1 year in maxillofacial surgery in Northampton General Hospital.

Surinder Poonian graduated from Sheffield in 2011 and completed her DFY1 placement on the Whipps Cross Scheme based in London.  After this she worked as an oral surgery DFY2. She has since worked as a locum GDP and is now doing a CDP post in restorative dentistry. Surinder is one of the young dentist representatives within the Metropolitan Branch of the BDA.

Dental Protection dento-legal adviser and practising dentist, Dr Raj Rattan, advises young dentists to be aware of the factors that can lead to sub-optimal care legal pitfalls in practice that could result in patient litigation.

Treatment of your first patient is, without doubt, one of the biggest hurdles in the dental career pathway. Kalpesh Prajapat a fourth year Dental Student, shares his experience on the invasive treatment of his first paediatric patient; highlighting the fundamentals to success.

An injection of local anaesthetic or the provision of high concentration fluoride products are procedures that are controlled by the Medicines Act 1968 because they involve the use of prescription-only medicines (POMs). This means they can only be prescribed by a suitably qualified prescriber. The General Dental Council has no influence over this legislation and it is quite separate from the direct access regulations introduced in May 2013.

Dental Protection is disappointed to see that a recent Which? report on dental treatment and costs oversimplifies a complex and highly individual range of treatment options and undermines the relationship between the patient and their dentist.

When the practice receives a complaint it must acknowledge the complaint not later than 3 working days after the day on which it was received. At the same time, an offer must be made to discuss with the patient the handling of the complaint and the likely period for the investigation and response.

A young dentist shares his experience of foundation training and how to provide the best patient care to achieve a happy patient.

Owning your own practice is seen by many as a natural career progression and it can be rewarding both financially and professionally. Whilst you must seek professional advice, here are some of the key points you should consider in what will be one of the biggest decisions you will make...

Hannah Morison graduated from Cardiff Dental School in 2012. Hannah currently works as an SHO in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Northern Ireland. She has also undertaken a year of training as an SHO in Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

Over 250 dental professionals attended the joint Dental Protection and schülke conference – Premier Symposium – for an insight into the challenges of complex clinical, ethical and dento-legal issues.

The role of the clinician continues to evolve in the provision of appliances either for the treatment of snoring or to assist in the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome (OSA). The most recent development is the inclusion of the role of the clinical dental technician (CDT) in the General Dental Council’s Scope of Practice document.

The law relating to tooth whitening changed on 31 October 2012, effectively increasing the percentage of hydrogen peroxide contained or released in tooth whitening or bleaching products to 6%, subject to conditions which include first use by a dental practitioner or under their direct supervision and that the patient is 18 years of age or over.

Dental Protection is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor John Gibson from Glasgow, as the new Chairman of the Board of Dental Protection Ltd. Professor Gibson is qualified in both dentistry and medicine and is Professor of Medicine in Relation to Dentistry and Honorary Consultant in Oral Medicine in Glasgow. He succeeds Professor Trevor Burke who retired from the Board in October having completed his term of office on the Board. He is joined on the Board by Professor Callum Youngson who is Professor and Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the University of Liverpool, and Dean of Liverpool Dental School.

Hiten Halai graduated in 2012 from Barts and The London. After foundation training he completed a Restorative and General Duties DF2 post at The Royal London Dental Hospital. He is currently working as a private associate in Singapore.

On 11 May 2013, the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) "Regulations" 2013 took effect. The Regulations were made under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and they implement (in part) EC Directive 2010/32/EU as required under European law.

The Resuscitation Council (UK) published a statement in July 2006 concerning the standards expected of dental practitioners and dental care professionals (DCPs) in general practice within the UK for the management of medical emergencies and resuscitation techniques.

Standards for the Dental Team is published by the General Dental Council (GDC) and came into effect 30 September 2013. The document sets out the standards of conduct, performance and ethics that govern dental professionals in the United Kingdom. It specifies the principles, standards and guidance which apply to all members of the dental team, and also sets out what patients can expect from a dental professional.

In 2008, the General Dental Council issued a press release in the wake of its Scope of Practice consultation which took place earlier that year. The GDC states: ‘Dental hygienists and dental therapists can carry out tooth whitening on the prescription of a dentist, if they have the necessary additional skills. Taking impressions to a dentist’s prescription, and making bleaching trays to a dentist’s prescription, are within the scope of additional skills for dental nurses.’