News feed - Practice Plan

All the latest dentistry news, all in one place.

Our dental news feed will be regularly updated to help you stay informed and keep up-to-date with everything that's happening in the industry.

One third of oral health professionals offer preventative advice to patients, study says

Around one third (34%) of oral health professionals always offer preventative care advice to patients, according to new research. The study, carried out by Haleon and the College of General Dentistry, looked at the current…

Clawback forces practice to reduce NHS service

A dental clinic in Harrogate has announced it is reducing its NHS provision from 2024 due to financial issues. Letters were sent to patients by Pannal Dental Clinic (PDC) to inform them of the new…

The 2023 Dental Industry Awards – the winners

Last Thursday, the dental industry came together to celebrate excellence at the prestigious Dental Industry Awards – have a look at the full list of winners and highly commended.

Former BUPA Practice Reborn

BUPA Dental made the shock announcement that they intended to dispose of 85 practices in March. This represented nearly 20% of their estate.

COVID-19 Dental Health Dental Profession Finance Mental Health NHS Practice Management Regulation

Bad management leads to one in three UK workers quitting, says survey

Bad managers and toxic work culture are causing one in three UK workers to quit their job. This is according to a new survey carried out by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). The research shows that only one quarter of workers (27%) describe their manager as ‘highly effective’. Read more

Worker status – Storm in a teacup or the end for associates?

It is not just dentists who struggle to agree on a single treatment plan for the same patient. Recent developments, and a well-publicised case regarding worker status of dental associates, has produced a wide variety of opinions. Read more

Dentists warned over communicating with patients via private messaging apps

Dentists and dental teams have been warned to act with caution if using private messaging apps to communicate with patients. Read more

How mandatory vaccinations are going to impact NHS and private practices

Nigel Jones caught up with HR and employment lawyer, Sarah Buxton, to explore mandatory vaccinations, look at who it will impact, and discuss how practices can comply with regulations. Read more

NASDAL Sees Normality Returning To Dentistry, While Ross Brooke Advises Incorporation Caution

There are signs of ‘normality’ returning to the business of dentistry according to the results of a newly-released survey. The National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers’ quarterly Goodwill Survey has suggested there are big jumps in the valuations of dental practices and ‘deals completed.’ NASDAL said “In terms of deals… Read more

‘Shocking Court Case’ Raises Fears For Practice Owners

Dental practice principals could in future be considered to be liable for the dental negligence of their associates, following a recent judgement. The BDA News website called the judgment “A shocking court case.” It said it highlights why some indemnity policies will not keep you safe from claims and damages.… Read more

Corporation Tax Increase May Affect Dentists

An analysis of the effects of Rishi Sunak’s recent budget shows dentists may be affected by the increase in Corporation Tax. Charles Linaker, UNW tax partner has released his thoughts on the budget and its effects on dental finances. His firm’s Dental Business Unit is headed by NASDAL technical committee member Alan Suggett. Charles… Read more

Report on resilience of mixed/private practices post-COVID-19 published

A collaborative group of dental bodies have published a report to investigate the validity of the claim “there will be a dearth of dental practices on the high street in 18 months’ time.” Read more

CDO Sara Hurley changes fallow time requirements for practices in England

The chief dental officer for England has amended the fallow time requirements for dental practices. In a new letter to the profession, CDO Sara Hurley has set out the new fallow period times for AGPs. She emphasises that a post-AGP downtime is still required by Public Health England (PHE). This… Read more

BAPD announces new appointments

The British Association of Private Dentistry (BAPD) has announced a new member of its Executive Committee, as well as the appointment of a volunteer Equality Officer. Victoria Holden is the new member of its Executive Committee and Sarah Buxton to the volunteer role of BAPD Equality Officer. Read more

Pandemic delays over 10 million dental appointments

The BDA estimates a 10 million backlog of appointments due to dental practices shutting down during the COVID-19 pandemic. With many not working at full capacity, the BDA says it could take months or even years for dental practices to work through the backlog. Read more

The BDA urges members to be extra vigilant after hacking

The BDA says it's website has been hacked and those responsible are likely to have access to contact details, transaction histories, bank details and correspondence. Since the breach on 30th July, the BDA has urged members to be cautious of any correspondence claiming to be from a bank. Read more

New association launched for independent dentists in Wales

IDA Wales is open to all dental practitioners in Wales who provide any form or quantity of independently funded/private dental treatment. The group aims to provide 'a strong voice for the non-NHS aspects of dental provision' and is already gaining ‘seats at the table’ positions with HIW and the CDO Wales. Read more

Dental practice values rise for sixth quarter in a row, to 159% of gross fees

The value of dental practices has risen for the sixth quarter in a row, NASDAL figures show. Goodwill rose to 159% of gross fees in the quarter up to January, compared to 157% in the previous quarter. The rise mainly comes from a jump in private practice values. Read more

Dentists urge action over missed oral cancer screenings

The BAPD is urging the Government to amend its advice to help practices successfully screen for oral cancer. This follows a survey that showed almost 90% of dentists have problems referring patients suspected of having oral cancer to secondary care. Read more

BAPD urges reconsideration of PPE requirements

The British Association of Private Dentistry (BAPD) has written to PHE to ask them to reconsider its guidance on PPE requirements and fallow time. In an open letter, they said the current guidance ‘is having a detrimental effect on the standards of achievable dental care’. Read more

Welsh dentists speak about their concerns for the future

Following the announcement of phased reopening plans for dentistry in Wales, which will see routine care completely reintroduced in January 2021, dentists have spoken out. Dr Guy Laffan described the situation as a ‘tide of dental disease about to crash’. Read more

Millennials are the biggest spenders on dental treatment

Millennials spend £750 a year on dental treatment, three times the national average, according to a new survey. The Oral Health Foundation also found that 53% of millennials have had cosmetic dental treatment in the UK. The most popular being tooth whitening. Read more

Practices predict seeing less than a quarter of patients

Before reopening on June 8th, 60% of practices predicted they would be able to treat less than 25% of patients compared to normal. The figures are from a BDA survey. The results also showed that 78% feel cash flow problems are impacting their ability to offer face-to-face care. Read more