Bristol Dental Practices Sign Up To NHS Pilot
Dental practices in Avonmouth and Easton have signed up to a Department of Health pilot project to determine how dental care is provided in the future.
In addition to focusing on how dental practices care for patients, the pilot will also concentrate on how patients look after their own teeth in a bid to try and prevent oral health problems and improve standards of oral health in the future.
Decay and gum disease are the most common problems seen by dentists and both diseases are preventable; dentists at the Bristol practices are eager to encourage people to take are of their teeth and gums and to promote preventative oral healthcare and oral hygiene.
One of the measures suggested to improve oral hygiene is to use a traffic-light system to give patients a rating when they go for a routine check-up; patients with good oral health and oral hygiene habits will receive a green light, while those who need to do more to prevent oral health problems will be given a red light.
Chief dental officer for England, Barry Cockcroft, said that it was great news to see the practices participating in the pilot project. The pilot schemes are an important method of informing future practice and the government will work with dental organisations to use the results and findings of the programmes to shape future policy so that NHS dental services will be improved in the future.
Dr Cockcroft confirmed that improving standards of oral health and access to dental services across the country are priorities and it is good news that so many practices are willing to take part in valuable pilot schemes.
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