Manchester Dentists Treat Alcohol Report with Caution
A report suggesting that dentists should discuss alcohol consumption with patients had been greeted with caution by dentists in Manchester.
The report, which was compiled by researchers at Cardiff University, suggests that dentists are in prime position to discuss alcohol abuse with patients and quiz patients about the amount of alcohol they drink because patients organise routine, regular visits, rather than waiting until they are ill to see a dentist, which is usually the case with family doctors.
Lead author of the report, Jonathan Shepherd believes that dentists have a “unique opportunity” to talk to patients about their drinking habits, however, former Manchester dentist, Dr Phil Wander, believes that treating alcohol addiction and encouraging healthy lifestyle habits requires a team approach, although he did state that intentions of the report were positive.
Dr Wander said that the approach could be problematic because patients do not visit the dentist expecting a lesson in how to live their lives. If patients feel that they are being judged or told off in any way, this may make them less likely to attend check-ups in the future, which puts their oral health, as well as their general health, at risk.
A spokesman for the Griffin Dental Surgery in Salford also said that the plan was flawed because patients often do not attend regular appointments. He also added that it was unlikely that dentists would be able to make a significant difference because in his experience patients are more reticent when it comes to receiving advice from practitioners they have a financial arrangement with. He explained that patients feel differently about doctors and dentists because they pay dentists up front, rather than paying through taxes.
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