Oral Health
The Dental Public Health team consists of a Consultant in Dental Public Health (0.5 wte), General Dental Practice Adviser (0.2 wte) and a Dental Support Manager (0.77 wte). The CDPH is responsible for overall team leadership and direction of programmes and public health advice in relation to oral health, including water fluoridation and oral health promotion; advice to commissioners and liaison with other agencies (HPA, GDC, NHSCF, SHA, DoH). The Dental Support Manager is responsible for operating the main PCT governance mechanisms for contractor dental services, ie the annual premises and policies self-audit and CG returns and the rolling programme of dental practice inspections. The GDPA is responsible for providing advice on clinical dental practice to PCT and contractor dentists and, where possible, is first contact for patient enquiries and complaints about clinical dental matters, and is also responsible for updating PCT standards for premises and equipment and communicating changes in clinical standards to contractor dentists. The GDPA accompanies the Dental Support Manager on practice visits to provide clinical advice on compliance with standards and provides advice to contractor dentists on premises development and purchase of new equipment.
Dental public health work involves developing oral health strategies; assisting commissioning with tendering, negotiation and management of contracts with General Dental Practitioners; assisting with identification and management of financial risks; engagement with SHA-led reappraisal of water fluoridation schemes; specific commissioning issues such as prisons, oral surgery, oral cancer referrals and orthodontics; regional epidemiology; professional support for PALS and quality and performance directorate in handling patient enquiries/complaints and MP’s enquiries; liaison with the local dental profession and involvement in training.
For more information please visit:
British Dental Association
Dental Health
General Dental Council
Investing for Health
University of Birmingham - School of Dentistry
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