British dental journal
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British dental journal · Sep 2020
Unmasking the hidden pandemic: sustainability in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen disruptions to almost all aspects of society, and the environment will not be left unaffected. With increased personal protective equipment (PPE) provisions in dental settings, plastic consumption and disposal are likely to increase significantly. ⋯ Learning from natural disaster management approaches and past crises, we must align our short-term goals of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with our long-term vision for environmentally conscious action. Sustainable activity will underpin a successful response to our current health crisis.
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British dental journal · Jun 2020
The impact of the risk of COVID-19 on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) members of the UK dental profession.
There is growing evidence that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups in the UK are at increased risk of death from coronavirus (COVID-19), with Black Afro-Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi populations being particularly at risk. Although the reasons are unclear, it is likely to be a combination of cultural and socioeconomic, as well as the higher prevalence of co-morbidities such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, raised body mass index (BMI) and type 2 diabetes in these populations. ⋯ There is, however, little evidence on the risks posed to the BAME community within the dental profession. This paper outlines some of the challenges faced, and advocates that urgent action needs to be taken to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 and ensure BAME staff safety upon returning to work.
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The coronavirus (COVID-19) has challenged health professions and systems and has evoked different speeds of reaction and types of response around the world. The role of dental professionals in preventing the transmission of COVID-19 is critically important. While all routine dental care has been suspended in countries experiencing COVID-19 disease during the period of pandemic, the need for organised urgent care delivered by teams provided with appropriate personal protective equipment takes priority. ⋯ Major and rapid reorganisation of both clinical and support services is not straightforward. Dental professionals felt a moral duty to reduce routine care for fear of spreading COVID-19 among their patients and beyond, but were understandably concerned about the financial consequences. Amidst the explosion of information available online and through social media, it is difficult to identify reliable research evidence and guidance, but moral decisions must be made.
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Introduction The United Kingdom (UK) left the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020. Brexit will impact many sectors of the economy, including the dental sector. ⋯ In both an FTA and a 'no-deal scenario', with EU law no longer applicable to the UK, more innovative policy in the area of tobacco control could be developed. An FTA could exacerbate existing workforce shortages and would likely cause a reduction in EU research funding, as well as posing issues with data transfers, with these all likely to be more severe under a no-deal scenario.
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Background Following graduation, training costs for an individual trainee to achieve completion of specialist surgical training has been estimated to be between £20,000 to £71,431, and is expected to rise. Furthermore, there are other non-monetary costs to consider, including poor work-life balance and the burden of training on home life. Methods A 22-question online survey using SurveyGizmo was developed and emailed to all current UK and Ireland oral surgery trainees from 2016-2019. ⋯ Annual obligatory costs of up to £4,142 and a mean average spend of £9,240 on courses and £2,830 on conferences were reported. Childcare, relocating and textbooks were listed as additional costs incurred. Conclusion A standardised, transparent and more substantial financial support system is required for dental specialty trainees.