Important News
Changes are coming to Weston Dental Centre, but the care we give to our patients will remain the same.
One of our Dentists will be leaving in July (Eman) currently there is a national shortage of dentists. For this reason, we are welcoming a new Therapist (Rohith).
Dentists and Therapists train alongside one another for the first three years of their training and then dentists go off to specialise. Therefore, our therapists can do all exams, x-rays, fillings, Flouride applications, whitening and of course scale and polishes and periodontal treatment (see the GDC Scope of Practice below). Our Therapists are trained, registered and indemnified and competent.
We will have John as our main dentist with David and Graeme working alongside, who will spend their time ensuring that all the specialisms are carried out in practice, for example, extractions, root canal treatments, Bridges, Crowns and Dentures.
You may notice a change in appointments you already have booked in, your appointments will remain for the same treatments that you had booked but they may be with someone different.
If you have any concerns, you may wish to contact our Practice Manager - Mrs Karen Biddlecombe reception@westondental.co.uk but we can assure you 100% the standard of treatment will not be affected.
GDC SCOPE OF PRACTICE FOR DENTAL THERAPISTS
Dental therapists are registered dental professionals who carry out certain items of dental treatment direct to patients or under prescription from a dentist.
As a dental therapist, you can undertake the following if you are trained, competent and indemnified:
- obtain a detailed dental history from patients and evaluate their medical history
- carry out a clinical examination within their competence
- complete periodontal examination and charting and use indices to screen and monitor periodontal disease
- diagnose and treatment plan within their competence
- prescribe radiographs
- take, process and interpret various film views used in general dental practice
- plan the delivery of care for patients
- give appropriate patient advice
- provide preventive oral care to patients and liaise with dentists over the treatment of caries, periodontal disease and tooth wear
- undertake supragingival and subgingival scaling and root surface debridement using manual and powered instruments
- use appropriate anti-microbial therapy to manage plaque related diseases
- adjust restored surfaces in relation to periodontal treatment
- apply topical treatments and fissure sealants
- give patients advice on how to stop smoking
- take intra and extra-oral photographs
- give infiltration and inferior dental block analgesia
- place temporary dressings and re-cement crowns with temporary cement
- place rubber dam
- take impressions
- care of implants and treatment of peri-implant tissues
- carry out direct restorations on primary and secondary teeth
- carry out pulpotomies on primary teeth
- extract primary teeth
- place pre-formed crowns on primary teeth
- identify anatomical features, recognise abnormalities, and interpret common pathology
- carry out oral cancer screening
- if necessary, refer patients to other healthcare professionals
- keep full, accurate and contemporaneous patient records
- if working on prescription, vary the detail but not the direction of the prescription according to patient needs. For example, the number of surfaces to be restored or the material to be used. Additional skills which dental therapists could develop include:
- carrying out tooth whitening to the prescription of a dentist
- administering inhalation sedation
- removing sutures after the wound has been checked by a dentist All other skills are reserved to orthodontic therapists, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians.