Background to this website
My name is Tony Smith, and I worked for 38 years as a GDP. This page was set up in 2018 primarily to help carers who support those living with dementia. I added more sections for all age groups, as a general resource, and for if they become carers themselves.
I retired in 2020 and will continue with my vision of
Promoting Public Prevention
in Oral health
If as a dentist or carer you see a glaring error or can recommend a better link, please contact me via the homepage link. Collaboration will improve the site for everyone. I will update the site as appropriate.
Finally, a big thank you to all the carers who helped my Dad in Llangefni Cefni Unit, previously in Ysbyty Gwynedd, and especially the leisure centre in Amlwch in the past who provided real care in the community. Tommy died June 20, 2017, after over a year in the hospital dementia ward.
There is a link to donate to the Alzheimers Society on the home page.
I retired in 2020 and will continue with my vision of
Promoting Public Prevention
in Oral health
If as a dentist or carer you see a glaring error or can recommend a better link, please contact me via the homepage link. Collaboration will improve the site for everyone. I will update the site as appropriate.
Finally, a big thank you to all the carers who helped my Dad in Llangefni Cefni Unit, previously in Ysbyty Gwynedd, and especially the leisure centre in Amlwch in the past who provided real care in the community. Tommy died June 20, 2017, after over a year in the hospital dementia ward.
There is a link to donate to the Alzheimers Society on the home page.
Teeth4life was made with the aim of making my "job" easier, and leave my patients with some useful advice when I've gone. The App, unlike a website, can be personalised for you and your family.
It has reminders for interdental cleaning, to check your child's cleaning, and oral cancer which is more cumbersome on a PC. It's held on the latest smartphones which as they are waterproof will be in the hand that isn't holding the toothbrush. |
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When I qualified, the advice was always to provide prevention first, treatment second. The NHS delivery system doesn't allow for it. While prevention is better than cure, we get paid by cure. There is no "reward" for prevention.
I think I represent the silent majority of dentists of my era who are retiring early, leaving our care for the population as a whole in a worse condition than when I started in 1982. Many younger dentists are seeking different careers, and the shortage of dentists is because our working environment is too stressful, less rewarding, with increasing litigation similar to many other professions. I hope together as a society we can engage with our individual responsibility for our own health, and all learn from any shortcoming we may both have. We need to be regulated by the profession with the confidence of the profession and the public, and not by self serving lawyers.
I think I represent the silent majority of dentists of my era who are retiring early, leaving our care for the population as a whole in a worse condition than when I started in 1982. Many younger dentists are seeking different careers, and the shortage of dentists is because our working environment is too stressful, less rewarding, with increasing litigation similar to many other professions. I hope together as a society we can engage with our individual responsibility for our own health, and all learn from any shortcoming we may both have. We need to be regulated by the profession with the confidence of the profession and the public, and not by self serving lawyers.
