Innovation
Recent innovations
These five short videos highlight critical actions we could take to support our most vulnerable patients — practical changes that already work elsewhere. Ask your dentist, or your MP, for these services.
Screening in care homes & schools
Bring screening to where people already are
We now have portable dental scanners, and the software is improving fast. They let us send images straight to a dentist — some systems even assess the disease process on-screen. It’s time we adopted this technology, as many countries already have.
“A society will be judged by how it treats its weakest members.”
Pope John Paul IIWatch: asynchronous screening with dental scanners
How to stop disease
A varnish that stops decay in its tracks
In the USA, trained professionals now apply varnishes to protect teeth from decay — just as Japan has done for over 70 years. It can dramatically cut the number of children needing hospital visits for extractions, and the same varnish protects the exposed roots of older adults in care homes.
“Necessity is the mother of invention.”
PlatoWatch: silver diamine fluoride — a safe alternative when caught early
Single-visit replica dentures
Scan a denture before it’s lost
Every year, over 14,000 dentures are lost in care homes and hospitals. If we scan them first, a nurse can arrange a replacement in a single visit and post it to the patient — instead of four difficult trips to the dentist.
To use this service, visit 3D-dental.co.uk.
“The purpose of getting power is to be able to give it away.”
Aneurin BevanWatch: copy dentures and relines — quicker, cheaper, better
Improve access, reduce cost
Care in a familiar place
During COVID we all leaned on our phones. The best way to support people is often in a relaxed, familiar place — their own home — rather than a dental surgery. There are nine more videos on the Teeth4life YouTube channel on improving dental health services; just search for “DHS”.
“What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?”
George EliotWatch: how teledentistry could save the NHS
Know your BPE
A simple score for your gum health
When you visit your dentist or hygienist, ask for your BPE — your Basic Periodontal Examination. Just as you monitor your blood pressure and BMI, your BPE is a screening score for oral health, which is directly linked to your general health.
A score over 2 may point to a weakened immune system and other health concerns worth looking into.
Watch: detecting gum disease early with your BPE
Making better use of what we have
Idle chairs, unmet need
Many dentists, like GPs, don’t work a full five-day week — so a lot of practices have equipment sitting idle. By employing trained nurses, those practices can make better use of their resources and care for people who simply want reassurance about their dental health.
“When you need to innovate, you need collaboration.”
Marissa MayerWatch: promoting apprenticeships in dental care
I made this website eight years ago, when my dad went into a dementia unit. I’ve kept updating it to include options that weren’t available back then. It’s here to promote all our wellbeing — something he did throughout his life.
Tony · August 2024If you find it useful, please support the site by using our shop, or donate to the charity. Who am I?
Dental care professionals — help make this happen
If you’re a dental care professional who wants to bring these services to care homes and schools, register your interest with teeth4life.