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APPG for Dentistry hears what dental patients want

20 October 2009

The momentum of activity on dentistry at Westminster continued with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Dentistry holding its first meeting since Parliament’s summer recess. The event, titled A patient voice? Delivering the dental care patients really want, heard from two speakers; British Dental Health Foundation Chief Executive Nigel Carter, and Hounslow PCT Dental and Opthalmic Services Senior Commissioning Manager Kelly Nizzer.

An audience of Members of Parliament, Peers and stakeholders from the dental community, heard about a wide range of patient concerns including ability to access services, confusion about charges for treatment and lack of understanding of which treatments are available on the NHS. The meeting also heard about social marketing initiatives in Hounslow to encourage patients to visit a dentist and schemes to provide toothbrushes to children from socially deprived backgrounds who might not otherwise have one.

Debate following the presentations considered issues including access to NHS dentistry in rural areas, funding for practices wishing to increase their NHS commitment and the role of dental care professionals in providing services to older patients.

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