14th premier symposium

23 October 2014
Volume 30 · Issue 2

Dental Protection has announced the date for the fourteenth annual Premier Symposium.

Organised by Dental Protection with schülke, the European leader in cross-infection control, this year’s Premier Symposium will take place on November 29at The Shaw Theatre, Pullman St Pancras in London.

The conference includes an outstanding line-up of internationally known speakers who are acknowledged experts in their field, and will provide top quality information and a stimulating and enjoyable atmosphere that brings its audience back, year after year.

Professor John Gibson, Professor of medicine in relation to dentistry and honorary consultant in oral medicine, Glasgow University

Where medicine meets dentistry

The dynamic interface between medicine and dentistry becomes ever more important as we find ourselves providing increasingly complex procedures for patients with more complex needs and systemic medical conditions. Some of these patients also have complex medication regimens that can also impact upon the care and treatment we provide. This interface is fraught with medical and dentolegal risks and this presentation will highlight some of them, and suggest ways to manage them.

Ken Hemmings, consultant and specialist in restorative dentistry, Eastman Dental hospital

Wear today – gone tomorrow?

As more patients are keeping more of their teeth into later life, the prevention, diagnosis and management of tooth wear has become a hot topic not only clinically and in terms of patient management – but also in dento-legal terms. This presentation touches upon strategies for managing tooth wear from a variety of perspectives including clinical management /techniques, record keeping and the consent process.

Paul Jenkins, North Bristol NHS trust decontamination manager

Infection control – what’s hot, what’s not and what’s rot

Hardly a stranger to Premier Symposium after two previous appearances, Paul Jenkins returns by popular demand to provide an update on HTM 01-05, and the areas where current thinking has moved on (and where it hasn’t). His presentation will provide some practical suggestions as to where dental teams might usefully focus their attention, and flag up some areas where the evidence is still playing catch-up in relation to the requirements of the current guidelines.

Mark O’Brien, International medical education consultant, Medical Protection Society

It’s not what you do……

In a highly technical, procedure-based surgical field such as dentistry it is easy for clinicians to fall into the trap of believing that if the technical/clinical quality of our work is sufficiently high, everything else will take care of itself. Mark O’Brien explains why this is a mistaken assumption, and drawing from evidence gathered from healthcare professions around the world he provides a checklist of attitudes and behaviours that will help to build your defences and keep you out of trouble even when the dentistry doesn’t go to plan.

Professor Callum Youngson, honorary consultant in restorative dentistry, University of Liverpool

A bridge too far?

Amongst the current challenges and controversies in dentistry is the perceived mismatch between what the GDC requires of dental schools when teaching and training undergraduate students, the rapidly changing restorative needs of the dentate population and the skills and competencies required to satisfy those needs in the “marketplace” of both NHS and Private general dental practice – not just today, but tomorrow and into the future. When we get the balance wrong, complaints and litigation are never far away. This entertaining presentation will challenge some widely-held myths, and end the day on a thought-provoking and stimulating note.

The event will also include the presentation of the ‘Dental Student of the Year’ award and the ‘Dental Practice of the Year’ award. With a prize fund of £1,500 for each category, these awards aim to highlight the hard work and commitment that is undertaken to improve risk management and professionalism.

Including five hours verifiable CPD, tickets are now on sale for this year’s Premier Symposium, priced at £150 for members and £280 for non-members. Delegates are advised to order their tickets as soon as possible in order to avoid disappointment. To book a place, please contact 020 7399 2914 or email events@dentalprotection.org