Category: Dental

Up to half of places on dental sciences courses are set aside for international trainees who pay €45,000 per year

The Government has been urged to place a cap on the number of overseas students enrolled in university dental programmes to ease competition among Irish students for places on these high-demand courses.

Almost half of places on dental courses are set aside for students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who pay more than €45,000 per year to train in either University College Cork or Trinity College Dublin.

Universities rely on significant numbers of international students across many other high points courses such as medicine, veterinary science and others.

However, the limited number of places on dental courses for Irish students has pushed CAO points upwards. This year, Trinity was forced to use a lottery to select candidates who achieved 625 points, the maximum possible in the Leaving Cert.

The Irish Dental Association, which represents about 1,800 dentists, has called for a cap of non-EEA students of 20 per cent next year and decreasing to 10 per cent over the next three years.

It said the fact that approximately half of the total dental student intake is made up of students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) means there are limited places for dental students coming from Ireland or EEA countries.

The association said these non-EEA graduates usually return to their country of origin to practice dentistry rather than remaining in Ireland.

In addition, it said the high proportion of overseas students is having an impact on workforce planning as the vast majority of international students do not remain in Ireland post-graduation.

Latest figures show there were 50 dental graduates from UCC’s dental school in 2022, of which 60 per cent were non-EEA. There were 40 dental graduates from TCD’s dental school in 2022, of which almost 40 per cent were non-EEA.

Dr Rory Boyd, president of the Irish Dental Association, said this model of producing dental graduates was “unsustainable” and Irish patients were suffering the consequences of the shortage of dentists.

“Irish students who achieve the incredible feat of 625 points in their Leaving Certificate are having to face a lottery for acceptance into the dentistry courses in TCD and may well face the same in UCC before long.

“Not only is it extremely disappointing for the Irish students who achieve maximum points and cannot select their first choice of dentistry, it is an unacceptable loss of potential dentists that are badly needed here in Ireland.”

He said the higher education funding model for dentistry was “broken” and the Government had not taken sufficient measures to ensure sufficient dental graduates who will practise in Ireland are trained and retained.

“We need to see a seismic change in the funding of our dental schools and a cap of 20 per cent next year, decreasing to 10 per cent over the next three years, to re-emphasise the retention of Irish and EEA graduates into the Irish dental workforce,” Dr Boyd added.

The association said dental practices cannot cope with the number of patients seeking treatment, which is leading to long waiting lists.

The Department of Further and Higher Education has pointed out that funding for higher education has been climbing over recent years with an additional €106 million in core funding provided over the last two budgets.

The Department of Health has said there are discussions to boost the output of dental graduates by 10 to 20 per cent. It also wants to move towards a 75:25 ratio of domestic vs non-EU students in dental schools.

 

The Irish Dentistry Show is set to return to Dublin with a bang on 7 September, and it’s going to be bigger and better than ever – plan your visit here!

The event will feature an expanded line-up of speakers and exhibitors, offering a fascinating day for the whole dental team. And it’s all for free!

The Irish Dentistry Show will give you the chance to see the latest innovations in dentistry and some of the best speakers in the business. You will also get a valuable opportunity to network with your peers.

The show will also be held on the same day as the prestigious Irish Dentistry Awards, so why not enjoy a day of learning before a night of celebrations?

And best of all, it’s completely free to attend. Be sure to register at irishdentistry.ie/shows/irish-dentistry-show to get your name on the list!

Dublin is a vibrant city with plenty of activities to keep you entertained during your visit to the Irish Dentistry Show at RDS Dublin. Dive into our curated list of must-sees while in the city!

Visit Lecture Theatre One and Two

Across Lecture Theatres One and Two, there will be more than 15 educational sessions, presented by leading clinicians, experts and innovators in dentistry.

Immerse yourself in the latest techniques and hottest topics within the field of dentistry. Spend hours delving into cutting-edge advancements, innovative practices, and emerging trends that are shaping the future of dental care.

Here’s a preview of some of the speakers and what they have in store for you:

• Affan Saghir – Treatment planning orthodontic-restorative cases as part of an ethical and minimally invasive approach to aesthetic and function guided dentistry
• Jacqueline Ffrench – Stay hidden or bring unique value by future-proofing your dental team with social enterprises and government supports
• Gemma Forsythe – Domestic abuse: is it any of our business in dentistry?
• Lorenzo Pelizzari – Predictable and consistent results – common mistakes and solutions to overcome them successfully.

Have a look at the full list of confirmed speakers on the website: irishdentistry.ie/shows/irish-dentistry-show.

Experience Dublin’s pub culture

No trip to Dublin is complete without experiencing the city’s iconic pub scene.

Visit the historic Temple Bar area for a taste of traditional Irish music, or explore some of the lesser-known pubs where locals go for a pint of Guinness.

Stroll through St Stephen’s Green

Take a peaceful stroll through Dublin’s most famous park, St Stephen’s Green.

Whether you’re looking for a quiet spot to relax or a picturesque backdrop for photos, this lush urban oasis offers it all.

Check out the Hygiene and Therapy Theatre

This theatre offers you the latest insights and developments in this sector of the industry.

Explore cutting-edge techniques, best practices, and emerging trends that are shaping the future of hygiene and therapy.

Here’s a sneak peek at the presenters in this lecture theatre:

• Janet Williams Oshun – The untold Impact of culture on oral health
• Siobhan Kelleher – Details Living well: harnessing the power of lifestyle medicine
• Rachael Lilley – The book builder
• Sarie Liebenberg – Baby I want your mojo.

Explore Trinity College and the Book of Kells

Step into history with a visit to Trinity College, home to one of the world’s most famous manuscripts—the Book of Kells.

Wander through the stunning Long Room library and immerse yourself in centuries of knowledge and heritage.

Visit Dublin Castle and Christchurch Cathedral

Dive into Dublin’s rich history with a visit to Dublin Castle and the breathtaking Christchurch Cathedral.

Discover centuries of stories within these ancient walls and marvel at the stunning architecture that has withstood the test of time.

Step into the Exhibitor Hall

Interact with hundreds of brands and meet the exhibitors at this Irish Dentistry show.

You’ll have access to a whole hose of national and international suppliers showcasing their latest products and exclusive special offers.

Explore the National Gallery of Ireland

The National Gallery of Ireland houses an impressive collection of European and Irish art.

Best of all, admission is free, so you can soak up some culture without spending a penny.

For more information or to register, visit irishdentistry.ie/shows/irish-dentistry-show

The prestigious Irish Dentistry Awards took place last Saturday at The Round Room at The Mansion House, Dublin. Have a look at the full list of winners here!

New Practice

• Holywood Dental Care – Winner
• Unique Dental – Highly Commended.

Dental Laboratory of the Year

• PD Ceramics Ltd – Winner.

Best Treatment of Nervous Patients

• Susan Crean Dental & Facial Aesthetics – Winner
• Carton Dental – Highly Commended.

Most Attractive Practice

• Carton Dental – Winner
• Lucey Dental – Highly Commended.

Most Improved Practice

• Lucey Dental – Winner
• Truly Moate – Winner.

Best Referral Practice

• The Crescent Clinic – Winner
• Northumberland Dental Care – Highly Commended.

Best Child-Friendly Practice

• Lucey Dental – Winner
• Smile Hub Dental Clinic – Highly Commended.

Best Community/Charity Project

• Unique Dental – Winner
• Portmandentex Ireland – Highly Commended.

Best High Technology Practice

• Beechwood Dental & Implant Centre – Winner
• Nigel Smith Dental Care – Highly Commended.

Best Patient Care

• Lucey Dental – Winner
• D4dentist – Highly Commended.

Best Employer

• D4dentist – Winner
• Susan Crean Dental & Facial Aesthetics – Highly Commended.

Most Invaluable Team Member

• Sylwia Rys – Pembroke Dental – Winner
• Barbara Tomaz – D4dentist – Highly Commended.

Irish Dentistry’s Rising Star Award

• Eileen McGlinchey – Winner.

Best Team

Republic of Ireland

• Cork Dental Care – Winner
• Smile Hub Dental Clinic – Highly Commended.

Northern Ireland

• Zen Orthodontics – Winner.

Young Dentist

Republic of Ireland

• Ambrish Roshan – Winner.

Northern Ireland

• Cameron Magee – Winner
• Gary O’Neill – Winner.

Practice of the Year

Republic of Ireland

• The Crescent Clinic – Winner
• Lucey Dental – Highly Commended.

Northern Ireland

• Epic Dental – Winner
• Lisburn Orthodontics – Highly Commended
• Zen Orthodontics – Highly Commended.

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For more information about the Irish Dentistry Awards, visit dentistry.co.uk/awards/irish-dentistry-awards/.

DENTISTS HAVE CALLED on the government to limit the number of international students studying dentistry in Ireland, saying that a dentist shortage in Ireland is due to training spots being taken up by students to return to their home countries once qualified.

The Irish Dental Association has called on the government to limit students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) to 20%.

Additionally, the association is calling for a funding boost of €20 million from the government to subsidise the financial cut that a limit on international students training in Ireland will create.

Students from outside the EEA pay over €45,000 per annum in fees to train in either University College Cork or Trinity College Dublin. These high fees are used to “cross subsidise” Irish dental students “due to the years of under-resourcing of our Irish dental schools”.

“The department of higher education relies on this funding model to reduce its overall expenditure in Irish dental schools and more broadly across the university system,” the association said today.

The intake of dental students in TCD for the 2023/24 academic year consisted of 48 students, of which 16 (35%) were non-EEA students. In UCC, dental student intake for the same period was 53 students, of which 25 (47%) were non-EEA.

The Irish Dental Association said that generally, these dental students return to practice in their home country one they have completed their training, resulting in a lower number of qualified dentists in Ireland.

A survey conducted by the association found that 63% of dentists struggle to recruit associate dentists, while the HSE public dental service has 23% less dentists employed than it had in 2009.

President of the Irish Dental Association, Dr Rory Boyd, said that the current model of producing dental graduates is “unsustainable” and that Irish patients are ” suffering the consequences”.

He also added that Irish students to receive 625 points in their Leaving Cert are still having to face a lottery for acceptance into dental courses in TCD, and that the same may occur in UCC in the coming years.

“We need to see a seismic change in the funding of our dental schools and a cap of 20% next year, decreasing to 10% over the next three years, to re-emphasis the retention of Irish and EEA graduates in to the Irish dental workforce,” he said.

 

Professor Paul Batchelor, Dental Group Chair at the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, explores the issue of sustainability.

While sustainability has entered the lexicon of everyday language, its precise meaning and the key issues surrounding it can appear vague. Without this understanding of meaning, trying to address issues becomes almost impossible. This article attempts to overcome the lack of clarity by providing a definition of sustainability and how the dental sector can potentially contribute to what is becoming one of the most critical issues of our time.

What is meant by sustainability?

In broad terms, sustainability refers to the actions taken to ensure that the activities of the current generation in meeting their needs have no, or minimal, impact on the environment. The key document influencing current policy on sustainability was published by the Brundtland Commission titled Our Common Future. The report recognised three pillars to sustainability: the environment, the economy and society. For the environmental pillar, the underlying philosophy was underpinned by a need to reduce the current human consumption of natural resources to a level at which they could be replenished. The economic pillar referred to the ability of communities to maintain their independence, not least to secure sources of livelihood. The third pillar, social sustainability, meant access to resources to keep their community and society healthy and secure.

The United Nations, as part of its role in sustainability, established a knowledge hub to provide guidance on sustainable development issues, one of which centres on health. Although high level, the material presented covers a wide range of activities highlighting how individuals and agencies can help and engage in the challenges. Indeed, FDI World Dental Federation (FDI) has published a issued a statement on sustainability in the dental sector.

How can the dental system contribute?

Dental care delivery is provided in the vast majority, through a series of small businesses. However, the actual dental ecosystem is far wider. The day-to-day running of a dental practice requires energy, materials and transport, to name but three items. Each of these businesses can contribute through initiatives that help create a sustainable environment in a logical process similar to those found in a business plan. The first step is to understand the impact that the business is having: how much waste is the business creating, issues such as energy usage within a practice, the use of materials and their packaging. A good example of this is the work by Duane et al. (2017).

Following on from understanding the issues, opportunities for addressing the problems need to be identified and while no two dental practices are ever the same, potential solutions would have common themes. For example, are there opportunities for using (more) sustainable materials? How might energy usage be both reduced or more reliant on renewable sources? Are there ways to explore how patients use services and do opportunities for health promotion programmes exist at differing sites as opposed to one-to-one interventions?

The dental professions can contribute to sustainability both within their professional roles, but also as individuals. Sustainability is not simply about the environmental aspects; it also involves the economic and societal aspects. A number of these lie outside of the control of the profession but government can make contributions, perhaps not least with appropriate contract reform. To tackle these and other issues, including how COVID-19 has impacted and what lessons are being learnt, the college ran a webinar in February. For those with an interest, the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare also runs a programme on some of
the key issues and how it relates to dental care.

Summary

Sustainability has grown in importance with the recognition of the negative impact that uncontrolled economic growth is having on the planet, the negative consequences of which would be felt not just by present generations but those of the future.

All societies have now recognised the importance of managing the environment to help address the negative consequences of unchecked growth, but also how developments in the economy and society can also contribute. Provision of health care, including oral health care, is a fundamental right and government needs to work with the profession to ensure that care arrangements are developed in a manner which is coterminous with sustainable goals.

Each individual dental care worker can contribute to helping achieve the sustainability goals, both through their professional roles and as individuals on a day-to-day basis. While such contributions may appear to be small or even insignificant, together they will make a major contribution to a better world, not just for the present, but also the future.

References

See https://cgdent.uk/2022/02/24/sustainability-what-is-it-and-how-can-the-dental-sector-contribute/

American dental group Young Innovations has established a new logistics centre in Ireland. The Dungarvan site will become a hub for international trade and the European market.

“The excellent infrastructure allows us to expand the product range and deliver faster, which are ideal conditions for optimal support of our customers,” said Frank Whyte, Vice President and Managing Director of Young International, at the opening ceremony.

The Group’s Microbrush brand has been present locally for 25 years. The branch was initially used as a factory and later as a warehouse. Since 2014, the premises and the portfolio have been steadily expanded and other brands have been added, like Young Dental, American Eagle Instruments, Pro-Matrix, Pro-Tip, Crystal Tips, Zooby and Denticator.

The continuous growth required the expansion of capacity. The warehouse was enlarged and all buildings completely renovated. A reception area, new offices, a conference centre and a canteen were added to the site. 

Young Innovations’ extensive portfolio can now be fully mapped and the diverse requirements for storing the high-quality goods are also easily met. Modern technology and software make inventory transparent and speed up delivery to clinics and practices at home and abroad.

Frank Whyte thanked the energetic team as well as the previous General Manager, Mary O’Keeffe, who had been with Microbrush since 1998 and has now retired. Cormac Johnston was introduced as the new General Manager for Ireland. The senior professional brings to the position many years of experience in quality and process management at international companies in the healthcare and biotech industries.

DENTISTS HAVE PASSED a vote of no confidence in Health Minister Stephen Donnelly as one in six people are now waiting over three months for an appointment.

A survey from the Irish Dental Association also shows that more than half of patients are being forced to wait longer than three months for specialist care for their teeth, such as orthodontic and oral surgery.

It comes as dentists gather in Kilkenny this weekend for their annual conference.

Other findings include that more than half of the 363 dentists surveyed have tried to hire a dentist in the past 12 months with almost 60% of those unable to find a suitable candidate to fill the role.

IDA President Eamon Croke said frustrations came to the fore at a pre-conference AGM where dentists voted no confidence in Donnelly.

“Our membership is beyond frustrated at the endless broken promises and false dawns by the Minister and his Department,” Croke said.

“The recent vote of no confidence in the Minister by dentists shows how broken their trust is in a system and service that has no capacity or seen any meaningful commitment to reform.”

Major concern has been expressed at how the Dental Treatment Service Scheme (DTSS) which allows free services for adults over 16 who have a medical card.

According to the survey, 80% of dentists who currently hold a DTSS contract say they are no longer able to take on or see new medical card patients – 93% of dentists say that they would not sign up to the medical card contract in its current form.

“The fact that an unprecedented 93% of dentists say that they would not sign up to the medical card contract in its current form even with the promise of a new scheme is indicative of a model which is not fit for purpose and directly impacts on the most vulnerable in our society,” Croke said.

Without action from politicians, patients will “continue to shoulder the burden of a system crumbling under decades of inaction and neglect”, Croke added.

“The Minister himself said this week that the state has had a ‘blind spot’ when it comes to dentistry and oral health.

“Our question to the Minister and his officials today is what it will take to open their eyes to the scale and urgency of the crisis that they choose to ignore so that dental health is finally recognised as an integral part of general health.”

 

THE IRISH DENTAL Association has hit back at the Government for a strategy the organisation believes could see the responsibility of child dental care shift from the public health service to private practices.

It comes as the sector continues to hemorrhage staff, with two-third of job vacancies unfilled.

HSE figures show that the number of public-only dentists has dropped by almost one quarter over the past 15 years, down from 330 in 2006 to 254 in 2022.

The Government allocated an additional €4.75 million in funding to support the development of an oral healthcare strategy for children up to the age of seven under Budget 2023.

With 75% of its members in private practice saying that they would find it difficult to provide treatment to this cohort, the organization expressed concerned that political responsibility for children’s oral health could fall on overstretched private practices.

It said that a lack of a proper public dental service model could lead to vulnerable children missing out on early dental intervention

In a statement today, the organisation’s president, Dr Caroline Robins, said that outsourcing the care of children to the private sector was “not the answer”.

“HSE figures show that half of the children who were due to be seen by a dentist under the school screening process in 2022 never received any form of dental check-up.

“This was purely down to a lack of staff in the public dental service,” she said.

“We know that specialist care is required when treating children and we believe that this should happen in a fully-staffed public service which ensures that all children, regardless of socioeconomic status, receive early intervention”.

According to Dr Robins, the retention and recruitment crisis in the sector is “largely arising from policy decisions which have placed a very low priority on properly staffing the service”.

She believes the situation “will only become a more acute issue if not urgently addressed.”

In its workforce plan for 2023, the IDA has outlined a series of recommendations on how to address staff shortages.

Proposed measures include significant investment and expansion of the country’s two dental schools at UCC and TCD, the reintroduction of mentoring schemes for recent graduates and changes to rules surrounding work permits.

“We are ready to sit down with the Government to discuss and develop the best pathway forward for everyone,” Dr Robins said.

 

President of the Irish Dental Association, Dr Eamon Croke on the announcement of extra college places for student dentists:

 

“We are cautiously optimistic for what today’s announcement means for Irish school leavers wishing to practice dentistry here in Ireland and, most importantly, for patients and people who have been struggling to access dental services and treatments right across the country.

 

“We welcome Minister Harris and his Department’s intervention and the work that has been happening with the HEA and our academic institutes. While it is not the only factor, the decades of under investment in our dental schools has absolutely contributed to the lack of dental graduates coming through the system each year, the results of which we are now seeing and feeling in the overall staffing and resourcing crisis facing dentists and dental patients.

 

“We now need to ensure that this plan gets the necessary investment by Government as part of budgetary considerations so that today doesn’t become another finger in the dam of a much bigger disaster.”

Statement from the President of the Irish Dental Association, Dr Eamon Croke:

 

“We are alarmed at the revelations contained in this evening’s RTÉ Prime Time Investigates report. We are urgently calling on the Government to immediately move to amend outdated legislation which is leaving patients open to risk and harm.

 

“The Irish Dental Association has consistently called for the Dentist’s Act 1985 to be updated and modernised to allow for the mandatory licensing and inspection of dental practices. As it stands, the Dental Council does not have the relevant powers to conduct investigations, carry out inspections or issue sanctions.

 

“At the request of the Department of Health, our members engaged in a consultation process of legislation governing the practice of dentistry – this was back in 2013. We are still awaiting any meaningful progress.

 

“The Government has pursued updates to legislation as required by other health professions. Unfortunately, this has not been the case for dentistry and, once again, shows what little regard the Department of Health gives to dental care and oral health policy.

 

“In light of tonight’s RTÉ Prime Time Investigates report, the Irish Dental Association reiterates the need for urgency in legislating for a new dentist’s act without further procrastination.”