Introduction Advanced NHS restorative dentistry services are an important aspect of patient care. Managed clinical networks (MCNs) have been proposed as a future model of care.Aim To assess general dental practitioners' (GDPs') satisfaction with the current provision of advanced NHS restorative dentistry services and assess their views on MCNs.Methods A self-administered, online survey was distributed by the Northern Dental Practice Based Research Network and was shared on social media.Results In total, 108 responses were received from GDPs working in England; 55% in the North East. GDPs felt current services for periodontics, endodontics, tooth surface loss and temporomandibular disorders were the most important and were most unsatisfied with periodontics, endodontics and tooth surface loss. The most important barriers to current referral practice were previous referral rejections and the return of costly treatment plans. Opinions were favourable towards the proposed MCNs, with one-third of participants feeling they were already suitable to apply to deliver Level 2 services. There was a notable imbalance between sexes, with fewer female dentists (57%) registering interest in joining an MCN compared to their male counterparts (76%) and female dentists also identifying more barriers to join MCNs, including access to suitable training. Recent graduates were least likely to cite a lack of time as a barrier to engaging with MCNs.Conclusions GDPs are currently unsatisfied with advanced NHS restorative dentistry services but appear keen to engage with MCNs. The survey identified important insights which may help healthcare planners develop services.
Dear Sir, We read with interest a recent article which modelled the risk to dental health care workers of various airborne pathogens [1]. This paper used Carbon Dioxide (CO2) concentration as an indicator of air quality and ventilation, reasoning that CO2 ;levels provide a measure of exposure to exhaled breath [2]. Reassuringly, with high indoor air quality, and a filtering facepiece-2 (FFP2) mask, infection transmission probability was estimated at 0% for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). CO2 concentration (i.e. air quality and ventilation) had the biggest influence on estimated transmission risk, much more so than respiratory protection from masks. With “medium” air quality the estimated transmission probability remained over 20% regardless of respiratory protection (masks) and patient infectivity. It should be noted that these data were based on SARS-CoV-1, but SARS-CoV-2 is expected to behave similarly.Using CO2 concentration is a useful, quick and inexpensive measure to assess air quality in indoor spaces and may be of use to readers. High air quality is defined as < 800 ppm CO2 [3]. We used a calibrated CO2 meter (Extech CO240; Nashua, NH, USA; £200) to assess four indoor environments within Newcastle dental school and hospital, with known air exchange rates. Two people sat (physically distanced) in each space for 30 minutes, allowing CO2 to accumulate, before leaving the area whilst measurement continued. We found that the increase in CO2 was minimal in most environments, with air quality remaining high (i.e. < 800 ppm CO2). In one unventilated, windowless surgery, levels did reach medium quality for a short period. This highlights the potential value of this simple technique in identifying areas with poorer ventilation. We next repeated the measurements with any windows open, and found that air quality and ventilation improved further; this was close to CO2 levels found outdoors. In conclusion, measuring CO2 concentration may be a useful way to measure indoor air quality and opening a window is a powerful and simple way to improve ventilation. Nisha Patel, Ciara Docherty, James Allison, Graham Walton, Ben Cole, Justin Durham, Nick Jakubovics and Richard HollidaySchool of Dental Sciences, Newcastle UniversityNewcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustCorrespondence to richard.holliday@newcastle.ac.ukReferences1.Zemouri C, Awad SF, Volgenant CM, Crielaard W, Laheij AM, de Soet JJ. Modeling of the Transmission of Coronaviruses, Measles Virus, Influenza Virus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Legionella pneumophila in Dental Clinics. J Dent Res 2020; 2:0022034520940288. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034520940288. 2.Rudnick SN, Milton DK. Risk of indoor airborne infection transmission estimated from carbon dioxide concentration. Indoor air. 2003; 13(3): 237-45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0668.2003.00189.x3.Kukadia V, Upton S. Ensuring good indoor air quality in buildings. BRE Group. Ensuring Good Indoor Air Quality in Buildings. 2019. Available at https://www.bregroup.com/bretrust/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2019/03/Ensuring-Good-IAQ-in-Buildings-Trust-report_compressed-2.pdf (accessed July 2020).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.