24.03.11

The Smile Centre practice goes gold

A family dental practice in the Meadows, Nottingham, has become the first gold accredited surgery in the city for its commitment to making Nottingham’s smiles brighter.

The Smile Centre on Victoria Embankment, Trent Bridge, received its accreditation from NHS Nottingham City as part of its City Smiles programme, which aims to improve preventative education across all NHS practices.

Over the past year the surgery’s oral health education team has been working with schools, such as Rosehill Special School in St Ann’s, to engage with pupils and talk to them about the importance of looking after their teeth and visiting the dentist.

The surgery was also recognised for its comprehensive health assessments which include wider oral health discussions with patients, such as the effects of alcohol and smoking on teeth and gums. Dentists now offer referrals to support groups such as New Leaf and Last Orders.

 

Adrian Taylor, Smile Centre Practice Manager, said:

“Prevention is always better than cure which is why we do all we can to educate our patients through the new assessments and why we invest time in outreach to the community too.  People need to take care of their teeth and regular visits to the dentist are an important part of that process. But what most people don’t realise is that dentists do more than just check your teeth.  A check up is an excellent opportunity to spot a whole host of medical conditions that manifest in the mouth and this ensures they are picked up in advance.”

The centre’s accreditation comes only a few weeks before it embarks on a national NHS pilot project. It was selected by the Department of Health as one of 60 practices across the country trialling a new dental contract model based around capitation, registration and quality. Basing it on capitation means that, for the first time, dentists will be rewarded for the quality of care they deliver for patients rather than the number of treatments carried out.

The new focus on quality, and guidelines on how to deliver it, is intended to support dentists in improving the oral health of their patients, while the focus on registration will give patients the security of continuing care.

Ann Berry, Primary Care Commissioning Manager at NHS Nottingham City, said:

“The NHS pilot is a fantastic opportunity for the Smile Centre to help shape the future of dental care. Their centre is committed to improving oral health, as shown by the achievement of the Gold City Smiles award, making it an ideal practice to take part in the piloting and provide learning to develop a new dental contract.”