Dentistry Essay

Dentistry as a profession over the years has evolved rapidly in light of new scientific evidence. Rapidly evolving science and technology have implemented changes within dentistry as evidenced by new standards and guidelines being produced by nationally recognised associations including National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) in Scotland, in provision of new scientific evidence. The latest standards and guidelines produced, endorse everyday clinical practice through evidence based dentistry (REF). All dental professionals as part of continued professional development are expected to keep to date on relevant guidelines and knowledge related to their practice (REF). This is supported by the General Dental Council who state all clinicians must maintain their professional knowledge and competence throughout their working career (REF).
The Faculty of General Dental Practice is responsible for continued professional development of dental clinicians. It is committed to improving standards of patient care within dentistry by providing up to date publications and guidelines for clinicians. The standards and guidelines by the FGDP are evidence based and are recognised as authoritative statements of good practice within the profession (REF). The FGDP have produced standards and evidence-based guidelines detailing the Selection Criteria for Dental Radiography (REF).
Bitewing radiographs are an important adjunct to clinical examination and maybe necessary to help the clinician detect and diagnose caries (REF). However ionising radiation from x-ray exposure has the potential to cause malignancy in the patient and therefore clin...

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...et national criteria. The CQC and NHS require clinical governance and auditing to prove effective practice. In the absence of clinical audits it is very difficult to prove to the CQC and the NHS of whether you are practicing effectively which could affect your registration. Undertaking clinical audits within the practice to address current practice against national guidelines would have a number of benefits including identifying and promoting good practice which can lead to improvements in service delivery and provides information you need to demonstrate to the CQC that as a service provider you are delivering an effective service. It also provides opportunities for continued professional development through training and education and increases efficacy due to better utilisation of resources. Clinical audit is a multi-disciplinary activity and is an ongoing process.