Digitally Enabling Dentistry: Cybersecurity & Clinical Safety was a timely seminar on digitised and integrated dental services. It is important to set this debate in a context and its historical background. Back in 2006, the Department of Health commissioned Professor Jimmy Steele's Independent Review of NHS Dental Services in England, published in June 2009. It affirmed that the profession's goal was to improve oral health and emphasised the need for better health outcomes through prevention. For more on the Steele report: bit.ly/2IdHNt6.  However, progress of the proposed reforms has been slow.

In September 2017, Health Education England (HEE) launched its initiative Advancing Dentistry for the reform of dental education and training. For more:  bit.ly/2lrYb09.   Interesting to note these typical views expressed in this post by a young practicing dentist working as a community dentist bit.ly/2K5Q2Mz

Back to the Digital Dentistry Initiative, Dr Claudia Pagliari, Lead for Citizen-Centered eHealth, NHS Digital Academy, describes digital health as a, "Descriptor for all sorts of informatics." She highlights the prevalence of social media, and how it could be used to build relationships with patients.  There is an opportunity for DCPs to use their online presence to safeguard patients against harmful treatments that are both advertised and made available online, such as dental tourism abroad, and home teeth whitening kits that are widely available to purchase.  Patients may be largely unaware of the dangers and risks involved with seeking cheaper alternatives, and UK dental professionals are in a unique position to help educate the population and safeguard their dental health.

The NHS Digital Academy will be open for applications for 2019.  A year-long funded PG Dip Digital Health Leadership designed to underpin the NHS Digital Academy, it welcomes applications from, "Existing and aspiring digital leaders across health and social care."   Information on how to apply here: https://bit.ly/2AmT8o9.

The update on the Dental Digital Literacy initiative from Dr Javeriah Mahmood, highlighted that promoting digital literacy will improve the uptake of digital innovations within the dental sector.  She emphasized that the workforce will need to evolve to embrace new ways of working to improve the slow adoption of technology within the profession and proposed that digital champions could pave the way for innovation amongst colleagues.  The Dental Digital Literacy initiative offers opportunities for closer collaboration with the HEE Advancing Dentistry project, for the reform of dental education and training.

Dr Yasmin Allen has launched a portal to develop and share resources for dental digital literacy: https://bit.ly/2tntr3F The site aims to promote, "Being aware and having an understanding of digital technology to improve dental care."

Another great initiative that DCPs can get involved with was presented today by Dr Devika Vadher.  Launched this year, #dentistry24 invites DCPs to share the good work they are doing via social media on May 24th each year.  It has already achieved great success, with 200 individuals contributing tweets and 2 million impressions made worldwide (stats collected May 25th, 2018).  #dentistry24 provides an opportunity for dental professional to share and celebrate their achievements and to find inspiration for best practice from colleagues around the world.

Post Contributor:

Caitriona Fitzsimons Digital Reporter