Improving the orthodontic consent process: Amending hospital policy and implementing change.

Patient consent is a principal issue in healthcare. The well-publicised case between Montgomery versus Lanarkshire has highlighted the importance of consent to include a discussion of all relevant treatment risks. Within orthodontics, there are published guidelines from the profession's governing body as to the common risks associated with treatment. Within hospitals and practices, the consent process is usually determined by set policies, which may be devised by non-clinical teams. Clinicians are well positioned to critique these processes and their input into such policies may be beneficial. A two-cycle, multi-centre audit was completed to assess the consistency of consent forms in two orthodontic departments. The results from the first cycle initiated the implementation of changes to hospital policy, in order to produce a new procedure-specific consent form for orthodontic treatment. Results from the second cycle of the audit, together with clinician feedback, showed that the new forms allowed for a more streamlined approach to the consent process and ensures patients are fully informed of all aspects of their personal treatment.

The Management of the Dilacerated Impacted Maxillary Central Incisor.

The clinical problem of how best to manage a dilacerated, impacted maxillary central incisor will only be encountered rarely. The treatment aim should be to achieve results that are indistinguishable from normal appearance in a way that is appropriate for the patient. This article discusses the incidence of dilacerations in maxillary incisors and describes the treatment approaches available − orthodontic alignment or surgical removal and management of the resulting space, considering orthodontic repositioning, autotransplantation and various prosthetic replacements. Treatment indications, advantages and disadvantages, restorative and surgical implications, as well as the evidence-base relating to the various treatment modalities will be presented, along with clinical case examples. Clinical relevance: This paper discusses a problem that, if not managed appropriately, can lead to poor results for the patient. Even for practitioners who may not undertake the treatment mentioned, it will enable them to have more in-depth discussion with their patients should the situation arise.

The Gold guide for dental core and speciality training in the UK: a review.

The Dental gold guide was originally developed in 2009 by the UK Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors as a reference document for those undertaking specialist training within the UK. A similar document was later produced for dental core training in 2013, called the Silver guide. The documents act as a framework for training and outline the regulations and assessment processes. The latest edition of the Dental gold guide, published in September 2021, combines the original gold and silver guide documents, making it applicable to both speciality trainees and dental core trainees.This review article summarises this most recent version of the guide, covering all areas of speciality and dental core training, including the responsibilities of those involved in training and recruitment and arrangements for less than full-time training, as well as a summary of the review of competency progression process. It is hoped to provide a user-friendly reference for both trainees and trainers within the UK.

Smile makeover treatments.

The demand for aesthetic smile makeover treatments is increasing, especially with the rise in social media use. Historically, healthy tooth structure was sacrificed in order to achieve rapid results but this would invariably lead to compromise of the occlusion and a less-than-ideal result.Multi-disciplinary treatment planning, including the use of orthodontic treatment, is now routinely used in order to achieve optimal results. This paper aims to highlight the importance of a combined orthodontic-restorative planning process to allow a long-term aesthetic and functional result for our patients.