Wednesday 4 April 2012

Open Wide!

Dental patients could find themselves being quizzed on their drinking habits and lectured on how to cut back.

New proposals tell dentists to routinely ask patients how much they drink, how often, and whether they frequently struggle to remember the night if they’ve overdone it.

The guidelines alternatively suggest that receptionists hand out drinking questionnaires to patients to be filled in while they are sat in the waiting room.
And if they comply?
Those whose alcohol consumption is deemed excessive would be referred on to sessions with dental nurses or hygienists for advice on cutting down.
Deemed 'excessive' according to those useless, pulled-out-of-the-BMA's-arse weekly safe drink units, I suppose?

And is this yet another attempt by the NuPuritans to bully a professional body into doing their dirty work fore them?

Well, no. They seem to have come up with it on their own:
The proposals have been drawn up by leading dentists at the University of Cardiff in an attempt to curb binge drinking.
But, as always, it's all for our own good!
Jonathan Shepherd, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Cardiff University who drew up the recommendations said: ‘Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to cancer of the mouth, larynx and oesophagus and dentists may be the first to notice these conditions.

‘So we need to introduce an alcohol screening tool that reliably detects hazardous and harmful drinking alongside effective treatment.

‘The dental team has a responsibility to promote overall health and not just dental health.’ he added.
You know, dentists have an image problem already.

Do you really think that adding 'hectoring busybody' to the list is going to help with that?

9 comments:

Fidel Cuntstruck said...

Didn't I once read somewhere that your GP and Dentist get a payment of some sort for dispensing smoking "advice"?

Anonymouslemming said...

My GP only asked me about my drinking habits once. I spent the next 2 minutes describing all of the different positions I enjoyed sex in and how frequently my wife and I engaged in sex.

The GP looked a bit shocked and asked why I was telling her all this, and I replied that seeing as they seemed so interested in stuff that was none of their business, I thought I had best be comprehensive.

Never brought it up again ....

SadButMadLad said...

Why do dentists need to ask. If this is for true binge drinking and therefore alcoholics and not just someone who occasionally drinks a bit more than the government mandated limit for binge drinking, then their breath will smell of alcohol. Obvious to a dentist who is poking around in someone's mouth.

Macheath said...

'...referred on to sessions with dental nurses or hygienists for advice on cutting down'

I don't know exactly what is required to be a dental hygienist - apart from a frustrated nanny-complex - but I'm fairly sure it doean't entail an in-depth study of addiction counselling.

That being so, I'd be looking for the outfit proposing to train all these nurses and hygienists at exorbitant expense - someone has their eye on a nice little earner.

Quiet_Man said...

They already hector people over their smoking habits, so the precedent is already there for them sadly

Bite me said...

Is it some obsession with all things oral that drives dentists? If so, I can tell a tale or two that will make their molars curl...

David Gillies said...

'Dentist' is shorthsnd for 'didn't have the grades to be a doctor' so I'm guessing they're looking at the big boys in the BMA and thinking they'd like a piece of the action. The should wind their bloody necks in.

JuliaM said...

"Didn't I once read somewhere that your GP and Dentist get a payment of some sort for dispensing smoking "advice"?"

I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere too.

"Never brought it up again ...."

:D

"That being so, I'd be looking for the outfit proposing to train all these nurses and hygienists at exorbitant expense - someone has their eye on a nice little earner."

Oh, indeed! 'Follow the money' is always a good idea.

"...so I'm guessing they're looking at the big boys in the BMA and thinking they'd like a piece of the action."

Why can't they all just leave us the hell alone?

Anonymous said...

Will that be with the two pages of questions about any medical conditions and treatment/drugs I have to fill every single time I visit the dentist ?