Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ

In January 2024, WDC restarted after a hiatus. In line with the other statutory committees, WDC has taken steps to ensure the committee aligns closely with Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖpriorities.

• Revised membership to ensure representation for the diverse range of groups within the profession, with a particular focus on skill mix.
• Revised constitution to clarify terms of membership.
• New mission statement to clarify remit and authority of WDC.
• Responding to consultations and providing advice where required.
• Horizon scanning: inviting expert speakers on topics pertinent to Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖpriorities.
• Visibility: development of this newsletter to share information with the profession.

WDC provides expert professional advice and insight to Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ Ministers and Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ Government, providing real world context to inform and shape policy. Comprehensively representing the profession, the committee provides a formal route for a diverse range of stakeholders to collaborate and disseminate information, to ensure quality and sustainability of dental services in Wales, and improve the oral health of the population of Wales.

The goal for the coming months is to write WDC position statements on a number of topics pertinent to dentistry in relation to ‘a healthier Wales’ and ‘The Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act’. These position statements will draw on the expertise of all members of the committee, and reflect the views of the dental profession as a whole.

• Over the past 12 months, WDC has received presentations from speakers on the following topics, pertinent to Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖpriorities.
• Mental health among community dental services (CDS) practitioners.
• Accelerated cluster development.
• Sustainability and waste.
• Value-based dentistry.
• Dental strategic workforce plan.
• Workforce data.
• Dental access portal.
• Antimicrobial resistance.
• Introduction to British Association of Dental Nurses.
• Direct access and exemptions.
• Use of data to inform public health decisions and outcomes.
• BDA (British Dental Association) Diversity and Inclusion Group.
• Purpose of statutory committees.
• Introduction to Dental Care Professionals (DCP) Advisory Forum.
• Introduction to the role of a clinical dental technician.
• Dental epidemiology programme.

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It’s quick and easy! Choose which actions you’d like to implement during 2025 to 2026. Start small and build up.

Aim for an award – you only need 8 points for a bronze!

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Email greenerprimarycare@wales.nhs.uk for support.

Spread the word about the scheme amongst your peers and colleagues.

On 29 January 2025 the Greener Primary Care Wales Framework and Award Scheme re-launched for its fourth year.

Your efforts can help us reach the target of reducing health and social care sector emissions in Wales by 34% by 2030.

Do you work in primary care?:

• Optometry.
• Community Pharmacy.
• Dentistry.
• General Practice.

Join a national scheme and gain multiple benefits:

• social
• clinical
• environmental
• financial

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It was fantastic because it gave me a place to start that broke everything down into bitesize changes that I was able to not only implement myself but also engage the whole team in making.

Dr Flo King.

The dental survey, which was conducted across 203 state-maintained mainstream schools, examined 6,329 children in school year seven (aged 12) during the winter and spring terms of 2023 to 2024.

The results show that the prevalence of tooth decay, the percentage of children with decayed, missing, or filled teeth, has fallen from nearly one in three in 2016 to 2017 to one in four in 2023 to 2024. Severity, measured as the average number of teeth affected by tooth decay per child, has also decreased from previous levels.

Key findings:

• The average prevalence of tooth decay is now 25.3%, a statistically significant reduction since 2016 to 2017.
• 12-year-old children in Wales have, on average, half a decayed tooth; this has improved since 2016 to 2017.
• For children affected by tooth decay, each will have an average of 2 diseased teeth; this has not changed since 2016 to 2017.
• Nearly 30% of children reported that oral health issues impacted their quality of life, with pain cited as the most common problem.
• Despite these positive changes, levels of untreated decay and inequalities persist; children from more deprived areas experienced higher rates of dental decay compared to those children from less deprived areas, although there are some signs of improvement since 2008 to 2009.

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The Wales DCP Advisory Forum is a collaborative platform for DCPs to discuss, influence, and advance key issues in Wales. It focuses on primary care reform, workforce planning, education, career pathways, and leadership. The forum provides professional input into HEIW’s dental agenda, shaping postgraduate education, workforce development, and strategic planning.

The forum advises on education and workforce matters, ensures smooth transitions from undergraduate to postgraduate training, and forms working groups when needed. Meeting three times a year, HEIW hosts and provides secretariat support, with leadership from an elected chair and vice-chair. The forum reports to the Dental Senior Leadership Team and liaises with key stakeholders, including the Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ Dental Committee and health board clinical leads.

Matthew Thomas is a Clinical Dental Technician, representing Wales DCP Advisory Forum on WDC.

A Clinical Dental Technician (CDT) is a registered dental professional qualified to provide complete dentures directly to patients and other dental devices on a dentist’s prescription. CDTs perform clinical and technical procedures, including taking medical histories, clinical examinations, radiographs, and fitting removable appliances. They identify oral health concerns and refer patients when necessary.

CDTs may also provide sports mouthguards, anti-snoring devices, and tooth whitening on a dentist’s prescription. Their role builds on dental technology, with additional skills available through further training and professional development. CDTs can work on the NHS, or privately. There are only a small number of CDTs in Wales, but there may be future opportunities for this unique role in providing dental services in Wales.

If you have any queries or thoughts about the work of the WDC, please contact:
WDC Chair: Adam Porter - adam.porter2@wales.nhs.uk 
WDC Vice Chair: Jonathan Carter - chairgwentldc@gmail.com
WDC Secretary: Rebecca Evans - rebecca.evans034@gov.wales