More and more people are using their redundancy payouts to fund confidence-boosting treatments in a bid to jump straight back on the career ladder.

Manor Dental Practice, based in Sale, has seen a dramatic rise in enquiries regarding tooth whitening and smile makeovers, over the past six months. When asked what their reasons were for having the procedures, a high portion cited a desire to impress prospective employers as their main motivation.

The practice carried out a poll of 1,500 patients who’d requested treatment from November 2008 to July 2009. The research revealed that 57% of those surveyed were seeking treatment in a bid to improve their job prospects.

Dr Anjali Shahi, founder of Manor Dental Practice, commented: “We were quite astonished to see the number of people who were willing to undergo these treatments purely to improve their job prospects. Many of these patients have been made redundant in recent months, so see this as a perfect way to improve their smiles in the hope of making themselves more attractive candidates.”

The increase in cosmetic dental enquiries is also reflected in the advice given to candidates searching for employment.

Michelle Kingsley, Director at leading North West Connections Employment Agency, comments: “Presenting yourself in the best possible way at an interview is of paramount importance. We’re currently seeing a large number of candidates who haven’t had to attend interviews for many years and, as a result, their confidence is extremely low. Feeling good about your smile is important. It reassures the people you are meeting, playing a vital part in creating the right impression. Being able to walk into a room beaming and full of enthusiasm will go along way to convincing people about the positive attributes that you would bring to the company.”

Manor Dental Practice – based in Sale – kicked off its ‘Smile’ campaign at nearby St Joseph’s Roman Catholic School. Sixty foundation-level children were given a fun-packed lesson in how to brush and look after their teeth.

The workshop will be rolled out to all 400 pupils in July, as part of the school’s innovative Healthy School’s Week. The themed week – the first of its kind in the region – will run from 6 to 10 July. It will include a range of health and fitness activities, including sport, hygiene and healthy eating.

Dr Anjali Shahi, founder of Manor Dental Practice, commented: “‘Smile’ is a fun-packed workshop which aims to teach primary school children across the region about looking after their teeth. It’s essential that we teach children about the importance of oral hygiene and healthy eating in order to protect their smiles.

“Current statistics on the standard of oral hygiene amongst UK children are extremely disturbing. Last year alone, 30,000 children required emergency hospital treatment on their teeth. It’s also estimated that one in three children failed to visit a dentist in the last 12 months. Together with forward-thinking schools, such as St Joseph’s, we’re confident of helping to dramatically reduce these numbers.”

Mrs Liz Taylor, head of foundation level at St Joseph’s, added: “The school is extremely keen to boost awareness amongst pupils, educating them on all aspects of health and fitness. The ‘Smile’ workshop is an extremely fun and informative way of teaching children about looking after their teeth.

“We were so impressed by Manor’s workshop that we immediately invited them back to take part in the school’s first Healthy School’s Week in July.”

Manor Dental Practice is promoting the importance of dental hygiene to children in Greater Manchester in an effort to tackle the significant rise in tooth extractions in children under the age of 17. A recent study has shown a 30% increase in extractions over the last four years.

The study, published in the British Dental Journal (BDJ), examined a decade’s worth of hospital data. It revealed that the average age of children needing an extraction due to teeth decay was five-years-old.

Between 1997 and 2006, 470,113 children up to the age of 17 received treatment in hospitals. More than half of all admissions were primarily for tooth decay and 80% of them involved extraction, the study found.

Dr Shahi continued: “It’s important to educate children of all ages about the importance of oral hygiene, in the hope of avoiding problems before they start. The statistics we’re currently seeing are truly shocking and it’s time to act now.”

Manor Dental Practice has pledged to help all children in the local community, including schools, sports teams, the Brownies, Scouts and other clubs. For more information about the ‘Smile’ workshop, call 0161 9733501.

Manchester-based dentist, Anjali Shahi, has urged local PCTs to release essential, ring-fenced Government funding that will enable private practitioners to return to the NHS.

Dr Shahi, who was forced to leave the National Health Service in 2006 when the controversial new dental contract was introduced, revealed: “Two months ago, I approached my local PCT to set up a new NHS practice. Despite my nineteen years’ experience – combined with a strong desire to work in the NHS – I was prevented from setting up a new practice.

“In the last three years, a significant number of dentists have ‘abandoned’ the NHS or been prevented from setting up an NHS practice, because the local health trust has refused to provide the necessary funding to support the move. As a profession, we are often accused of choosing financial reward over increased patient access – it’s simply not true. More than 2 million patients are being denied access to the state system due to the actions of the local Primary Care Trusts and ultimately the government.”

Her comments follow last week’s demand, from the Local Government Network which demanded that dentists trained at the taxpayer’s expense should be forced to spend up to half their time treating NHS patients. The damning report said that steps were needed to cope with a ‘crisis’ in NHS dentistry.

Dr Shahi added: “It’s not that dentists refuse to work in the NHS, government constraints simply don’t allow us to carry out 100% NHS work, as many treatments required by patients are no longer funded by the state system.

“I opened my practice in 2002 – in 2004-2005 it was still a growing business. The financial package offered to me through the new NHS contract did not reflect the practice’s ability to grow and treat a further 4000 patients, which I was willing to do. Like many dentists, I have been forced to choose between private practice over the NHS, as combining the two is simple unviable under the current arrangements.”