Campaign Supporters
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Tony Hoskinson
Past President of the British Endodontic Society, British Society for Restorative Dentistry, European Society of Endodontology and the International Federation of Endodontic Associations
“I fully endorse this excellent campaign to raise public awareness about saving teeth with root canal treatment. Our teeth are meant to last a lifetime and, with current predictable treatment procedures, the vast majority of inflamed and infected teeth can and should be preserved. There is still nothing better than your own ‘implant’!”
Nigel Carter
Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation
“Since its formation 40 years ago the British Dental Health Foundation has campaigned to ensure that people keep their teeth for life. Back in 1971 when the Foundation was formed one in three of the population over the age of 16 had no teeth at all, a quite appalling statistic. The 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey now shows that this figure is down to 6%, a real success and in no small part due to the skills of dentists in saving teeth as well as the introduction of fluoride into toothpaste in the early 1970s. Advanced techniques such as root canal therapy have allowed many teeth to be saved that would otherwise have been lost. It is vitally important that we maintain the improvements on oral health seen over the last decades and appropriate use of root canal treatment is a vital tool in this battle. The Foundation thoroughly supports the aims of the Saving Teeth Awareness Campaign in raising public awareness of the value of root canal therapy as one of the means available to today’s modern dentist to help ensure all of the public achieve healthy teeth for life.”
Professor Harold Preiskel
A world leader in the field of Prosthodontics. He is visiting Professor in Prosthodontics at King’s College Dental Institute, London and also has a private practice in Upper Wimpole Street.
“Implants have produced a quantum leap in dental treatment possibilities. Nevertheless, in most situations they still take second place to sound and healthy natural teeth.”
Professor Tara Renton
Professor of Oral Surgery at King’s College London Dental Institute
“It is well understood that those with a healthy mouth live longer. If teeth are neglected then extraction is the last resort, after all other treatment has failed. When removing teeth, there are often risks. These may include sensory nerve injury, as a result of incidental damage when extracting teeth, particularly those teeth that are close to nerves, whether wisdom teeth or other impacted teeth. Nerve injury can cause a life time of pain, numbness and altered sensation, severely impacting on your quality of life, affecting speech, eating, drinking, sleeping, kissing and just about social interaction that we take for granted.”
Professor Tim Newton
Professor of Psychology as applied to dentistry at King’s College London Dental Institute
“I am delighted to add my endorsement to this campaign. Fear of dental treatment remains a significant barrier to dental care for many people. People who are anxious will often avoid dental treatment, and when they do attend often make decisions which they might not make if they were less anxious – for example to have teeth extracted rather than have to attend for more appointments for treatment to restore their teeth. By addressing their anxiety and helping them to find ways to cope with their fear, we aim to help them enjoy teeth for life.”
Michael Watson
Author of Understanding NHS Dentistry and former policy advisor to the British Dental Association
“Root canal treatments are available in the NHS, but it is worrying that in recent years fewer have been carried out, whereas the number of extractions has risen. Quality and outcomes are the cornerstones of the Government's NHS policy. Dentists need time, equipment and, above all, training if they are to improve the quality and outcomes of their root canal treatments. The new NHS Commissioning Board will have the opportunity to improve the service offered to patients and should take it.”
Patient Testimonials
Peter Snow
“When I was young, I was far too careless about what I ate and did great damage to my teeth and did not see the dentist. What surprised me when I needed root treatment the first time was that it’s completely painless and it saved the tooth, which is the great thing.”
Liz Hambleton, Beauty Editor of Grazia
“Despite my initial nerves about having root canal treatment (even the words sounded scary to me!), I felt in such safe hands and was so glad to have been referred to a true expert. Nothing compares to experience and skill, especially when it comes to building the foundations of a healthy smile.”
Carrie Viventi
“One of my front teeth was damaged by an accident when I was just 10. It got worse and I was told I might lose it. If I had not found a specialist, it would probably have been extracted. I found the whole experience of root canal treatment both professional and painless. I was very nervous about the pain I might experience and was surprised at how simple treatment was. I feel strongly that patients should have a choice of treatment options.”
Jeff Foulser
“I remember both my parents taking their teeth out and putting them in a glass beside their bed every night. It’s certainly not what I want. I think it’s a great idea to have a campaign to remind us all of the value of root treatment and seeing your dentist.”
Shelley Dorffman
“I had 12 root canal treatments over 14 months. At the end, it was a wonderful feeling to have a clean bill of health after living for many years with teeth full of infection. Everybody should be able to have their endodontic treatment provided by a specialist and funded by the National Health Service.”
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