This year’s Premier Symposium, the twelfth such event organised by Dental Protection and Schülke, was the setting for the announcement of the winners of the Premier Awards 2012. This annual risk management competition has a total prize fund of £4,500 and accepts entries from projects which recognise the importance of patient safety.

Undergraduate prize

1st prize
Junaid Nayyar and Mervyn Huston - 'Panoramic Radiography: Could a Checklist Help the Audit Process?'

2nd prize
Huong Ho and Myles Chen - 'Clinic Infection Control Practices of Final Year Dental Students.

Postgraduate prize

1st prize
Maha Mezher - 'An Audit to Evaluate Record Keeping of Acute Patients Admitted to the OMFS Department'

2nd prize
Douglas Loveock - Revisions and updating of 'Chapter 12 of Master Dentistry, Volume 2'

DCP prize

1st prize
Alison Lowe - 'Are you Sitting Comfortably?'

2nd prize
Keri Fish - 'Extending the Role of Dental Nurses in Orthodontic Practice – Auditing and Assuring Quality'

All the entries this year were of a very high calibre and Andrew Collier, Senior Dento-Legal Consultant, who presented the awards took time to encourage dentists and DCPs from all regions of the UK to participate again next year.

Kevin Lewis, Dental Director of Dental Protection added, 'The entries for this year’s Awards were greater in number, quality and range than I can ever remember. These Awards recognise any kind of work done to raise awareness and/or improve the management of risks in dental practice, and this year’s winning entries from several different countries are a perfect demonstration of how accessible this awards programme has become.

These were topical, relevant and practical issues approached in a range of different ways rather than heavy academic projects that many would be deterred from undertaking. But the quality of the work and the thought processes and their immediate application was there for all to see. Hopefully this year’s awards will motivate even more people to enter next year.'

The Awards were presented during the annual Premier Symposium, a risk management event created for all members of the team. This year saw more than 240 dental professionals attend the day. The organisers also wish to thank Denplan, Dental Update, GCUK, Healthcare Learning Smile-on, Henry Schein Minerva and Wesleyan Medical Services for their sponsorship of the symposium that helped to make the day possible.

Notes for Editors

1. The Premier Symposium featured lectures from Professor Trevor Burke, Dr Lloyd Searson, Dr Jason Leitch, Dr Gerald Hickson and Professor Mark McGurk.
2. Schülke UK Limited (previously Schülke & Mayr Limited) is part of the Air Liquide group of companies. Schülkes provide products and services to protect people and materials against infections and contamination across hygiene (dental, hospital fields) and manufacturing (personal care, metal work, coatings and building materials, household product industry).