NEWS GIANT, TOOTHED PLATYPUS CRUSHED ITS PREY DIARY A new and extinct, toothed species of platypus, crushed rather than cut its hard ESAO Conference: How to the largest of its kind, has been discovered in the prey. These functional teeth, practise aesthetic orthodontics Riversleigh world heritage area in Queensland, so unlike the dentally degener- safely, ethically and legally Australia,1 contradicting the previous presumption ate set the modern platypus is as a GDP that the modern edentate platypus could be initially born with, suggests this Date: 14 December 2013 traced back to ancient fossil species by a single, new species belonged to a diver- Venue: RCOG, London direct lineage. gent group. http://esao.co.uk/event-registration/ A morphologically distinctive lower molar The tooth, dating between Essences of Anterior was found embedded in limestone, revealing an 5 and 15 million years old, is Implant Aesthetics: unknown branch of the platypus’s evolution: the younger than the most ancient The Perio-Ortho-Restorative Obdurodon tharalkooschild, a much larger species members of the platypus family, Connection (1996-2014) with a distinct dental formation, though featuring which spans 61 million years, Date: 18 January 2014 Telephone: 020 8487 5555 stunted roots, anteroposterior compression of the but is the first in a previously www.adi.org.uk/jan- crown and column-like primary buccal cusps simi- unknown lineage of extinct masterclass2014 lar to other toothed platypuses from the Obdurodon giant platypuses. BDA Seminar: White, whiter, genus. With unique lophid and cusp relations, food 1. Pian R, Archer M, Hand S J. A new, giant was transversely masticated between the upper and platypus, Obdurodon tharalkooschild, SP. whitest: successful strategies lower molars. Prey will have included soft-bodied Nov. (Monotremata, Ornithorhynchidae) for predictable teeth whitening from the Riversleigh world heritage area, Date: 31 January 2014 aquatic animals, as well as small vertebrates such Australia. J Vertebr Paleontol 2013; 33: 1255–1259. Venue: BDA, Wimpole Street, as frogs and baby turtles. Apical cusp wear on the London teeth suggest the extinct Obdurodon tharalkooschild By Laura Pacey Email: [email protected] Telephone: 020 7563 4590 www.bda.org/seminars PLANT GROWS GDC ARF AND CPD DUE Oral-B Up To Date seminar IN MAN’S TOOTH Date and location: 13 February The General Dental Council (GDC) has written to all 2014, Bristol; 27 February 2014, A video has emerged on YouTube dentists to remind them to pay their annual reten- Plymouth; 13 March 2014, from Next Media Animation News tion fee (ARF) and to make a continuing professional Warrington; 27 March 2014, Direct depicting a 36-year-old development (CPD) declaration. Newcastle Taiwanese man who had a guava The ARF collection period and CPD declaration Telephone: 07585 508550 sprout growing in a decayed third period for dentists began on 12 November 2013. Email: julia@ab-communications. molar. The tooth was removed by The £576 ARF (and £76 specialty fee where regis- com a dentist and it was estimated that tered) are due by 31 December 2013 for the 2014 www.dentalcare.com the sprout was about ten days old. registration year. A list of dentists who fail to make IDEM Singapore - International www.youtube.com/ the payment by this time will be sent to Father Dental Exhibition and Meeting watch?v=omqjAyuoFfI Christmas ... the NHS, Health Boards and indemnity Date: 3-6 April 2014 providers to enable them to keep their records up Venue: SUNTEC Convention and to date. Exhibition Centre, Singapore www.idem-singapore.com PLAIN PACKAGING PUSH Dentists who are required to submit CPD for 2013 have until 28 January 2014 to make a declaration. Visit British Dental Conference In response to the news that fewer www.eGDC-uk.org to make a payment or submit CPD. & Exhibition 2014 smokers are using the NHS in Date: 10-12 April 2014 England to try to quit smoking, Venue: Manchester Central Chief Executive of the British Convention Complex, Manchester www.bda.org/conference Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, highlighted the Clinical Innovations importance of smoking cessation Conference 2014 services. ‘The rise in people suc- Date: 14-15 May 2014 cessfully quitting is encouraging,' Venue: Kings Place, King’s Cross, he said, ‘[but] if we want to really London Telephone: 020 7400 8989 make a difference to the number Email: info@healthcare-learning. of people who kick the habit, com introducing plain packaging on tobacco products is a must.' ©iStockphoto/Thinkstock 548 BRITISH DENTAL JOURNAL VOLUME 215 NO. 11 DEC 7 2013 © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.