What a fantastic response I received to my calls on social media for new members for BDJ Team's reader panel. Within days, I had recruited nine new (and one former!) enthusiastic dental professionals to help support the editorial content of BDJ Team, provide opinions and comment, and most excitingly of all, write articles on topics of their choice.

I have already received one article from the panel. Award-winning practice manager Jodie Brightmore writes on involving dental nurses more in everyday practice, and giving members of her team special responsibilities. Look out for this in the April issue.

Back to March, and in this issue I introduce five of the members of the new panel, their backgrounds and areas of special interest.

Also this month, our regular medical emergencies contributor Emma Hammett of First Aid for Life explains the alternative spinal recovery position, with step by step photos for achieving it. In a moving piece, Mouth Care Lead Sarah Haslam looks at the importance of mouth care for dignity and comfort in patients approaching the end of their life.

Our CPD article this month asks When is dental neglect a safeguarding concern? with Mark Foster of the Child Protection Company putting dental neglect into context and examining dental professionals' duty of care in this respect.

In light of the current Coronavirus crisis, BDJ Team has shared the advice for dental practices on this topic from the British Dental Association through our Facebook page. If you missed it, please see: https://bit.ly/2vWyT2U.

It seems like all events are subject to cancellation at the moment, but in this issue we include a taster of one of the sessions planned for this May's British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show in Birmingham. Ash Parmar will be speaking in the Hygienist & Therapist Symposium on a slightly taboo topic... As usual, the BDCDC (if you will) promises a packed programme for DCPs. Let us hope that the show will go on!

Stay well everyone

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Kate Quinlan

Editor

k.quinlan@nature.com