This spring I may be shaking the moths out of my 80 denier tights and relocating a 'press dress' from the dark depths of my wardrobe. For in March this year I will be attending an actual in-person dental event.... one of very few in the last two years.

Will you be venturing beyond the dental practice this year to attend a conference, seminar or training event? If so, reading this month's article on 'Dirty networking'might be worthwhile. The article reflects on different personalities and how they might make individuals feel about entering a space full of people for the purposes of mingling and making contacts. Any jitters or reservations you might have about such situations may be magnified after the two-year pandemic hiatus. Lockdowns and isolations have forced us all to spend a lot more time with only close family and colleagues, to varying extents. But as the article suggests, being prepared for a networking event - thinking about what you want to achieve; challenging yourself to attend something new; and following up on new contacts - could lead to all sorts of possibilities and scenarios. I personally am always pleased to meet DCPs with an interesting background or career story to tell, as they may agree to sharing their story or their work in BDJ Team!

This issue of BDJ Team is as varied as ever. Our cover story depicts dentist Mhairi Young's article on the implications of obesity for oral health and managing patients in the dental practice. Caroline Holland looks at the effects and fallout created by the end of the NHS contract prototypes. Ewen McColl highlights the care provided to a patient by an undergraduate dental therapy student in the hope that the use of dental therapists is encouraged in general dental practices. New reader panellist Zahra Yasen introduces oral surgery for DCPs, and we look at the applications of AI in dentistry. This month's CPD article, from the BDJ, is a very interesting read on childhood dental caries.

Perhaps I will see you at one of the big dental events this year - or if you would like to meet me virtually, emails and Facebook messages continue to be very welcome!

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Kate Quinlan

Editor

k.quinlan@nature.com