'People stories' are, I feel, at the heart of BDJ Team. Dentistry is by its nature quite isolated. Even if you work in a large multi-surgery practice, you will probably spend most of the day with just a few colleagues. In recent times of course, the social element to team-working may have virtually disappeared at your workplace, and dental care professionals (DCPs) have been spending their days weighed down by PPE, making it harder to interact with both colleagues and patients.

So, it is nice to read about other DCPs, their career pathways, backgrounds and their interests outside work. I am always curious to hear how individuals were affected by the pandemic, what their ambitions are, and whether they have exciting plans this year. If chatting in the staff room or at the pub after work have been missing from or restricted in your normal life these past years, hopefully BDJ Team might have helped fill the gap.

I recently put a call out on social media for new 'day in the life' interviewees and received a warm response. Our cover star Anally Salinas Sequera originally hails from Mexico. Anally confesses that in her former life, as a personal assistant, she was afraid of blood and needles. She never envisaged her new life in the UK: it involves dental nursing, being a clinical manager in charge of practice accounts, and running an introductory course on dental implants for other dental nurses. Anally has overcome her nerves about speaking confidently in English, her second language, and loves her career in dentistry. Amazingly, she still finds time to be an aerobics instructor and stage dancer.

Anally joins a host of other DCPs who share their stories and achievements in BDJ Team this month.

Also this April, Jacqui Elsden discusses the BADN's new policy on menopause, and we republish the BDJ's highly topical opinion article, It's time to talk about the M word. In our May issue, we will explore this issue further, with two original pieces.

I am pleased to share two new literature review summaries from star students at the University of the Highlands and Islands this month as well, on periodontal treatment and rheumatoid arthritis, and caries and cocaine.

figure 1

Kate Quinlan

Editor

k.quinlan@nature.com