The long, hot summer has finally come to an end and autumn has started with, for me, a mixture of new beginnings - my younger child has started school and her brother has moved into the juniors - and the sad end to an era that was Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's 70-year reign. At the same time, this year we celebrate 150 years of the British Dental Journal - it is astonishing to think that Her Majesty reigned for almost half of that period, as our Editor-in-Chief, Stephen Hancocks, reflects in the BDJ this month. Queen Elizabeth II was also Royal Patron of the British Dental Association. All of us at the BDJ Portfolio, and the BDA, extend our condolences to the Royal Family.

Although BDJ Team does not have an August issue, I was not idling away my time on a deckchair this summer. This September issue contains 11 new features and will be followed by a dental hygienists and therapists themed issue in October, and a mental health and wellbeing themed issue in November. If you would like to contribute, do drop me a line as it's not too late.

First up this month our fabulous regular contributor Caroline Holland interviews Michelle Brand, a woman who ‘always had two strings to her bow' - Michelle has a sustainable design business, and also locums as a dental nurse across 12 dental practices. Michelle explains that being a locum gives her flexibility and autonomy. She is also a member of the BADN Executive Committee and keen to help improve working conditions for dental nurses.

Dental nurses are also the focus for our cover feature: Dental nurse led teaching - From Plymouth to Antarctica. This article describes an enterprise in Plymouth where dental nurses directly support clinicians and dental students, act as clinic team leaders, coordinate research, lead on outreach teaching and are key contributors to training doctors [with little prior dental knowledge] who will be deploying to the Antarctic.

We also meet a high-flying [literally] DCP originally from Bulgaria, Plamena Mya, who has ambitious plans to expand prevention in oral health on a grand scale... The sky is the limit.

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Kate Quinlan

Editor

k.quinlan@nature.com