Six out of seven dwarfs, as the joke goes, are not Happy. When I saw the press release '4 in 5 teachers providing pupils with toothpaste and brushes as cost-of-living crisis bites', weirdly, it reminded me of that joke. Of course, neither the teachers nor the pupils are happy about this state of affairs. The oral health and access to dentistry crises continue.

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The mainstream press continues to report tales of doom, gloom and misery and encourages us to gloat at those who have returned from Turkey with a mouth full of poorly fitted piano keys. Somewhere in the Midlands a chap might have filled his cavity with a tube of grouting, and a lady in the North-West might have had to travel 300 miles to take her tot for a check-up...

Hopefully, when faced with these headlines in relation to your beloved profession, for a spot of positivity, you might turn to BDJ Team. This month we look at a career in dental practice management: an excellent opportunity for ambitious dental nurses. We interview Samantha Salaver, a Head of Dental Nursing recently awarded an MBE. Helen Bullingham, who plans to remain an oral health promoter until she's drawing her pension, says 'I have never woken up and not wanted to go to work'. The President of the BSDHT looks at creating opportunity through education, and Caroline Holland continues to be an ambassador for the effective use of skill mix in dentistry. Michelle Williams reviews a book on resilience and wellbeing for dental professionals and finds it to be 'a source of inspiration'.

Sit back and enjoy browsing this month's issue. And don't forget, if you'd like to contribute, I'm currently looking for volunteers to be on our reader panel: https://go.nature.com/3lnJXPR. An email from you will certainly make me happy!

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Kate Quinlan

Editor

k.quinlan@nature.com