• The BDA has welcomed a BBC investigation revealing the scale of illegal teeth whitening across the West of England. Undercover reporters from the BBC's Inside Out West filmed one provider operating under an assumed name just two years after he was prosecuted by the GDC for illegal whitening. The film revealed unlicensed online trainers providing rudimentary guidance for illegal whitening, and recommending products including chlorine-dioxide whiteners that cause lasting damage to teeth. The BDA has called on the public to remain alert to the risks.

  • BDA Northern Ireland has heralded a major breakthrough for community dental services, as the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety agreed the basis for a new contract, with pay set to be backdated to April 2015. The agreement will deliver an average uplift of 4.4% and introduce a dedicated educational fund of £750 per dentist to be used on CPD, in line with the contracts in England and Wales. This marks the first time such funding will be available to Community Dentists in Northern Ireland. The BDA is now balloting its members, and is offering a recommendation to accept the deal.

  • The BDA has called on government to put prevention at the heart of its approach to the crisis on child tooth decay, as new figures showed over 14,000 children aged five and under had been admitted to hospital for tooth extraction in 2014/15. Analysis of data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre has also revealed a 10% increase in children requiring tooth extractions in the last four years. The BDA has led calls for action to improve children's oral health, and championed action on sugar.