The Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures CPD programme focuses on children and involves community engagement via a range of settings such as primary schools, nurseries and children's clubs. This programme encourages greater community engagement and is a great way to promote your practice whilst providing leadership opportunities for all team members to develop additional skills.

Each year an award is presented for the best practice entry as judged by the British Dental Association (BDA) and the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD). The 2016 Community Engagement Award was presented to John G. Plummer and Associates at the BDA British Dental Conference 2017. The team was represented by Jevneet Kular and Amrisha Ondhia, both associate dentists at the practice.

Jevneet and Amrisha originally set up a 'Happy Smiles Club' within the practice to provide oral health education to children and their parents. They quickly realised the positive impact this was having from the feedback they received and realised the potential to expand the Happy Smiles Club beyond their patients' families into the wider community. Using inspiration from the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Practice Pack and CPD Programme they approached various children's clubs, schools, nurseries and event organisers within many settings, reaching children of all ages, from one-year-olds to young adults.

(l-r) Nairn Wilson (BDA), Philip Durocher (Colgate), Amrisha Ondhia (awardee), Ana Sanchez (Colgate), Jevneet Kular (awardee) and Richard Holmes (BASCD)

The practice used patient information leaflets, brushing charts, posters, samples for patients and stickers found within the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Practice Pack to support their tooth brushing advice using age appropriate models, and with consent, they used plaque disclosure to demonstrate areas the children may be missing when brushing their teeth.

Would you like to get your practice involved in this year's programme? The 2017 Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures CPD programme is available to download from 1 September 2017 by visiting www.colgateprofessional.co.uk and clicking on the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures link. Engage with your local community and tell Colgate what you have done for a chance of winning the 2017 Community Engagement Award.