If a patient's blood splashes into your eye when you are assisting in their dental treatment, what are the risks and what steps should you take? In what circumstances can a dental professional with HIV status continue practising? Does your practice have a written policy for managing sharps? Extend and refresh your knowledge on blood borne viruses with this issue's exclusive article presenting the key facts for primary care dental teams, with one hour of verifiable CPD.

Also this month, Mike Young explains in reader-friendly terms why you should embrace CPD, personal development planning and your ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills: ‘development is a broad, lifelong process of improving your skills, knowledge and interests as a means of maximising your potential and career prospects’, says Mike.

Dental nurses Lynsey Blackburn and Oluseyi Latinwo are two new examples of DCPs who are making the most of their careers and embracing everything dentistry has to offer. Lynsey says ‘When patients return on a regular basis and improve their dental health it makes my job worthwhile’ and Oluseyi: ‘I am really happy I am contributing to the prevention of oral diseases’. Read their stories in this issue of BDJ Team.

Also this month we place a spotlight on dental hygienists’ scope of practice and in a BDJ article, look at guidance for facilitating the treatment of wheelchair users in general dental practice.

This will be my last editor's letter for a while as I'm off on maternity leave, but rest assured that BDJ Team will be in safe hands in my absence. I'll catch you in 2019!