A huge hello again to all the BDJ Team readers out there! I am back from maternity leave and thrilled with how marvellously Caroline Holland has looked after BDJ Team in my absence. I will certainly be inviting her back to write for us again if she can! Thank you so much to Caroline for continuing to publish a wide range of exciting and informative DCP-relevant articles and features over the past year.

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As I am sure you are aware, it is currently National Smile Month (13 May - 13 June), and attending the launch of this annual event was a very pleasant way to ease me back into work. The largest and longest-running campaign to promote good oral health, National Smile Month highlights three key messages: to brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste; to cut down on how much sugary food and drink you have and how often; and to visit your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend. Thousands of individuals and organisations take part in the campaign, and no doubt many BDJ Team readers. I would love to hear how you or your practice has taken part in the campaign. Why not send me a quick email with a photo of your practice embracing National Smile Month and getting the word out to your patients? k.quinlan@nature.com

In this June issue of BDJ Team Caroline explores another initiative that focuses on children's oral health, 'Starting Well'. Starting Well is a scheme that is designed to reduce oral health inequalities in areas where children's oral health is particularly poor. After Caroline's introduction we also hear from the principal of a Starting Well practice in Leicester, Hanif Moti. Hanif's dental team of 16 are all closely involved in their prevention-based approach and have had training on what and how to deliver the right message to patients.

Also in this issue, our CPD article looks at domestic abuse and dentistry, and how you might go about helping a patient you suspect may be suffering abuse; Michael Wheeler outlines the benefits of the new 'T level' educational courses to dentistry; and we share BDJ papers on practice waste and sustainability, and on the status of CDTs, ten years after GDC registration was introduced.

I'm already hard at work on the July issue. Happy reading!

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Kate Quinlan

Editor

k.quinlan@nature.com