Frightening tales of sepsis victims seem to hit the headlines on a fairly regular basis these days, and The Sepsis Trust estimate that at least 14,000 lives a year could be saved by improved public and professional awareness of the signs and symptoms. 13 September 2019 is World Sepsis Day, so almost a year after BDJ Team published mouth care specialist nurse Sarah Haslam's account of what her trust is doing to raise awareness of sepsis in dentistry (https://www.nature.com/articles/bdjteam2018130), it seems timely to publish a new article on spotting the signs and symptoms of sepsis in this issue of BDJ Team, with verifiable CPD to test your knowledge.

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On a lighter note, this month we meet two new dental professionals making the most of their careers in dentistry. Dental hygienist Christine Thomas works for Cardiff and the Vale University Health Board, Hospital Dental service and Peripheral Hospital Dental Service and a very busy NHS practice in Cardiff. Read about her busy working week and the patients she treats.

Fellow dental hygienist Vaida Buksnaityte combines working full time in private practices in London with curating a newly-launched social media platform designed to facilitate networking between dental professionals and patients.

This July we also place a spotlight on the upcoming BADN Conference which this year will be held in Oxford; share original research undertaken by a dental therapy student into sports drinks and their impact on dental health; and take a closer look at whether toothpastes and other oral health products containing charcoal are all they're cracked up to be.

BDJ Team takes a break in August, so until September, have an amazing summer!

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Kate Quinlan

Editor

k.quinlan@nature.com