BADN Presidential Column by Joan Hatchard RDN FBADN LCGI FAETC Cert Ed

March has been a busy month! Following my trip to Lancashire to visit the BADN offices and the North of England Dental Show in Manchester, at the end of the month it was round the M25 to ExCeL for the BDIA Dental Showcase.

The next event on the show circuit is the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show at the NEC on 17-18 May - BADN will be at stand K01, next to the Dental Nurse Lounge, and just along from the Dental Nurse Forum, which I will be chairing on behalf of BADN.

figure 1

We have some great BADN badged speakers:

  • How women are shaping the future of dentistry - Hannah Grieves RDN (mydentist)

  • An introduction to dental nursing for dental implants - Natalie Marucci RDN (BADN Panel of Reps)

  • Conflict resolution in dental practices - Rebecca Silver RDN (BADN Panel of Reps/Dental Nurse Guru) and Lisa Bainham (ADAM Chairperson)

  • Bright Bites: the role of volunteering in improving children's oral health - Kelly James RDN (BADN Panel of Reps)

  • What is neurodiversity and what is my role as a dental nurse? - Sarah Haslam RDN and Joycee Rebelo RDN (both BADN Education Committee and EDI Working Group)

  • Understanding career progression pathways for dental nurses - Dr Debbie Reed RDN (Associate Professor in Faculty Development, KCL and former BADN Chair)

  • The crucial partnership: fostering trust between dental colleagues for optimal patient care - Rebecca Silver RDN (BADN Panel of Reps/Dental Nurse Guru)

  • The future of oral health: the role of oral health practitioners in enhancing holistic patient wellness - Darja Taravski (GDP)

  • GDC Update - Kristen Bottrell (Policy Manager, GDC)

  • Practical methods to deal with stress - Karin Barnes and Aktar Chowdhury (Certified Silva Method Instructors).

I am so pleased to see so many dental nurses actually speaking - long gone are the days when dental nurses sat patiently in the audience, being lectured to by others! Now dental nurses themselves are sharing their knowledge, skills and experiences with other members of their profession.

figure 2

Stress is of course very prevalent in dentistry, and I will be very interested in the ‘Practical Methods to deal with stress' lectures. Our Chief Exec, Pam Swain, is a graduate of the Silva Method and meditates daily - she has even been known to guide our Exec through a relaxation exercise after a particularly gruelling meeting!

So I look forward to seeing you all at the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show this May!