The British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy

Originally founded as the British Dental Hygienists' Association (BDHA) in 1949, the organisation was conceived by a small group of 12 innovative dental hygienists who had the foresight to set up a professional association dedicated to representing the interests of our profession. These individuals included Chairman - Vera Creaton, Secretary - Ann Hamer and Treasurer - Eva Ecob. The four committee members were Pat Chester, Joan Smith, Nancy Stormont and Tony Walker with Dr Gerald Leatherman holding the post of Honorary President from 1949-1991. In 2006 the organisation changed its name to the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT). The name change reflects and keeps pace with the broad changes in the education of dental hygienists and dental therapists and the new style clinicians graduating today.

Julie Deverick, BSDHT President

The BSDHT is now the largest body representing dental hygienists, dental therapists and students of the professions in the UK. We have over 3,600 members in the UK and beyond, and have become an internationally recognised voice within dentistry.

Our Society is open to all dental hygienists, dental therapists and students. Membership costs vary depending on your choice of membership category, and it is completely free to join for full-time students studying for a diploma in dental hygiene, dental hygiene and therapy or a BSc in Oral Health Science. There is a range of payment options to suit individual circumstances. Full membership for dental hygienists and dental therapists entitles you to full voting rights and equity: members are encouraged to become actively involved. A first step is to take a committee role in their regional group. It is essential that the Society continues to evolve and that the next generation of dental hygienists and therapists is fully engaged and continues to progress the profession.

The mission statement of the BSDHT is simple. We proudly support UK dental hygienists and dental therapists - worldwide. Our goal is to represent the interests of members and to provide a consultative body for public and private organisations on all matters relating to dental hygiene and dental therapy. We work with other professional and regulatory groups to provide the highest level of information to our members, as well as to the general public. The BSDHT is all about getting our members' voices heard and continuing to advance knowledge for people in these professions so that they can have their say and have a greater influence in the wider dental community. A great example of this was experienced during the lockdown period. Throughout this time, the BSDHT worked closely with those bodies and individuals involved in the decision-making process regarding dental treatment during the pandemic. We collated the ever-changing current information and wrote, produced and updated guidance for our members returning to work. Currently, the BSDHT is highlighting to the wider dental and public community the lack of dental nurse support for dental hygienists and dental therapists.

Membership of the Society provides a host of amazing benefits, including discounted rates for our events, access to an incredible support network and receipt of Dental Health - our well-respected bi-monthly clinical journal. Arguably the most important service we provide is offering a helping hand that is always there in our members' times of need. With perks such as a free, 24/7 legal helpline, employment law helpline and the option for members to receive advice or guidance via telephone or email, we make sure that our members never feel like they have to face any challenge alone.

The pandemic has been a particularly troubling time filled with uncertainty for many, and the BSDHT has made it our mission to offer even more support to our members during this time, not only emotionally but also by providing free memberships, guidance and toolkits as well as access to a host of free webinars so that time away from practice was still time well spent.

With over 70 years of history behind us, there are so many great achievements that pinpointing just a few is a difficult task. BSDHT has worked tirelessly to ensure that we have a seat and a voice at the tables of the policy and decision makers. Essentially, the Society has put its heart and soul into striving for a better, fairer profession for all.

Perhaps one of the best things we have achieved in recent years is the introduction of BSDHT Indemnity. Working with top legal specialists we formulated an indemnity policy which bypasses the unfair rates that dental hygienists and dental therapists often have to pay and instead gives our members a tailored, all-inclusive indemnity option that has been specifically made for them. It is not a discretionary policy and will support members should they find themselves in difficulty.

The BSDHT is all about getting our members' voices heard

Direct Access has been another outstanding political victory for the BSDHT and the profession. The BSDHT lobbied and campaigned, alongside our sister organisation the British Association of Dental Therapy (BADT), for a change in legislation that enables patients to seek the services of a dental hygienist or dental therapist directly, without the need for a prescription from a dentist. In 2013 Direct Access was granted. For the last seven years dental hygienists and dental therapists have finally been able to perform their full scope of practice (minus some treatments such as tooth-whitening) without the need for a prescription from the dentist.

Another achievement I want to highlight is our raft of publications: Dental Health, The Annual Clinical Journal and DHContact online. These incredible resources are widely respected in the profession and the industry. By offering these to our members we are dedicated to keeping them abreast of all of the latest innovations, scientific discoveries and other cutting-edge information that will help them to continue to develop and flourish in their roles.

A few years ago, the BSDHT introduced a Benevolent Fund for members to access in times of financial hardship. Due to the current situation, this has been accessed by several members who we were pleased to be able to help.

I would also like to highlight the great achievement of the BSDHT that is supporting a sense of accessibility and unity within the profession. By offering members both regional and national events, we have made it easier than ever for oral health professionals to expand their skills, earn relevant CPD in a number of ways and to get involved in their local communities.

The BSDHT is never complacent. We're always looking for ways to help improve the professional lives of our members and to make even more of an impact in the profession and industry. One focus we do have is the continuation in our quest to introduce the use of exemptions within the Medicines legislation by dental hygienists and dental therapists. Exemptions would allow dental hygienists and dental therapists to provide essential fundamental treatments to improve our patients' oral health, such as local anaesthetic when carrying out periodontal therapy and fluoride treatments to aid in caries prevention. It is a ridiculous anomaly that we currently need a prescription from a dentist.

The need for dental nurse support is also a subject about which we want to raise awareness. So often dental hygienists and dental therapists are expected to work without dental nurses and we believe that this is not acceptable. The current pandemic and complex working requirements have once again highlighted the need for four-handed dentistry. Dental nurse support is essential for all clinicians including dental hygienists and dental therapists. The BSDHT will be striving towards making this standard practice in the near future.

To conclude, I think an ongoing goal is to continue to champion the importance of dental hygienists and dental therapists and the fact that these clinicians are essential assets. Steadily we are overcoming the hurdles in this respect, but there's always more work to be done!

For more information about the BSDHT, visit www.bsdht.org.uk, call 01788 575050 or email enquiries@bsdht.org.uk.