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The Metropolitan Branch of the British Dental Association and the personalities involved in its early years

British Dental Journal volume 234, pages 111–114 (2023)Cite this article

Abstract

The British Dental Association came into being in 1880 after a long fight to obtain professional status for dental practitioners, including qualifications and registration. It later formed geographically situated branches to bring it closer to the membership, easing scientific, political and social interchange. Many leading members of the profession belonged to its Metropolitan Branch, founded in 1888.

Key points

  • In a world which was professionalising in so many walks of life, dentistry needed to follow.

  • Both qualifications and registration were essential to reach the desired heights.

  • As part of that process, organisations were established to take forward professionalisation but they needed to be accessible to members.

  • As always, none of this could happen without highly committed and able dentists.

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References

  1. Gelbier S. The Royal Colleges, the LDS and the struggles of the dental profession. Br Dent J 2012; 213: 237-241.

  2. Lindsay L. The earliest branch of the British Dental Association. Br Dent J 1930; 66: 121-135.

  3. General Medical Council. The Dentists Register 1879. London: General Medical Council, 1879.

  4. Donaldson J A. The Association and Dental Legislation. In Cohen R A (ed) The Advance of the Dental Profession. A Centenary History 1880-1980. London: British Dental Association, 1979.

  5. Gelbier S. James Smith Turner (1832-1904) and the British Dental Association. Br Dent J 2017; 222: 396-399.

  6. Royal College of Surgeons of England. Plarr's Lives of the Fellows. 2015. Available at https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives (accessed June 2022).

  7. Gelbier S. Lilian Lindsay CBE LLD MDS HDD FDS (Eng&Edin) FSA (1871-1960) The first female to gain a British dental qualification and a leading member of the profession. Oral Dis 2022; DOI: 10.1111/odi.14260.

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Acknowledgements

Rachel Bairsto, Head of BDA Museum Services, and Helen Nield, Head of BDA Library and Knowledge Services, both provided helpful information. Rachel also provided the photographs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Honorary Professor and Head of the Unit for the History of Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, Tooley Street, London, SE1 1UL, UK

    Stanley Gelbier

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  1. Stanley Gelbier
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Correspondence to Stanley Gelbier.

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The author declares no conflicts of interest.

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Cite this article

Gelbier, S. The Metropolitan Branch of the British Dental Association and the personalities involved in its early years. Br Dent J 234, 111–114 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-5450-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-5450-4

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