The annual British Orthodontic Conference (BOC) took place between 27-30 September 2023, at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London. A conference in the 'Big Smoke' always ignites excitement, and so it was unsurprising that there was a palpable buzz of energy amongst delegates this year as we gathered together in the capital for yet another inspiring conference.

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Wednesday

The pre-conference programme was the largest to date with over 120 delegates given valuable teaching on orthodontic miniscrews from one of the foremost experts in this field, Dr Sebastian Baumgaertel. Delegates were able to learn more about implementing orthodontic miniscrews into their clinical practice. Sixty delegates supplemented the theory with two hands-on clinical skills sessions with Dr Baumgaertel on the Thursday.

Thursday

Day one of the main scientific programme began with the usual research presentations, a real showcase of scientific efforts by specialty training orthodontic registrars. This is always a popular session, and allows delegates to discover the latest research in orthodontics, hot off the press, which is rather fitting with this year's conference theme of 'Rules and Discovery'.

Later that morning, Andrew DiBiase provided an insightful lecture on 'Malocclusion, peer relations and bullying among school children', which was followed by the Chapman Prize Winner 2022 lecture given by Fidaa Wazwaz, 'Duration of canine retraction with fixed appliances: a systematic review and meta-analysis'.

The afternoon session kicked off with a warm welcome from Trevor Hodge, Chair of the BOC 2023, introducing this year's conference. Delegates then learned from more notable speakers: Simon Graf gave a lecture on '3D metal printing in orthodontics: an update', whilst Jennifer Galloway discussed 'The use of 3D facial scanning in orthodontics', showing us interesting differences between males and females, and even the possible use of using 3D facial scans to screen for certain medical conditions.

To end the first day of the conference, delegates were treated to a spell-binding talk entitled 'Positivity' from renowned hypnotist, behavioural scientist and broadcaster, Paul McKenna. However, there were no swinging pendulums, just a few hundred orthodontists stroking themselves (and each other!) whilst counting out loud with their eyes closed. While this may have looked bizarre to an onlooker, a lot of us 'woke up' to find ourselves in a deep state of relaxation, ready for the evening social event, which was the Gala dinner and drinks at the Science Museum.

Friday

The second day of the conference continued with more lectures in the main auditorium and a parallel Cleft Lip and Palate session, back by popular demand for those orthodontists whose clinical practice is largely focused on this group of patients. Alongside these, sessions for orthodontic therapists and dental nurses provided some interesting talks, such as mindfulness, as well as the very 'hot' topic of vaping.

Delegates were treated to a spell-binding talk from renowned hypnotist Paul McKenna. There were no swinging pendulums, just a few hundred orthodontists stroking themselves!

Stephen Chadwick and Yana Sabbagh started the morning session on 'Learning from COVID-19: looking forward to the new normal', which was followed by a talk from James Andrews on 'The orthodontist's role in the prevention and management of gingival recession'. Caroline Mills redefined fillers and implants as we know them, showing us interesting cases in her lecture 'Auxiliary orthognathic procedures'. Flavia Artese then educated us so eloquently on the impact of wisdom teeth in her lecture 'Clinical management of third molars: look before you leap', informing us that the amount of available retromolar space for their eruption is sacrosanct. We then had the pleasure of learning from Sebastian Baumgaertel again as he delivered the Northcroft Memorial Lecture 2023 on 'Orthodontic Miniscrews: Bridging the Science-Practice Gap'.

Alongside the afternoon talks, delegates were keeping their hands well-oiled in the 'Skills Clinics for Orthodontists' - on offer were practical sessions on wire bending, interproximal reduction and protraction facemask techniques. I attended the wire bending course and can say that it definitely allowed me to brush up on my skills, whilst also giving me a welcome break from lectures!

Saturday

The final day of the conference saw another jam-packed day of lectures, starting with the Federation of European Orthodontists Session. Delegates were treated to an array of fantastic speakers that morning, with informative, bitesize lectures on topics such as primary failure of eruption and tooth resorption. Parallel sessions on 'Driving private practice' and 'Growing your private practice' informed delegates on social media as well as the latest digital technology, whilst the 'Skills for Dental Care Professionals' kept delegates busy, with two sessions on clear aligners offered by Align. After a scheduled caffeine hit, Rishma Shah delivered an inspirational talk 'Dragon's Den: Bringing out the entrepreneur in you' … who knows, maybe a future British Orthodontic Conference will be hosted at our very own Necker Island?

Mid-morning, we gathered together in the main auditorium to applaud our friends and colleagues in the Prizes and Awards ceremony. This is always a memorable, uplifting and influential session, and celebrates our achievements collectively as a profession - with people from across the country, from all ages and all levels of experience, being recognised for their triumphs and successes. The conference then drew to a close, finishing with the 'Clinical Pearls' presentations, where speakers illustrated their innovative and useful tricks of the trade, which we can now hopefully implement into our clinical practice.

The 2024 British Orthodontic Conference will transport us back to the vibrant city of Birmingham on 16 -19 October. The theme of this conference will be 'Reinvention' and we already have some renowned home and international speakers confirmed. Please save the date in your diaries and keep your eyes peeled, as the society will be providing more information about this event over the next few months.

Finally, a huge thank you to the BOS Conference Committee and all of our sponsors. Your enthusiasm, dedication and hard work paid off in a stellar event this year. I look forward to seeing everyone again next year, and would encourage all aspiring or established orthodontists to attend this fantastic event.