In her first address as the incoming BDA Community Dental Services (CDS) Group President, Dr Borghild Breistein said that salaried staff need to pull together in these challenging economic times.

Speaking at the CDS Group's Annual Conference in Belfast from 13-14 October, Dr Breistein said she understood the anxieties felt by CDS staff about possible cuts and redundancies, but said there was hope that the services that are the most efficient and effective will continue to be supported.

The conference focused on supporting members of the salaried dental services to ensure they are providing care that is evidence-based and of the highest-quality, as well as offering practical tips on managing this highly challenging patient group, which includes those from the most deprived communities and the elderly.

Practical sessions offered tips on dealing with dentally phobic children, caries control in vulnerable patients and periodontal management in unmanageable situations.

You can listen again to short audio highlights from the key speakers' presentations at www.bda.org/dentists/representation/salaried-primary-care-dentists/cds-group.