Sir, the BDA certainly recognises and shares the concerns expressed by Dr Dawoud (BDJ 2015; 219: 560) about the potential impact of changes to junior doctors' and dentists' contracts. The BDA has been feeding into the negotiating process to make sure the views of trainee dentists are heard. We have been making the very same points as those articulated by Dr Dawoud, for example, about the proposed changes to 'banding' and pay protection arrangements. The BDA also joined our medical colleagues in organising a ballot for potential industrial action.

That this is the first such ballot in the BDA's history demonstrates the importance we attach to this issue. Dentists voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action, and following the disappointing failure in negotiations, will now stand alongside their medical colleagues in taking action. This is not a step that any healthcare professional takes lightly, but the BDA is supporting junior dentists in their fight against the threat of imposed and unwanted changes that will harm clinicians and patients.

1. London