The tenth anniversary of the Orthodontic National Group (ONG) was celebrated in June when supporters, members and special guests gathered to salute the success of orthodontic nurses.

ONG chair, Janet Robins said: ‘I have to start some 12 years ago. Ian Hawthorn and Steve Jones encouraged orthodontic nurses to participate in the then multi-group orthodontic conference with a half-day programme. From these early days Alex Moss and myself, with the help of Julia Dixon, who has since emigrated to America, collected interested dental nurses together to form ONG.’

Dame Margaret Seward was at the event to hear the praise and gratitude for her vision when, as President of the BDA, she organised a Professionals Complementary to Dentistry conference, and which continued when, as president of the General Dental Council, Dame Margaret facilitated meetings at the Department of Health and at the GDC.

It's a source of great pride to ONG that it holds such a successful nurses's meeting as part of the annual British Orthodontic Conference and Mrs Robins thanked successive conference chairmen for giving orthodontic nurses the freedom to develop their programme. She also thanked the British Orthodontic Society for their support and presented Geoff Webb, current BOS Chairman, with an engraved crystal vase (pictured).