The mouth is the gateway to the body, which means oral health helps shape overall health. Improved dental care can therefore reduce the risk of chronic health conditions and increase quality of life for patients.
To enhance education in this area for all members of the dental team, BDIA Dental Showcase 2026 programmed a diverse schedule at the Oral Health Theatre, held across the 2-day event.
Kicking things off was Dr Reena Wadia’s session “Mastering Perio Communication”. As the founder of RW Perio, Reena is a global gum specialist, and her talk focused on communication as the principal factor for perio failures. This entailed the impact of sandwiching positivity to the patient; letting them know that dental professionals can help, but it is ultimately up to them to maintain their oral hygiene to a healthy standard. A checklist for patient acceptance was also demonstrated, identifying the moment when the patient understands what to do, and how they will enact the change needed.
J. Furniss attended the talk, stating, “Reena was very informative and a great speaker”.
Emphasis was placed on emergency care during Beth Hallissey’s presentation on “Basic Life Support & Medical Emergencies Training”, which detailed the warning signs of conditions such as cardiorespiratory arrest, hypoglycaemia and epilepsy. This was an invaluable talk that topped up life support knowledge for members of the dental team whilst linking to the role that the dental team has in protecting overall health too.
Cat Edney, founder of The Modern Therapist, led two fascinating sessions. The first, “Digital Insights: Revolutionising Periodontal Communication”, was sponsored by Align and promoted how the iTero intraoral scanner can transform the daily workflow, engaging the dental team and the patients with its educational value and how it simplifies communication with visual aids.
Using a case study to show how patients respond to images and scans, such as ones highlighting recession or occlusal issues, Cat acknowledged that dental hygienists and dental therapists should be putting themselves out of business, with patients no longer returning to the practice because they have been so successfully educated and motivated to maintain an effective oral hygiene routine.
Cat’s second talk, sponsored by NSK, delved into ultrasonic tip design, and how dental practitioners can achieve optimal outcomes in periodontal care including at the supragingival level.
Gileta Golshani, a dental nurse, enjoyed the session and the rest of the Oral Health Theatre programme:
“Overall, [there were] great speakers that were informative and good for refreshing my knowledge and catching up with new updates. I would recommend BDIA Dental Showcase as it is good for networking, expanding your knowledge, and trying to find out about new products.”
For dental nurses, Preetee Hylton, President of the British Association of Dental Nurses, (BADN) promoted the role of soft skills and what the oral health team can learn from dental nurses. This covered communication, teamwork, professionalism and ethics, stress management, and being patient-centered – a truly comprehensive breakdown of every part of the dental nurse’s role that leads to a superior patient experience, as well as better engagement and growth.
Marita Eisaka, a dental nurse, found the talk useful, commenting, “[Preetee] was very bubbly and motivational. The topic was very well presented and explained; a practical guide on how to improve every day communication in practice and make the patient journey pleasant.”
One of the overarching themes at the Oral Health Theatre was the pivotal role that dental nurses play, but are perhaps not always recognised for. Esteemed educator Fiona Ellwood, Dental Nurse Registrant and Associate Professor and Director of Dental Education at Lincoln University, reframed the narrative in her talk, “Dental Nursing Leadership and Decontamination Leads”, highlighting the leadership qualities that may be overlooked. Following a notable surge in patient anxiety around infection control post-pandemic, Fiona inspired attendees to take on leadership roles and affirmed that the dental hierarchy does not equal a leadership pyramid – nobody should assume that they are the leader.
Beyond the Oral Health Theatre, dental hygienists / therapists and dental nurses benefitted from opportunities like the skill mix session at the CDO Theatre and Linzy Baker’s (Dental Therapist at The One to One Dental Clinic) presentation at the ADI Theatre on how implant success is a team sport – one dependent on each member of the dental team playing their role. These talks further solidify BDIA Dental Showcase as the must-attend event for dentists, dental hygienists / therapists and dental nurses.
Emily Tennison has attended BDIA Dental Showcase several times, and listened to several talks. She shares her feedback:
“The speakers in the Oral Health Theatre were very engaging and the content was informative. BDIA Dental Showcase is a great opportunity to network with other professionals, and I always come away feeling motivated and inspired. I would recommend the showcase to others.”
An exciting confluence of CPD talks, exhibition stands and headline speakers, BDIA Dental Showcase 2026 was a resounding reminder of the power of community and how the whole dental team can level up together.
For more information about BDIA Dental Showcase and future events, please visit www.dentalshowcase.com
5th-6th March 2027
Excel London
