BDIA Dental Showcase 2026 was about connection, and brought the dental community closer together, including the profession, industry, academia and government. With every member of the dental team, product specialists, and those behind life-changing legislation all under one roof, professionals were able to have the conversations that matter most.
A look at legislation
The Excel London hosted Chief Dental Officer England Jason Wong and Ali Sparke, Director for Dentistry, Community Pharmacy and Optometry for NHS England, on the BDIA Main Stage, which was sponsored by Oral-B.
They spoke about NHS contract reform, amended to be fit for the future amid changing priorities. In the spotlight is the sharing of information between regulators, including NHS England and the GDC, as well as attempts to tackle problems identified by frontline professionals. Ali Sparke noted that the payment and quality reforms were designed to ensure that the available NHS budget would most benefit those in need of urgent support from the profession.
Out of this world
The BDIA Main Stage also welcomed expert speakers from outside of dental care.
Technology journalist Spencer Kelly, sponsored by Hello Pearl, allayed fears surrounding AI, making clear the human impact on everyday interactions and key clinical workflows, whilst recognising its strengths and how delegates can learn to work with it.
Attendee Dr Oni S noted:
“Spencer Kelly was very informative about AI, and I will take that knowledge back with me to my practice.”
Focus then switched to design as a medium for expression, but also how it can help patients process emotions, with a session featuring design connoisseur Kelly Hoppen CBE, supported by Dental Directory. Hoppen discussed her own dental fears, and how she has helped professionals reinterpret wellness and healthcare spaces to create comfort and calm in anxious patients.
Mary Portas OBE later held court as ‘Queen of Shops’, dissecting how practices can create a sense of community, in a talk sponsored by DeNovo Dental Partners. She reflected on the importance of being human, and using technology to enhance creativity but not rely upon it – and why patients look at this alongside cost and sustainability when assessing their choices.
A deeper look at dentistry
It wouldn’t be BDIA Dental Showcase without clinical talks. Spread across the Oral Health Theatre, Business Theatre, ADI Implantology Theatre (supported by the Association of Dental Implantology), LAB Theatre (founded with Skillbond) and the Clinical Excellence Workshops, clinicians were spoilt for choice.
Multi-award-winning dental therapist Cat Edney featured in the Oral Health Theatre, in a talk sponsored by Align Technology, and another about the difference ultrasonic tip design can create on clinical outcomes, sponsored by NSK. Attendees developed an understanding of how the solutions can be used in minimally invasive therapy, with Edney fielding questions from a heavily engaged audience.
Visitor Emily Tennison said:
“The speaker was 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.”
Dr Alaa Bani Hani further engaged with the theme of minimally invasive care, as she looked at the management of caries in paediatric patients. Her session, sponsored by Oral-B, delved into the safe use of solutions including silver diamine fluoride, and how clinicians can use it safely without adverse aesthetic risks.
A team effort
A key takeaway from this year’s installation of BDIA Dental Showcase was a collective drive to enact skill mix throughout care, transforming theory into action.
In the Oral Health Theatre, Miranda Steeples explored the potential for the role of the oral health practitioner, and its potential impact in wider community spaces, from care homes to pharmacies.
On the BDIA Main Stage, the “Leadership in Motion” panel – featuring and celebrating Sara Hurley CBE, Fiona Sandom MBE, Roz McMullan OBE and Linda Greenwall MBE – the topic was again raised. McMullan, a long-standing mental health campaigner, noted each team members role in supporting patients more holistically, with the chance to notice and act upon mental health needs for both patients and clinicians.
Chief Dental Officer England Jason Wong also moderated a discussion surrounding skill mix in the CDO Theatre, tabling insights from a dental nurse, clinical dental technician and dental hygienist on the importance of their roles, and how they can be used best if everyone understands their abilities.
“Skill mix is a cultural issue for dentistry,” said Wong, recognising its importance and need for implementation in today’s care.
Hands-on learning
The Clinical Excellence Workshops ensured clinicians gained hands-on experience with new products and techniques, transforming their clinical capabilities.
Admetec hosted a session with Dr Jaz Gulati and Cat Edney, putting their loupes and Flamingo camera in the spotlight to see how these solutions can enhance the patient connection.
Following the workshop, attendee L. Sage said:
“Jaz and Cat were a great, funny, well-informed team, and brilliant lecturers. Both the content and products, it was great that it was ‘hands-on’ to really experience the Flamingo loupes.”
Everything you could ask for
BDIA Dental Showcase 2026 proudly offered access to the entire industry, with show-exclusive deals ensuring professionals could find effective solutions at the best possible price.
Sonia Prashar, Owner of Belmont Dental Practice, reflected on BDIA Dental Showcase:
“It was very informative, with lots of different products – everything was under one roof. Our main aim was to come and get a new dental chair as we’re expanding our practice, and we have got what we wanted.”
Ani Mereuta, a Dental Nurse at Malmin Dental, also said:
“It has been a good show, I came for CPDs and to see anything new. I’ve now got a list of things to go through with my team at the practice.”
For more information about BDIA Dental Showcase and future events, please visit www.dentalshowcase.com
5th-6th March 2027
Excel London
