Melanie Casagrande Rodrigues Jorge, a 4th year student at the University of Birmingham School of Dentistry, has been crowned the winner of the inaugural BDCDS 2026 Student Competition for her concept, ‘Breaking Language Barriers in Dentistry: AI-Driven Global Communication by 2040.’
The competition, launched earlier this year as part of the 2026 campaign theme ‘Shape the future of dentistry’, invited students from years 3-5 at the University of Birmingham School of Dentistry to submit concepts exploring this theme. Submissions were reviewed by a distinguished judging panel including BDCDS advisory board members Fiona Ellwood, Rachel Derby and Monica Neil, as well as editor of BDJ Student David Westgarth, and University of Birmingham representatives.
The three finalists, Melanie Casagrande Rodrigues Jorge, Christy Ng and Dalia Najim, presented their ideas live on the buzzy Friday of BDCDS 2026, in the Next Generation Conference theatre at NEC Birmingham, where the overall winner was declared.
Melanie’s award-winning entry envisioned an AI-powered clinical translation system integrated into every stage of the dental appointment, from real-time speech translation trained on dental-specific terminology to bilingual clinical records and AI-verified consent. Judges praised the entry as an excellent representation of forward thinking, describing it as a novel concept targeting a real-world problem with thoughtful insight and a thorough appraisal of the opportunities and challenges it presents.
David Westgarth, editor of BDJ Student and judge, said: ‘The standard of the three entrants was excellent and is testament to the programme at the University of Birmingham. On behalf of the judges I’d like to congratulate all of the finalists for such strong presentations and slick ideas. Melanie’s award-winning entry stood out and impressed all of the judges for the comprehensive nature she told the story and truly found a solution to a very real problem.’
Melanie Casagrande Rodrigues Jorge said: ‘I am so happy and truly honoured to have won this competition. This concept is very close to my heart. When I came to the UK, I was lucky enough to be proficient in English, but for many people that isn’t the case. Language barriers can still present challenges, and for those with little or no English, the experience can be even more isolating. Language barriers in healthcare can leave patients feeling vulnerable and misunderstood at the times they need support most. If we can harness AI to bridge that gap in dentistry, we can make care truly accessible for everyone, regardless of the language they speak.’
Dr Upen Patel, Head of the University of Birmingham School of Dentistry, added: ‘I am incredibly proud of all three students for the calibre of work they produced and the confidence with which they presented their ideas. This competition is a brilliant initiative that gives our students a platform to think creatively about the future of the profession, and I hope we can continue to build on it in the years to come.’
As overall winner, Melanie receives a money-can’t-buy prize including the opportunity to shadow David Westgarth at a leading industry conference and networking event, along with an opportunity to write a conference report for BDJ in Practice.
