As the new PM, Liz Truss puts her new administration together and sets out her policies, the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) sets out its ‘Blueprint to improve children’s oral health’ – with specific guidance on how best to get paediatric dentistry in the UK back on track.

The Society’s message to the PM’s new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Therese Coffey, is a list of the following 10 steps:

BSPD’s Blueprint to improve children’s oral health

1. Every child and young person (CYP) should have a dental home
2. Deliver a Dental Check by One (DCby1) before every baby’s first birthday
3. Support vulnerable groups (asylum seeking children, looked after children and those in poverty) by expanding supervised toothbrushing schemes in early years settings, community water fluoridation and increasing the free school meals offer
4. Drive an equitable recovery of general anaesthetic (GA) services
5. Enable effective and funded Managed Clinical Networks (MCN)
6. Oversee true integration of oral health, with initiatives such as Mini Mouth Care Matters (MMCM)
7. Ensure targeted, evidence-based intervention for vulnerable groups such as Looked After Children, CYP with learning disabilities and/or autism
8. Upskill and contractually enable primary dental care practitioners to provide evidence-based interventions using schemes such as Child Friendly / Focused Dental Practices (CFDP)
9. Support and develop the whole oral healthcare team
10. Expand the paediatric dental workforce – including provision of tier 2 services and recruiting community based specialists and consultants

The coming months will see BSPD focus attention on vulnerable groups in our communities as the priority. These groups include neglected children, children living in poverty (an alarming percentage of the population will be less able to afford toothbrushes and toothpaste this winter), asylum seekers and refugees. If put into action, the Society’s blueprint would ensure that those most in need will be supported.

Professor Claire Stevens CBE, BSPD’s spokesperson, said: “Our message to Liz Truss and Therese Coffey is: If you put the Society’s blueprint into action, we will be ensuring those most in need will be supported. We have to remember that tooth decay remains the leading reason for hospital admissions among 5-to-9-year-olds. This is wholly unacceptable when we consider that dental caries is a largely preventable disease.”

Photo credit: BSPD, Photographer, Roger Moody

British Society of Paediatric Dentistry to focus on children’s rights with inauguration of new president

As BSPD members prepare to gather for the first post-pandemic ‘in-person’ annual scientific conference in Sheffield, from 15-16 September, the Society welcomes president-elect, Dr Jenny Harris, who takes up the position of President of BSPD for 2022/3. Professor Sondos Albadri, the current president will hand over to Jenny and, as she takes over the reins, Dr Harris explains how children’s rights will be centre-stage for the Society during her presidential year. Jenny will be using her position as a springboard to lead discussion on a number of issues that affect children’s lives – and the following will be the three key areas of focus:

1. Children’s right to information that they can understand about their oral health and wellbeing
2. Children’s right to be protected from harm and the role dental professionals should play in safeguarding them from maltreatment
3. Children’s right to extra help and special care if they have a disability

Insights based on clinical experience

Dr Jenny Harris is a Consultant in Community Paediatric Dentistry, at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – and she will bring to her presidential role experience in a number of dentistry sectors including community dental services, as well as hospital and academic posts.  Jenny leads a team working in a variety of clinic and school settings across Sheffield, often reaching children and young people experiencing significant health inequalities.  Her clinical interests are in treatment provision for anxious children and those with extensive dental caries, and for children with communication impairment, learning disabilities and complex needs.

Dr Jenny Harris, said: “Most of my patients are referred by their paediatricians or other health or social care professionals because of their complex additional needs. It’s a privilege to build a rapport with families over time and see how, with the right support and preventive care in place, this can positively impact their oral health – with a good attendance pattern and reduced treatment needs going into adulthood.”

Dentistry’s role in safeguarding children

Paediatric dentistry in the UK owes a lot to BSPD’s President-Elect, Dr Jenny Harris. Her clinical background and research and teaching interests have seen her focus on safeguarding children, particularly producing pioneering guidance on child dental neglect. The NSPCC, in 2018, awarded her Honorary Membership of Council in recognition of her contribution to their work on health matters and ‘the development and promotion of safeguarding practice in dentistry’. In 2004 she initiated and led a project to develop an educational resource for dental teams, Child Protection and the Dental Team: an introduction to safeguarding children in dental practice (2006, updated 2013).¹  This book, full of practical guidance, went to every dental practice in England, Scotland and beyond, and many changes in practice followed its publication.  It remains available as a website, now hosted by the British Dental Association (BDA). More recently, Jenny with colleague Dr Jen Kirby developed a ‘Was Not Brought’ pathway to ensure children’s needs are considered in relation to missed appointments.^2,3

Dr Harris is also hoping to oversee the publication of an update to BSPD’s dental neglect policy document⁴ during her year.  This was first published in 2009, with Jenny as the lead author – and, as part of the working group, she is anticipating sharing the revised iteration soon.

UK paediatric dentistry – a year of challenges and opportunities

BSPD acknowledges that the coming year will offer both challenges and opportunities. The opportunity to host the first face-to-face post-pandemic annual scientific conference will allow members to gather and learn together.  This is BSPD’s moment to bring delegates together and share insights. In the year ahead, Jenny is looking forward to the chance to work with the Society’s thirteen regional branches. The Society will also be reviewing and responding to members’ feedback from its recent priorities survey, an initiative instigated by Professor Albadri.

Dr Jenny Harris said: “Thankfully dental caries has declined over the years but still 25% of 5-year-olds have decay when they start school, and up to 56% in the more deprived areas. The pandemic has only served to worsen these inequalities. Now is the time to focus in earnest on improving oral health.  Advocating for this is central to BSPD’s mission statement, alongside supporting the provision of high quality, accessible oral healthcare throughout the UK.  However, challenges being faced by the profession across all sectors of dentistry include the struggle to manage the post-pandemic backlog of patients waiting for appointments – exacerbated by practitioners leaving the profession and difficulty recruiting new staff. Our general dental practitioner colleagues tell us that contract reforms need to go so much further.

“Services are under pressure and there is concern nationally about paediatric dentistry, particularly in relation to long waits for general anaesthesia.  We urge dental professionals who care about children to stay with us during this difficult period. I want to encourage BSPD members to ‘weather the storm’ and continue doing the great job that they are doing. Furthermore, we must continue to train specialists for hospital and community posts in underserved parts of the country so that every child who needs to see a specialist can do so.”

Delivering on BSPD’s mission

Dr Jenny Harris will focus on continuing to deliver for BSPD on the Society’s mission and strategy. One of the first initiatives Jenny plans is to conduct a training workshop in collaboration with The UK Committee for UNICEF’s (UNICEF UK), Child Friendly Cities & Communities programme for BSPD’s Executive Committee – on upholding children’s rights – and then to apply that to the work of BSPD.

A personal perspective

When asked why she had dedicated over 30 years to paediatric dentistry in a career spanning clinical practice, teaching and research, Jenny said: “I feel that the simple satisfaction of restoring a child’s oral health is the driving factor. I enjoy teaching children the coping skills to manage dental procedures without anxiety. Providing continuity of care and building trust and rapport with families is very rewarding.”

Asked why she commits her time to the work of BSPD, Jenny said: “I believe that if you are in the room where decisions are made together, we can change things. I passionately believe we need to step up and make a difference for our patients.  Early on in my career I was given advice that when you speak up that things aren’t right – you must also be prepared to be part of the solution.  I’ve taken that to heart!”

References

1. Harris J, Sidebotham P, Welbury R with Townsend M, Green M, Goodwin J and Franklin C. Child Protection and the Dental Team: an introduction to safeguarding children in dental practice. Sheffield: COPDEND, 2006 (website updated 2013). www.bda.org/childprotection
2. Kirby J, Harris JC. Development and evaluation of a ‘Was Not Brought’ pathway: a team approach to managing children’s missed dental appointments. British Dental Journal 2019; 227: 291-297. doi: 10.1038/s41415-019-0621-z
3. British Dental Association, Harris J, Kirby J. Implementing ‘Was Not Brought’ in your practice: a tool for safeguarding children who miss appointments. August 2019. www.bda.org/safeguarding
4. Harris JC, Balmer RC, Sidebotham PD (2009). British Society of Paediatric Dentistry: a policy document on dental neglect in children. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 28(5): e14-e21. First published online: May 14 2009. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-263X.2009.00996.x e14-e21

With the introduction of 8 translations into languages most commonly spoken by asylum seeking children and their families, BSPD’s Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth is now available in a total of 9 languages.  Since its original publication in English in 2016 and then subsequent translation into Ukrainian earlier this year, the Society has recently undertaken translating this valuable patient-facing educational tool into an additional 7 languages spoken by asylum seeking children and young people in the UK.

The BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth, has become a key resources for parents and carers and is now available for free on the BSPD website for a wider audience, reaching some of the most vulnerable in our communities. The BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth, is now available on the BSPD website in the following 9 languages:

1. English
2. Ukrainian
3. Kurdish
4. Amharic
5. Persian
6. Arabic
7. Pashto
8. Dari
9. Tigrinya

Now translated into the languages commonly spoken by asylum seekers in the UK, parents and carers of children and young people either in the UK or abroad, can take advantage of this essential information guide which covers all aspects of oral healthcare for children from birth to age 16.  It also aims to bust some of the incorrect and sometimes damaging myths about teeth and oral care.

BSPD aiming for dental disease-free generation

With dental decay remaining as one of the most common reasons for a child to be admitted to a hospital in the UK, BSPD is taking positive steps to ensure that the key messages reach more parents from birth. The Society’s aim is to improve children’s oral health – and this mission is one the Society wants to share with a diverse global community, focusing on those children who are most vulnerable and in need.

The practical guide starts with advice on caring and cleaning your baby’s teeth, dummy usage, food and drink tips and also includes why fluoride is so vital.  It then moves on to cover caring for children’s teeth from age 6-plus up to the emergence of all adult teeth and how a young person should be shown how to take on the responsibility of caring for their teeth for life.  This resource also gives the five golden tips on teeth brushing covering appropriate amounts of fluoride based on age and when and how to brush baby teeth.

Professor Sondos Albadri, President, BSPD said: “Every child in the UK deserves good oral health and we know that our Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth is an invaluable tool for parents and carers allowing them to understand the essentials of dental care. The response to the introduction of our Ukrainian translation showed us that there is a real need for us to make this resource available to help support the oral health of vulnerable children and young people who are particularly in need right now. BSPD is focusing on ensuring oral health guidance for infants and children is easily accessible and freely available – to everyone.”

Professor Claire Stevens CBE, BSPD’s media spokesperson said: “Dental caries is largely a preventable disease and our guide covers the oral care essentials with a focus on maintaining a good dental care regime.  Our aim is to make dental services fair and equitable to all – and we must target the most vulnerable in our communities to allow them to access the information they need to help themselves keep their families’ teeth healthy.  This will benefit the individuals but also the dental health profession and the NHS – as we work our way back to being fighting fit.  All children between the ages of 0 and 16 deserve access to a good oral health start in life.”

The new translations of the guide are now available alongside the English version in the Patient resources area of the BSPD website – where they are available for consulting or downloading.

1. English version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
2. Ukrainian version BSPD Practical Guilde to Children’s Teeth
3. Kurdish version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
4. Amharic version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
5. Persian version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
6. Arabic version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
7. Pashto version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
8. Dari version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
9. Tigrinya version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth

Whilst currently there is no confirmed UK case of polio, UKHSA have issued a statement recognising the potential severity. So BSPD believes that as part of ‘Making Every Contact Count’ (MECC) and our commitment to provide holistic care for our patients, that this is the ideal opportunity for dentists to play their role. 

Dentists will be asking about patients’ vaccination status as part of the routine medical history. BSPD believes that this is the moment to ask specifically about polio immunisation and recommends Dental Check by 1 (DCby1), as an ideal time to remind parents and carers to ensure their children’s immunisation records are up to date (DCby1 is BSPD’s campaign to get children into a dentist’s chair before their first birthday).

The polio virus causes a potentially debilitating and, in rare cases, deadly disease. The detection of polio virus is the first known UK community transmission for nearly four decades.  The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are urging the public to ensure polio vaccines are up to date, especially parents of young children who may have missed an immunisation opportunity. However, UKHSA  also reassured the public that “Vaccine-derived poliovirus is rare and the risk to the public overall is extremely low.”

Professor Sondos Albadri, BSPD President, said: “BSPD is keen to support MECC and it makes sense for our members to take this opportunity to spread the message about the importance of vaccination. We must not underestimate the danger of infectious diseases and would recommend paediatric dentists and GDPs seeing children – and their parents or carers – take this moment to discuss the polio virus vaccine, if they have not done so already. This is important advice for both child and adult. Good advice for patients includes checking a child’s Red Book or contacting their GP practice or health visitor to arrange an appointment. We know that vaccines are our best defence against potentially life changing or fatal viruses.”

The winners of the 2022 Max Horsnell Travel Award and National Student Elective prize have been announced by the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD).  These annual awards recognise vision and endeavour in the field of paediatric dentistry.

These BSPD prizes are awarded each year following a judging process for both that is overseen by three members of BSPD’s Conference Abstract and Prize Committee (CAPC).

Annabelle Carter won the BSPD Max Horsnell Travel Award 2022. 

The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry established this travel bursary to support BSPD members (excluding consultants and equivalent academic grades) who wish to present a poster or oral communication at scientific meetings of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry or the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry. An award of £500 is given towards travel costs to relevant dentistry conferences per annum.

Annabelle Carter from the Leeds Dental Institute submitted the winning paper entitled: Oral Health and Respiratory Health of Tube-Fed Children.  This is an Abstract for EAPD Conference 2022, Lisbon.  The objective of her poster is to determine the incidence of significant chest infections or aspiration pneumonia (CI/AP) for tube-fed children in Bradford, understanding the risk variables and the oral health of tube-fed children with a history of CI/AP. 92 patient records were reviewed between 2018-2020. Conclusions showed that tube-fed children are susceptible to respiratory infections and present with varying oral health. Further research is required to understand the link between oral health and respiratory health and what dental treatment regimens are required to optimise oral health, and subsequently respiratory health, for these vulnerable children.

Lilam Rai won the BSPD National Student Elective Prize 2022: 

This competition was open to BSPD student members who are intending to undertake an elective project within the year. Students submitted a summary of a maximum of 250 words, describing their proposed elective project involving the dental health of children. The winning student will have to submit a short report on their elective project once completed. One award of the value of £300 is given for the National Student Elective Prize to support the student’s elective project.

Lilam Rai

Lilam Rai from King’s College London submitted the winning elective project entitled: Dental aid to the children of Nepal. Lilam explained that dental professionals can grow personally and professionally when they step beyond the walls of their dental practice. With this in mind, Lilam will be using this elective as an opportunity to go back to her country of birth, Nepal, and give back to the community where people are devoid of basic dental care and oral health education. During Lilam’s elective, she will be joining a charity organisation, ‘Travel Dentistry Nepal’, run by Nepali dentists. She will visit the only community school present in a rural village called Sekham, where around 300 children, aged five to eighteen, study.  She will apply the skills learned from dental school to provide dental check-ups and supervised treatments to children. She will also extend oral care to children from Sekham who are not in full-time education. The treatments provided will range from prevention using fluoride varnish and/or fissure sealant, restorations with either glass ionomer cement, amalgam and/or composite, as well as extractions. She and her team expect to treat around 500 children over the course of ten days. In addition, she will help deliver oral health education and demonstrate good oral hygiene techniques to the children and their parents. They will also be distributing free oral hygiene aids.

Chair of the BSPD Conference Abstracts and Prizes Committee, Dr Chris Vernazza, said: “We were impressed with the high number and quality of the applications for both prizes this year for the Max Horsnell Travel Award and National Student Elective Prize. The vision and insight demonstrated by applicants indicates a bright future for the paediatric dentistry profession.”

A new Ukrainian language version of one of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry’s (BSPD) key resources for parents and carers – the BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth – is now available for free on the BSPD website.

The BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth was originally issued in 2016 in English and has become a valuable reference to those responsible for ensuring a child in their care has the best possible oral health start in life. 

Now translated for Ukrainian parents and carers of children and young people either in the UK or abroad, the guide covers all aspects of oral healthcare for children from birth to age 16.  It also aims to bust some of the incorrect and sometimes damaging myths about teeth and oral care.

BSPD aiming for dental disease-free generation

With dental decay remaining as one of the most common reasons for a child to be admitted to a hospital in the UK, BSPD is taking positive steps to ensure that the key messages reach more parents from birth. The Society’s aim is for a generation free from dental disease – and this mission is one the Society wants to share with a diverse global community, focusing on those children who are most vulnerable and in need.

The practical guide starts with advice on caring and cleaning your baby’s teeth, dummy usage, food and drink tips and also includes why fluoride is so vital.  It then moves on to cover caring for children’s teeth from age 6-plus up to the emergence of all adult teeth and how a young person should be shown how to take on the responsibility of caring for their teeth for life.  This resource also gives the five golden tips on teeth brushing covering appropriate amounts of fluoride based on age and when and how to brush baby teeth.

Professor Sondos Albadri, President, BSPD said: “We know what a valuable resource our guide to children’s teeth has been since we issued it, and it is important to make it available to help support the oral health of vulnerable children and young people who are particularly in need right now. There will be many health and wellbeing concerns for Ukrainian refugees, and BSPD wants to ensure that easy access to the most essential oral health guidance for infants and children in their care is freely available.”

Professor Claire Stevens CBE, BSPD’s media spokesperson said: “We know there is a myth that baby teeth don’t matter. Baby teeth – or milk teeth – play a key role in holding the space for the second teeth to come through into.  However, baby teeth are much more susceptible to damage and decay because their enamel is thinner than it is in adult teeth. Our guide covers the oral care essentials – and much more – so that all children between the ages of 0 and 16 can have access to a good oral health start in life.”

The new Ukrainian guide is now available alongside the English version in the resources area of the BSPD website – where it’s available for consulting or downloading.

Ukrainian version BSPD Practical Guild to Children’s Teeth

English version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth

Joint-winners, both with initiatives supporting the wellbeing of looked-after children, have been awarded the BSPD 2022 Outstanding Innovation Award (OIA). Jemma Facenfield, is a co-winner for her ‘Dental Clinic for looked-after children and adolescents’ and Lucy Ridsdale joins her as a winner for her initiative – ‘Dental Care Pathways for looked-after children’.

Two other entries that, although they did not win impressed the judges, were Dr Christine Park recognised for her ‘Serious Game for the teaching and training of dental team professionals’ and the digital innovation of Armaana Ahmed’s ‘Live Mind Maps for children’s dentistry’ initiative was noted.

Joint-winners supporting looked-after children (LAC)

In a year where BSPD is shining a spotlight on the issues face by looked-after children, and how paediatric dentistry can support them, Jemma Facenfield and Lucy Ridsdale have both turned their creativity to look at different ways to bring colleagues together to identify and support the needs of our most vulnerable children in the UK.

Jemma, as part of Plymouth’s Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise (PDSE) operates a ‘Children in Care Clinic’, supporting children and young people in the care system, who are at risk of particularly poor oral health due to lack of access to dental services and living circumstances.  The clinic has extended its age criteria to 21 years, which means that young people leaving foster care can now be included.  The clinic adopts a trauma-informed approach working closely with both the child, the foster carer and health professionals to ensure the experience is as comfortable as possible.  The ‘Children in Care Clinic’ uses resources which include ‘Sensory Calming Kits’ and dental workbooks and offers tailored appointments that take an inclusive approach and are sensitive to the anxieties and needs of each child.

Lucy Ridsdale

Lucy’s ‘Dental Care Pathways’ project aims to improve dental care for LAC in Yorkshire and Humber. This pathway facilitates access to dental care for LAC and shares information about the children’s oral health with local authority and health teams. The pathway takes a child new to care through a process connecting the LAC health team to the foster carer inviting a dental assessment. Ultimately the child’s oral health status and needs are recorded in their personal care plan by the paediatrician and shared with the wider team supporting the child. Prior to implementing the pathway, paediatricians would not always undertake an oral assessment as part of the child’s health assessment. The pathway ensures this information has been provided and recorded by a dentist.

Jemma was recognised specifically for her dedication to improving health inequalities in children and engaging with different stakeholders to make a difference. The BSPD judges were impressed at how she led this project and developed all the resources to help support looked-after children and provide them with access to dental care. It is clear that Jemma led this initiative and worked hard to get this clinic set up. The resources are excellent and the testimonials provided were really inspiring.

Lucy was recognised for her dedication to improving health inequalities in children and providing a clear pathway for looked-after children. The judges were impressed with how she steered the project and rallied the support of the North Yorkshire and Humber Paediatric Dentistry MCN and LDC and LDN Chairs to put together this important care pathway. This pathway provides an impactful change to address the issue of health inequalities. There is the potential for this initiative to be rolled out nationally and have a long-lasting effect.

Professor Sondos Albadri, BSPD President, said: “The entries to this year’s BSPD Outstanding Innovation Awards were particularly inspiring. The theme of improving the oral health of looked-after children is a priority for BSPD and we were delighted to see not one, but two creative initiatives focused on improving the wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people.  We don’t usually award joint-winners of BSPD’s 2022 Outstanding Innovation Award, but the entries from Jemma and Lucy were both innovative and effective, but were coming at the challenge from different – yet complementary angles.”

About the other two entries of note, Professor Albadri said: “Christine’s ‘Serious Games’ is an excellent innovation in the area of safeguarding teaching and training of the dental team. It will be really interesting to see the impact the game will make and if those who were trained using the game will now act and make the appropriate referrals. Armaana’s ‘Live Mind Maps for children’s dentistry’ digital innovation is an interesting educational platform bringing resources together to facilitate learning. It has great potential and we are looking forward to future developments.”

Four exceptional dentists, who have all left an indelible legacy on the specialty of paediatric dentistry, have been awarded Honorary Life Membership of BSPD. Richard Welbury, Barbara Chadwick, Stephen Fayle and Linda Arch have all played important leadership roles, both clinically and personally, serving in different capacities on BSPD’s national executive.

Professor Richard Welbury CBE is a former President of BSPD as well as of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry. In 2015 he chaired the organising committee of the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry congress in Glasgow. He is internationally known for his textbook on paediatric dentistry.

Professor Barbara Chadwick MBE was for most of her career based at Cardiff University School of Dentistry, most recently as Director of Education and Students, where she inspired many young dentists to choose paediatric dentistry as a career pathway.

A national spokesperson for BSPD, Stephen Fayle has been a Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Leeds Dental Institute (LDI) for most of his career. His influence has been felt throughout the UK due to his unstinting 25-year commitment to the wider NHS and national professional societies.

At the invitation of the Chief Dental Officer for England, Sara Hurley, he has led on the NHS Commissioning Standard for Specialist Paediatric Dentistry and he has been Chair of the Managed Clinical Network for Paediatric Dentistry in Yorkshire and Humber.

Linda Arch combined roles as a clinician, a researcher, a lecturer and a mentor.  The contribution she made to the Merseyside branch was enormous, serving in most branch roles; at national level she served as a Secretary for BSPD. As a postgraduate tutor for Health Education England she ran courses in paediatric dentistry.

All four life memberships were announced at the 2021 annual conference hosted by the Merseyside branch and are due to be presented at a study day in Liverpool in 2022.

Professor Claire Stevens CBE, BSPD’s Spokesperson, said: “All four members have played an exceptional role in BSPD’s story over the last three decades and we are very happy that they will all remain part of the Society to which they have given so much.”

November sees the departure of BSPD’s PR consultant, Caroline Holland, who has developed and finessed the media relations role – promoting the mission and purpose of the Society – over the last seven years.

Caroline’s vision for BSPD has meant that over this period the Society is now seen as the go-to authority voice on matters of paediatric dentistry. With a raised profile and awareness, BSPD now sees itself called upon by media to give an informed opinion on behalf of the UK’s leading paediatric clinical and research professionals. She has overseen a new consistency to oral healthcare messaging and a greater awareness amongst both the dental profession, and the general public of the latest developments in children’s oral health and the Society’s recommended preventative approach.

This new era of collaboration during which Caroline has been a leading force along with BSPD’s spokesperson, Professor Claire Stevens and the Society’s Presidents has also enabled the BSPD to take a significant role in influencing policy – engaging with special interest groups and political decision makers. The result is that today, BSPD is now in a strong position to campaign for and implement improvements in children’s oral health in the UK.

Professor Claire Stevens CBE, Spokesperson, BSPD said: “We are very sad to say goodbye to Caroline and wish her well. As I reflect back over the last seven years, I believe her key achievements are the support she gave to developing BSPD’s mission to improve the oral health of children and young people and the development of the Society’s position statements on key issues.

“Caroline strove to focus on highlighting the wide-ranging knowledge and skills that a paediatric dentist must have in order to treat children, who present with the most complex challenges. She recognised, and was keen to promote, the restorative skills needed to treat young people who have suffered trauma. She understood both the restorative and orthodontic skills required to treat children who have a complex genetic condition – and their specialist skills in periodontology, or oral surgery. She promoted paediatric dentistry specialists’ ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team.

She appreciated the dedication needed by these experts who specialise in managing children and young people, as well as their parents, with kindness and respect.”

Professor Claire Stevens added: “She has also facilitated a new structure to engage our Society’s 13 regional branches – and achieved excellent media coverage for our annual conferences.

“Another of Caroline’s stand-out achievements was being instrumental in the strategic design of BSPD’s launch of Dental Check By One (DCby1) which is one of the Society’s great successes in recent years. Caroline managed to get the message out to the wider public through achieving press coverage on TV and in national press. We know that taking your baby to the dentist when their teeth first come through or by the age of one at the latest gets them off to a healthy start. It is this insight that drove the Society’s flagship Dental Check By One campaign – which is now established as national guidance in the UK. BSPD is immensely proud of DCby1 – and the work that Caroline did to support its launch.”

BSPD stretches back over almost 70 years and throughout its history, has campaigned for improving standards in children’s oral health. The last few years have seen a picking up of pace for the Society with its membership number doubling to more than 800 members – with a broadened membership profile.

Professor Claire Stevens added: “I am proud to say that Caroline gave BSPD the confidence to be ambitious. Her passion for the wellbeing of children and the role that good oral healthcare plays within that have been her enduring focus and we at the Society have undoubtably benefited from her drive and determination – as she leaves BSPD’s reputation at an elevated level.”

The role of PR consultant to BSPD will be taken over from November by Kate Clark who can be contacted at kate@kateclarkpr.co.uk / 07990 525639.