Northern powerhouse welcomes 2017 British Orthodontic Congress

“Our first conference in Manchester in 2013 was already one of the best-attended conferences we ever had, and with the Central Convention Centre, we also have a very modern and contemporary venue that proved very popular among the conference-goers four years ago,” he said. “Manchester itself is a great city. All the amenities and attractions are very central. The conference hotel, for example, is located right next to the congress venue and the nearby Gothic-inspired town hall will be a great backdrop for our social events.”

Social is indeed the key, according to Jones, who said: “We spent a lot on our social programme in 2016 in Brighton, and it was very well received. Therefore, we are continuing with that format this year.”

He also stated the conference will be offering something for everyone in the orthodontic team. In addition to the annual conference of the Orthodontic Technicians Association, which will run parallel to the main congress in the same venue, there will be full-day sessions for affiliate professionals including practice support staff, nurses and orthodontic therapists.

“We expect around a third of attendees to be non-orthodontists, so we are offering three days of parallel programmes and a whole day of lectures on important things like business development, management and other non-clinical skills,” Jones said.

In addition to traditional topics in this year’s clinical programme, he said that there will be emphasis on recent developments, such as lingual orthodontics, which will be the focus of this year’s Northcroft memorial lecture. Also in the spotlight will be digitalisation, the pros and cons of which will be discussed in detail during a special session on the second day of the conference.

“There are some questions about some of the technologies in terms of how they actually enhance the patient experience,” he explained. “Some early adaptors of digital technology argue that the new workflow eliminates impressions and speeds up the manufacturing of appliances, offering some advantage in the outcomes of treatment. There are other people on the spectrum however who argue that this trend is actually driven mainly by the manufacturers, as they are making a lot more money out of digitally designed appliances than of traditional appliances.”

“There isn’t a lot of research yet to support the assertion that digital technologies actually enhance the patient experience or improve results. That is why we have structured the session as a debate to have both sides of the story,” Jones added.

Plans are in the making to use the congress as a platform to raise awareness among the general public and dentists of the importance of retention. A nationwide campaign is scheduled to be launched in Manchester.

More information and news from this year’s conference are available at the official congress website, www.bos.org.uk/BOC-Manchester-2017, and www.dental-tribune.co.uk.