Three themes, multiple speakers, total engagement

This year, the study day, already fully booked prior to the start of the conference, has three themes that reflect current multidisciplinary issues facing those working across dentistry, education and healthcare. These themes are as follows:

Theme 1: Understanding the scope and impact of bullying, harassment and violence on children and their families, students, trainees and clinicians
Dr Christine Goodall of Medics Against Violence will open with a keynote address about the role that dentists have in the prevention of violence in the family. Dr Elizabeth Nassem will follow with a presentation that aims to help attendees understand the complexity of bullying among children and developing effective strategies to reduce it. The session will continue with Dr Neil Nairn, a dentist and lecturer at the University of Glasgow, who will discuss the effect and prevention of bullying and mental ill health of dental students. The session will be closed by Simon Fleming, who we are delighted to welcome after his success with the #HammerItOut campaign. Fleming will present his thoughts on the changing culture of bullying, harassment and undermining in the NHS.

Theme 2: Consent and communication
We are honoured to welcome Lauren Sutherland, QC, of Ampersand Stable Edinburgh, who was part of the legal team in the landmark consent case of Montgomery v. Lanarkshire Health Board, and who has recently published a book for doctors, lawyers and healthcare practitioners analysing the UK law on consent after the Montgomery ruling. We will continue with the first British Sign Language workshop held exclusively for BSPD conference attendees. Hosted by Liam McMulkin of the University of Dundee and Deaf Links Tayside, the workshop will aid participants’ understanding of how best to communicate with deaf people and will teach some dental-related signs to aid delivery of dentistry for children and their families.

Theme 3: Discovery and design in dental education
In the final session of the day, we will focus on innovations in discovery and design in dental education. The title of this session is inspired by Dundee, the location of the conference, which is known as the city of discovery and design. BSPD members and other interested parties have been invited to participate in an open forum. There will be a discussion around how to develop a strategy for implementing change in dental education at a time of widespread curriculum reform and development in undergraduate and postgraduate dentistry.

These themes have been chosen to engage the interests of all dentists, dental care professionals and students who are attending. It is hoped that attendees will experience an interesting, diverse and entertaining day, with opportunity to develop connections with other attendees and to enjoy a wealth of expertise and skill from those at the top of their fields.

Furthermore, for the first time, in 2018, the study day will host the undergraduate poster prize competition, and we look forward to viewing the work of our dental and DCP student colleagues from across the UK.

Registration for the study day is open at http://www.bspdconference.org/teachers-branch-study-day, where the full programme and learning objectives can be viewed. Six hours of CPD is available for attendees.

Editorial note: Dr Laura Gartshore is a senior lecturer and honorary consultant in paediatric dentistry at the University of Liverpool’s School of Dentistry.

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