BDA

BDA Conference Manchester 2015

So this weekend it was the BDA conference in Manchester - what a weekend!


The conference was held from the Thursday to the Saturday, the first two days seemed to be full to bursting of foundation dentists like me. Most of the schemes across the country had made at least one of the days compulsory. It was great to see so many familiar faces, swapping stories from life in practice and to gossip in general!

Much like the Dentistry Show and the BDIA showcase, this weekend was not just a weekend of CPD and socialising - the exhibition allowed us to check out the latest products, chat to reps and of course to get ample samples and freebies!

I managed to part with close to a grand for my Loupes (from Optiloupe). To see how I've gotten along with them, see my review here

Lectures


There were plenty of opportunities for CPD over the weekend with lectures held throughout the day in multiple rooms from some great speakers. 

Some of the highlights were; Alignment, Bleaching and Bonding with Tif Qureshi (this will really change the way you think about lower anterior crowding especially!), Richard Field's talk on ICON (if anyone wants to practise on me give me a buzz) and Basil Mizmari's talk on ceramic restorations.

Not only were there lectures, there were demonstrations like medical emergencies and also sessions where you could have your say.

Being a recent graduate, the Young Dentist panel held on the Friday morning was a really interesting and reassuring session where I could empathise which what worries young dentists have at the moment. Whilst a lot of concerns revolved around the GDC ARF hike and the new NHS contract, there was also a lot of talk about whether we receive adequate training before we graduate. 

There has been many a time during my foundation year where I have doubted my ability as a dentist - mostly when I have been unable to extract a tooth or when I can't quite get to the apex during a root canal treatment. With so much theory to learn which only grows as the years go by, is it really a surprise that younger dentists are getting less and less clinical work? I think what everyone agreed is that we need to support each other as a profession. In our careers we will continuously be learning and developing our skills, but we need to know our limits and when to ask for help. 

Getting involved as a BDA member is therefore essential! Our trade union supports us and lobbies on our behalf - we can't just sit back and assume other people will be acting in our interests. Getting involved in local meetings is not only a way to show support and receive support when you need it, but networking in this way can help when you are looking for jobs and is just a nice way to get involved socially instead of becoming isolated in the box that is your dental surgery.




And of course I just need to mention how much fun the Spring Ball was on the Friday night - fab to see everyone and who can resist an opportunity to dress up?!

Did you go to the BDA conference? Which lectures did you enjoy the most? What do you think about the future of young dentists in today's climate? Please leave your comments in the section below!


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