A note from our President ...

As we progress towards the Spring (and won’t we all be glad of some improving weather!), the BSP Year is well underway, with lots of activity going on behind the scenes. The annual member subscriptions have been collected and membership details updated. I am glad that yet again, we have managed to keep the annual subscription at the same level as last year, and all of us on BSP Council are very much aware of the challenges created by the increased cost of living.

In March, we will be having the first of our four Council meetings for 2024 in London. We will hold three of these meetings in person, as it is so important to meet face-to-face regularly. Indeed, the very spirit of the BSP is built around friendship and collegiality, which is most effective when we actually get to see each other in person. One of the four Council meetings will be held online, however, as we are very much aware of the importance of sustainability, not only in regard to environmental concerns, but also to help reduce the overall running costs for the Society.

BSP have been again requested to participate in the British Dental Conference and Dentistry show, which will be held in Birmingham on 17-18 May. Both myself and Dr Devan Raindi will be giving presentations in the Specialty Interest theatre at the event (as always, supported by Paula Dunn and Jo Brown, our brilliant Executive General Manager and Assistant Manager, respectively). If you are attending the Conference, please be sure to visit the BSP stand and say hello.

Also, another date for your diary is Gum Health Day 2024. This is always held on May 12, and has the aim to increase public awareness of the importance of gum health. It is coordinated by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) and involves all of the EFP National Societies across Europe and beyond. Our EFP representative is Professor Luigi Nibali, and both Luigi and myself will be attending the EFP General Assembly meeting in April to represent the BSP.

Finally, it won’t be long until bookings open for the BSP Annual Conference, to be held on 9-11 October 2024 in the wonderful city of Newcastle upon Tyne. Please make a note in your diary, and look out for the announcements from BSP when registration opens. A stellar array of world-leading speakers has been lined up for your enjoyment!