The British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT) today launch the theme for their Oral Health Conference and Exhibition which takes place on 15 and 16 November 2013 at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in the heart of Birmingham.
The theme of this year’s Conference – ‘Looking Beyond the Obvious’ is explained by BSDHT President Elect, Michaela ONeill: ‘The days when a hygienist or therapist looked exclusively at the oral health of the patient are gone – and rightly so because that’s no longer good enough!
‘Each patient is different, and at a different stage in their life and as clinicians we must take a broader, more holistic, approach to their care. This means treating not only the physical or visual problems the patient presents but being aware of wider issues such as mental wellbeing, stress, or the effects of old age. All of these can have an enormous impact on the oral health of the patient.
‘And that’s what this year’s Conference is all about – Looking Beyond the Obvious – and by doing so, not simply treating the patient’s teeth, but treating the whole patient. The aim is to give delegates an insight into the sorts of problems they may encounter when taking a more holistic approach and, most importantly, providing advice and guidance on how to overcome those problems.
‘If you look at the Programme we’ve put together this year you’ll see that, over the two days, this is a recurring theme, and one that we hope will ‘future proof’ our members for what lies ahead for the profession in the coming years.’
To promote the theme of this year’s Conference BSDHT have launched a new logo which visually depicts the journey of a tooth from childhood to old age. The logo will be used in all Conference literature to reinforce the theme.
As always the Conference will incorporate a large exhibition where delegates can visit numerous trade stands, meet colleagues and friends from the profession, and look for the best deals and the newest products or services on offer in terms of dental supplies and services.
The full Conference and Exhibition Programme will soon be available online at http://www.bsdht.org.uk/ and registration for the event opens in August 2013.
