Back in business

Josie Jackson discusses this year’s BDIA Dental Showcase.

After a two-year absence following pandemic restrictions, this March saw the return of BDIA Dental Showcase at the ExCeL in London. The exhibition, which was held across two days, provided hundreds of leading dental brands with the much-needed opportunity to network face-to-face with thousands of delegates, who

Josie Jackson is the editorial assistant for The Dentist. were all eager to discover the latest innovations in dentistry and learn from some of the biggest names in the industry. Indeed, BDIA Dental Showcase 2022 featured over 250 exhibitors, ready to share their products and o er up exclusive promotions. Whilst some took the opportunity to showcase their best-sellers, others used to occasion to launch new products, such as Coltene, who released its new SciCan Statim B vacuum autoclave, half the size of most other autoclaves but still with excellent capacity; and Phillips, who shared its new Cordless Power Flosser 3000, with its patented X-shaped quad stream tip. Whilst some companies used new launches to help draw delegates in, others opted for a di erent approach. Boutique Whitening dazzled delegates with more than its products; a piratethemed stand, o ering up rum punch for VIPs, was a crowd pleaser, whilst Denplan encouraged engagement through its mini golf course, where attendees stood the chance of winning a day out for their dental team. Meanwhile, GSK appealed to the masses, serving up both co ee and ice cream on its stand, drawing relevance to its brand Sensodyne, who has products for teeth whitening and sensitivity. Elsewhere, Listerine could be seen handing out free samples of its Total Care Fluoride Mouthwash and Durr

Dental delighted delegates (and their children) with miniature bear plushies. In addition to the outstanding exhibitors, delegates also had access to an array or learning opportunities, with six theatres o ering up a wide range of lectures throughout the weekend. Following the o cial ribbon cutting to kick-start the event, the Clinical Theatre was home to the conference opening and welcome, courtesy of Dean Hallows, president of the BDIA. This was followed by the first of two keynote addresses, ‘Where next for NHS dentistry?’ by Martin Woodrow, chief executive of the British Dental Association (BDA). Sara Hurley, chief dental o cer for England, then gave the second keynote address, before presenting the Annual NASDAL Award to the DCby1 Surgery of the Year, which celebrates practices which have been successful at implementing the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry’s campaign to increase the number of under-twos who access dental care.

In addition to the Clinical Theatre, which was sponsored by Phillips, delegates could also visit the other theatres according to their need. The Business Theatre, sponsored by Samera, provided sessions on topics such as human resources, leadership, dentolegal risks, finance, practice startup, valuation and sales. The Oral Health Theatre, sponsored by GSK, addressed topics such as making dentistry sustainable, equality, diversity, dental therapy updates, transforming patient outcomes and using innovative digital technology to improve patients’ oral hygiene. The Update Webinars Theatre, sponsored by Denplan and Oral-B, put on a programme organised by the publishers of Dental Update, while BAPD Theatre, sponsored by the British Association of Private Dentistry, featured panel debates and presentations for practitioners working in private dentistry. As well as all this was the regular appearance of the CDO Theatre, which covered subject areas including sustainability, regional and local clinical leadership, systematic health, workforce and children’s oral health care.

Whilst BDIA Dental Showcase was forced from our calendars the past two years, the 2022 o ering proved that the dental industry has still been busy behind the scenes, constantly innovating to ensure that it can provide the dental profession with what it needs to practice in the post-pandemic world. Roll on 2023!