British Dental Association | |
Founded | 1880 |
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Headquarters | Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8YS |
Location |
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Key people | John Tomes (Founder) |
Publication | British Dental Journal |
Website | www |
The British Dental Association (BDA) is a registered trade union [1] for dentists in the United Kingdom.
Its stated mission is to "promote the interests of members, advance the science, arts and ethics of dentistry and improve the nation's oral health."
The majority of the BDA's 16,000 members include high street dentists, working in general practice providing both National Health Service (NHS) and private care, and those working in community and hospital settings, universities and the British armed forces.
The BDA's headquarters is in Wimpole Street, London near Queen's College, London in the City of Westminster and it currently has offices in Stirling, Scotland, Belfast, Northern Ireland and Cardiff, Wales.
In 1856 two dental societies were founded in Britain: the Odontological Society of London and the College of Dentists of England. The two societies merged in 1863 to form the Odontological Society of Great Britain and joined the Royal Society of Medicine as its Odontological Section in 1907. [2]
By the 1870s leading dentists including Sir John Tomes and Sir Edwin Saunders (one of Queen Victoria's dentists) formed the Dental Reform Committee, to help bring unity, organisation and code of ethics to the dental profession. This committee campaigned successfully for the first legislation to regulate dentistry, the Dentists Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c. 33), which limited the title of "dentist" and "dental surgeon" to registered practitioners. [3] Qualified practitioners and those who could show they had practised dentistry for five years prior to 1878 were the only ones eligible to register. [4] : 1
The Dental Reform Committee called for a nationwide meeting to establish the BDA in 1879 and established it in 1880. The BDA elected Sir John Tomes as its first President. Much of the BDA's early work involved prosecuting dentists in breach of the Dentists Act 1878.
One active member of the BDA was Charles Edward Wallis, being on the association's representative board for six years. He also wrote extensively for the BDJ. [5]
The Dentists Act 1921 (11 & 12 Geo. 5. c. 21) created the Dental Board of the UK to administer the Dentists Register. Thus the BDA was freed from legislation, and rapidly emerged as the leading consultative body and voice for the dental profession.
The 1921 act introduced a provision that only registered individuals could practise dentistry. However, unqualified practitioners were given opportunity to register if they could show they had been practising dentistry for five years prior to 1921. The last unqualified dentist ceased practise during the 1970s. [4] : 2
In 1946 Lilian Lindsay became the first female president of the BDA. [6]
Its museum in Wimpole Street holds the largest collection of dental material in Britain. It includes dental instruments, equipment, furniture, photographs, archives, fine and decorative art. The museum is maintained as a national resource for the dental profession, dental industry, researchers and members of the public and aims to promote an appreciation of dentistry today through an understanding of its past. [7] The museum is a member of the London Museums of Health & Medicine. [8]
The museum also offers an enquiry and research service for individuals wanting to learn more about the history of dentistry or whether their ancestors were dentists. On several occasions the museum has also been used as a professional consultant on television series such as Call the Midwife. [9]
The Robert and Lillian Lindsay Library was opened in 1920. It was founded and organised by Lillian Lindsay, the first woman to qualify as a dentist in the UK. [10] The library is the most comprehensive dental library in Europe, and subscribes to over 200 dental journals and provides members with free Medline searches.
The Library is located at BDA Headquarters. [11]
Arthur Lemming, special investigator for the BDA, is featured in a 1969 Monty Python's Flying Circus sketch. [12]
Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the mouth, most commonly focused on dentition as well as the oral mucosa. Dentistry may also encompass other aspects of the craniofacial complex including the temporomandibular joint. The practitioner is called a dentist.
A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry, the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. The dentist's supporting team aids in providing oral health services. The dental team includes dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and sometimes dental therapists.
The General Dental Council (GDC) is an organisation which regulates dental professionals in the United Kingdom. It keeps an up-to-date register of all qualified dentists and other dental care professionals such as: dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental nurses, dental technicians and clinical dental technicians. It was established in 1956 to set and maintain standards in UK dentistry, with the aims of protecting the general public from unqualified dental professionals.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow is an institute of physicians and surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland.
Wimpole Street is a street in Marylebone, central London. Located in the City of Westminster, it is associated with private medical practice and medical associations.
A dental bodies corporate (DBC) is a corporation entitled to practice dentistry in the UK using the structure of a limited company.
Sir James Frank Colyer KBE FRCS FDSRCS Eng was a British dental surgeon and dental historian.
Lilian Lindsay, CBE, FSA was a dentist, dental historian, librarian and author who became the first qualified female dentist in Britain and the first female president of the British Dental Association.
Sir Nairn Hutchison Fulton Wilson is the Honorary Professor of Dentistry, former Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Dean and Head of King's College London Dental Institute from 2001 until 2012 and Deputy Vice Principal (health) between 2009 and 2012.
Sir John Tomes was an English dental surgeon.
George Northcroft was a British orthodontist who is known for his contributions in the formation of the British Orthodontic Society. The society was initially formed in 1907 as British Society for the Study of Orthodontics (BSSO) and the name later changed to British Orthodontic Society. He also played an important role in formation of the Dental Act of 1921 which made dentistry a profession in Great Britain.
Charles Edward Wallis, otherwise known as the 'father' of the London School Dental Service, was a physician and dental surgeon in London in the early 20th century. As one of the first assistant medical officers to London County Council, his research led to the establishment of a school dental treatment service and an improvement in child welfare.
The Lindsay Society is a British dental history open to anyone interested in the subject, including non-dentists. It has close links with the British Dental Association dedicated to the study of the history of dentistry.
Stanley Gelbier is emeritus professor of dental public health and honorary professor of the history of dentistry at King's College London. He is a past president of the History of Medicine Society, and the former curator of the British Dental Association's museum.
James Neil Swallow was a pioneering British dentist who developed treatments for adults and children with mental and physical disabilities. He co-authored a standard textbook on children's dentistry. In 1964, Swallow became senior lecturer in children's dentistry at the Cardiff Dental School. This was followed in 1975 by his appointment as professor of paediatric dentistry at the University of Amsterdam, and then as professor of restorative dentistry at Belfast Dental School in 1978.
John Saville Zamet FDS was a periodontist in the United Kingdom. He established the first exclusively periodontal practice in London in 1966.
Sir Francis Mark Farmer was a dental surgeon and lecturer on dental surgery and pathology at the London Hospital. He made contributions on facial restoration after gunshot wounds.
Frederick Newland-Pedley was a British physician and dentist known for his contribution to the fields of military dentistry and dental education.
The Royal Dental Hospital was a dental hospital in Leicester Square, London, which operated from 1858 until 1985. In 1859, it opened the London School of Dental Surgery, later renamed to the Royal Dental Hospital of London School of Dental Surgery, which was the first dental school in Britain.
The Odontological Society of Great Britain was a learned society formed in 1863 by the merger of the Odontological Society of London and the College of Dentists of England, both of which had been founded within a day of each other in 1856. In 1907 it joined the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society and other specialist medical societies to form the Royal Society of Medicine.