BSP

Dear Member

As I approach the end of my Presidential year, I feel quite emotional writing my final email to you. It has been an incredible privilege and a career highlight to serve as President of the BSP and I have thoroughly enjoyed leading the Society this year. I am grateful to BSP Council for their unwavering support, hard work and dedication. I remain in awe of how much time they volunteer to BSP, juggling the Society’s demands with their clinical and teaching roles. I am proud of how much we have collectively achieved this year, providing representation at meetings, undertaking initiatives and projects to benefit our members, the wider dental profession, patients and the public.

2024 has been an extremely busy and successful year for BSP. We have presented ten educational webinars, organised two Masterclass courses, provided representation at several dental events and held a 3-day Conference in Newcastle. In addition, we have represented the membership at meetings with various stakeholders, played a key role at EFP level, published a perio-focussed issue of Dental Update, contributed articles to the British Dental Journal and published the BSP adolopment of the EFP guidelines on the management of peri-implant diseases in the Journal of Dentistry. I wish to thank all of the fantastic representatives, speakers, session chairs, webinar hosts, Patient Forum members, authors and workshop participants who have helped the Society achieve so much this year.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Early Career Group Committee for the many projects they have undertaken during their two-year term. Devan Raindi has done an excellent job leading this group and their input on many BSP initiatives has greatly benefitted the Society. Although Devan now steps down from Council, he will continue to work with BSP in his role as Ambassador for EuroPerio11.

Professor Gerry Linden has also reached the end of his two-year term as Senior Vice President. I want to thank Gerry for his lengthy service to BSP. I have greatly valued his support, experience and wisdom on Council this year.

I want to say a very big thank you to Professor Wendy Turner who is stepping down from her role as Honorary Secretary. Wendy has done a fantastic job leading the Society for the last 4 years, always taking her time to make careful, considered decisions that are in the best interests of the Society and the membership. Wendy will be greatly missed and we hope that she will return to Council in the future.

Lastly, I wish to express my gratitude to our 2024 Partner Sponsors, Acteon, Haleon, Kenvue, NSK, Oral-B and Philips for their support this year. As a charity, we rely heavily on funding from industry to help us achieve many of our strategic aims. We are incredibly grateful for their support, which enables us to grow and succeed in our aim to advance all aspects of periodontology and dental implantology, promoting the importance of gum health to dental and medical professionals, undergraduate students, patients and the public.

At the start of this year, I reflected on what it meant to be a member of the BSP. I resolved that we are all perio-enthusiasts, wanting to make a difference, improve patient care and develop the profession. Together we have achieved a great deal this year and I am grateful to you all for helping us to promote the importance of periodontal health.

Your involvement, whether it is through activities such as promotion of Gum Health Day, speaking to and working with local dental and medical colleagues or patient groups, or even liaising with local media is critical to help get our messages across. Please do contact BSP if you are involved in these activities, or planning such events, as we will be happy to support you.

We exist to support you, our membership, and to help improve oral and periodontal health for the UK, regardless of setting and the means of delivery! Please continue to work with us next year and encourage your dental team colleagues to join the BSP family.

Thank you again for allowing me the honour of being your President this year. I pledge my support to Professor Nicola West as she prepares to take over the leadership role in January, with plans already underway to implement initiatives and achieve targets identified in the new five-year Strategic Plan. I am confident that the BSP will continue to go from strength to strength and I am excited to see how much will be achieved over the coming years.

I hope that you all have a good break at the end of the month with a chance to recharge your batteries before the New Year arrives. I send you and your families my very best wishes for a healthy and happy 2025.

Best wishes

Philip

Professor Philip Preshaw
President
The British Society of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry

Cookie Preferences