It is difficult to believe that a year has elapsed since I was installed as President of the British Dental Association. I was very honoured to be made your President and I have had a most wonderful year. The year has gone very quickly indeed and I have enjoyed meeting dentists and dental care professionals throughout the United Kingdom and abroad. Wherever Christine and I went we were made most welcome and this is testament to the friendliness of the profession.

I could not have carried out the duties of the post without the strong support of my Dean Professor Bill Saunders. I am also indebted to the clinical academic staff in Prosthetics who have shouldered an increased burden of duties when I have been away. Thank you Brendan Scott, Fiona Stewart, Romana Hunter and Shona Mason. The staff of the BDA have been tremendously helpful and I wish to single out Jonica Thomas, Alison Magee and Tonia Scholes who have organised my diary in a diplomatic and efficient way. During my year I also became aware of how lucky the BDA is to have Peter Ward as a Chief Executive and I admire very much the talents of the Chair of the Executive Board, Susie Sanderson and our Chair of the Representative Body, Stuart Johnston. My wife Christine has supported me throughout the year and has tolerated, with good humour, my many absences from home and mild bad temper/stress when I have lost my diary, air tickets, passport etc!

In my Presidential address I attempted to rekindle the debate started by John Craig that the BDA should represent all dental professionals and not just dentists. The debate has indeed been restarted but not yet concluded. I am not blind to the difficulties that such an approach might cause but I still firmly believe that this is where our future lies. We are too small a profession to continue to split ourselves into small factions. I look forward to further discussion and progress towards this goal in the not too distant future.

I am very fortunate today to be handing over to someone I have known and admired for many years. Amarjit Gill is an inspired choice for President and I know how much he is looking forward to his new role. He will be a huge asset to the Association and I wish him all the best.

This year has been the peak of my career and I am enormously grateful to all in the Association for making me President.