It was an honour last night to be among 150 people celebrating the launch of the new British Standard, BS 30480 Suicide and the Workplace, despite the bleak nature of the subject matter. The launch was held in the State Rooms, Speaker's House, in the House of Commons. Being escorted to the Speaker's House with fellow attendees under the bright lights of Big Ben was quite an experience on a freezing evening in November. The Speaker's House ‘was always the grandest residence in the New Palace of Westminster and the only one to survive in anything like its original form'. The State Bedroom at one end of where we gathered still contains a four-poster bed and numerous paintings of past Speakers of the House on the walls.

In this historical venue we heard more about the milestone launch of the hugely important BS 30480 guidelines. The full title is ‘Suicide and the workplace – Intervention, prevention and support for people affected by suicide – Guide'. They summarise ‘measures that organisations can take for suicide prevention, intervention and support for those affected by suicide'. This of course includes dental practices and organisations and is therefore an essential resource which I would encourage you to visit (https://bit.ly/4oa0r9d).

A number of the people I spoke to at the launch had wellbeing roles within their companies. Such a well-attended event at a high-profile venue just shows how important mental health and wellbeing is to everyone in the 21st century. This leads me on to introduce an article in this issue by Jenna Byng, a dentist who also runs art workshops for dental professionals to encourage creativity, reduce stress, and encourage team building and bonding.

How do you relieve the stresses and pressures of working in dentistry? I would love to hear from readers.

Also in this issue, Ayesha Mir's article looks at how practice culture shapes staff, patients and performance – which again falls into the wellbeing category, and the importance of communication and supporting your colleagues and peers.

Furthermore, Linda Bromage, a dental hygienist and clinical hypnotherapist, explores finding meaning and balance in the modern world of dental hygiene.

As this year draws to an end, I hope you and your team are in a positive place and when you reflect on how this year has gone, you are looking forward to the next. In the meantime, I hope you all have a well-deserved rest with loved ones during the festive season.

figure 1

Kate Quinlan

Editor

k.quinlan@nature.com