In June, I came down from the School of Dentistry at the University of Dundee, to attend the annual two-day Summer Scientific Meeting 2022 held in Glasgow by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD). The in-person return was thoroughly welcomed by all as the event had been online since 2019.

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The theme of the conference was 'Build Back Better: Inclusion, Integration and Innovation', a fitting title to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dental and oral health services. The theme focused on how we will unite to improve the oral health for all, through evidence-based prevention strategies and aiming to reduce health inequalities. A range of renowned speakers including dentists, public health professionals, deputy chief dental officers and clinical directors all discussed different aspects around this theme.

During the event, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Public Health (FPH), a special partner of BASCD. The president of the FPH, Professor Maggie Rae, opened day 1 of the conference with her inspiring keynote address on the crucial role of public health professionals to help build back better healthcare for all.

The day commenced with presentations highlighting the importance of inclusion, equality and diversity within dentistry, with key speakers including Dr Nishma Sharma, chair of the Diversity in Action Group, Professor Peter Robinson, Editor of Community Dental Health and Dr Gavin McLellan, Deputy Chief Dental Officer for Scotland.

After the insightful and thought-provoking information gained from both the morning and afternoon presentations, everyone joined together for the presidential dinner, a joyful evening packed full of Scottish ceilidh dancing, highland dancing, and Chinese dancing to celebrate 50 years of the Faculty of Public Health along with welcoming the newly elected president of BASCD, Albert Yeung.

Day 2 of the conference began with guest speaker, Professor Rebecca Harris and Dr Catherine Rutland presenting their ideas and views on the future of dentistry and the NHS dental contract in England. Professor Harris highlighted the many different factors involved with the contract, which helped the audience understand the complexities. She also emphasised that careful consideration is required to successfully adapt the dental contract for the best future outcome to be achieved.

Dr Rachel Jackson presented an inspiring talk on the integration of art and science within dental education to improve teaching and clinical patient outcomes. It was a privilege to present my artwork and the work of other members from Dundee Dental School's Art in Clinical Training (A.C.T.) group at the event. Images of our art work can be found on our Instagram page, @a.c.t.dundee.

Throughout both days of the event, BASCD showcased a variety of educational research posters, with judging occurring on day 2. Congratulations to Jessica Holloway and Joelle Booth who won the top two prizes and Sohaila Elyoussfi and Danielle Barrett who gained a commendation.

Overall, the conference was very educational and thought-provoking, and a great opportunity to connect and network with a variety of passionate dental and public health professionals.

Details of future BASCD conferences can be found on their website: https://www.bascd.org/conferences-and-events/meetings-and-events-calendar/.