The British Society of Gerodontoloy (BSG) Spring Conference 2025 was held on 20 June at Newcastle University. The meeting provided a multidisciplinary and innovative platform for exploring current challenges in dentistry for older adults, with an emphasis on evidence-based, person-centred care.

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The opening session, ‘Delirium and Dentistry', delivered by Dr Adelina McLeod (Consultant in Geriatric Medicine), highlighted the significant mortality risk associated with delirium (35-50%), far exceeding that of ST-elevation MI (12%). The session explored the underlying neurobiological changes in the ageing brain and provided practical strategies for early recognition (including use of the 4AT), minimising stress, and optimising care environments.

Professor John Whitworth (‘Ageing with Endodontics') delivered an interactive session on risk-based decision-making in older adults, balancing the preservation of strategic teeth with systemic health and frailty. He also discussed emerging innovations such as guided access and robotics, and highlighted increasing interest in systemic-endodontic interactions and collaborative care.

In ‘Facial Pain and Oral Infection', Dr Emma Beecroft (Clinical Doctoral Fellow) explored the diagnosis and management of orofacial pain in older adults, with a focus on TMD and the new 2024 RCS national guidelines. The session covered supported self-management strategies, the psychological dimensions of chronic pain, and interventions such as trigger point local anaesthetic injections.

‘Multidisciplinary Working and Realistic Dentistry', presented by Dr Susan Baines (Consultant in Special Care Dentistry), emphasised the need to adapt treatment planning to the evolving needs of older patients, and to consider the wider implications for workforce, education and service design.

In ‘Educating the Next Generation of Clinicians', Dr Luisa Wakeling and Dr James Fisher discussed how narrative medicine and transformative learning approaches can challenge perceptions, enrich student experience, and embed gerontology more effectively in undergraduate dental education.

The afternoon lightning talks covered practical topics from across the field. Dr Francesca Mullan (‘Living Longer with Implants') discussed the nutritional impact of tooth loss, management of edentulous patients, and the challenges of maintaining older implant systems as patient needs and workforce expertise change. Dr Megan Roberts (‘Domiciliary Dental Care - A Whistle-stop Tour of the Literature') reviewed the current evidence and barriers to access, highlighting the need for flexible commissioning and greater collaboration between general, community, and hospital dental services. Dr Anne Chambers (‘Living Longer with Cancer') engaged the audience with case-based discussion, highlighting trends in metastatic disease, surveillance needs, and the shift in cancer epidemiology towards more patients living with complex treatment histories.

The day's sessions consistently underscored the importance of realistic, evidence-based and person-centred approaches in caring for an ageing population with increasingly complex needs.

The conference concluded with a warm tribute to Janet Griffiths MBE, honouring her lasting contributions to special care dentistry and to the Society. BSG President Dr Becky Wassall closed the meeting with thanks to the sponsors, organisers and speakers, and an invitation to the forthcoming Winter Conference in London, on 4 December 2025. For more information about events, visit https://www.gerodontology.com.