Phil Ower, president, began by highlighting the importance of the new document as an integral part of the BSP’s strategic plan which includes a commitment to engaging with healthcare professionals regarding the effective delivery of periodontal care. Phil expressed his gratitude to the corporate partners of the BSP, including Henry Schein and Johnson & Johnson, for their support of the project which has enabled it to come to fruition.
After a busy year of increased public and professional engagement for the BSP, the Good Practitioner’s Guide is deemed to be the next step for the society. Ian Needleman, president elect and editor in chief of the new guide, reiterated the significance of periodontal disease as a huge public health problem affecting 50 per cent of the population. The first iteration of this guide was The Young Practitioner’s Guide to Periodontology, launched in 2011; it was designed to fill a perceived vacuum for early careers dentists graduating without necessarily having access to the information required to effectively treat periodontal disease. Ian acknowledged Elaine Giedrys-Leeper whose vision and values were influential in those first steps of the project.
By popular demand the name change makes this new document one for all clinicians, regardless of age or clinical experience. This new edition features a number of revisions which increase its accessibility and scope; most notably, the new e-learning module which offers a multidimensional experience for users. Fiona Clarke, of Atlas Education, presented a demonstration of the online adaptation of the guide which has a clean aesthetic, simple navigation and links to further reading and useful resources.
It takes approximately two hours to complete and BSP members can claim two hours verifiable CPD*.
The guide can be obtained as a hard copy, electronic version or PDF but whether online or in hand, the guide is now freely available to all at www.bsperio.org.uk/publications/
*There will be a small charge for non-members to claim their CPD.