British Dental Association

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The British Dental Association (BDA) is a professional association and trade union representing dentists in the United Kingdom with 20,000 members and 3,500 student members. It is based in the Marylebone district of central London. As a trade union, it undertakes the task of negotiating for all dentists under s.43b of the NHS Act 1977. It owns the publications British Dental Journal, BDA News, Evidence Based Dentistry, Vital (aimed at practice staff) and Launchpad (aimed at dental students). It runs a national conference, with attendances in excess of 3,000 dentists, runs seminars and events, an accreditation programme (the "Good Practice Accreditation Scheme") and a range of clinical, legal and managerial advice services.

As the primary negotiating body of the dental profession, and a leading producer of clinical standards in the dental market, the BDA has come under criticism from disaffected dentists claiming it lacks the will to lobby the government effectively on dentists' terms and conditions. Amongst a number of fringe organisations attempting to represent sections of the dental community is the Dental Practitioners' Association (formerly the General Dental Practitioners' Association), Challenge (founded in 2006 in response to the new NHS dental contract). However, most dentists in the UK are members of the BDA.

In 2005 the BDA withdrew from talks with the UK Government aimed at reorganising dentistry in the National Health Service, however it later voted to take up membership of the Government's new contract Implementation Review Group. It justified this decision by referring to its duty to protect its members interests in preference to political posturing.

[edit] Regulation of dentists

The BDA is not the regulatory body for dentists in the United Kingdom. Dentists are regulated by the General Dental Council.

[edit] British Dental Association Museum

The British Dental Association has a museum which opened to the public in 2005. The museum is open Tuesday and Thursday from 1-4pm. Other times by appointment. During holidays please telephone before visiting. Admission Free. The museum is located at BDA Headquarters 64 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8YS Telephone: 020 7935 0875 Fax: 020 7935 6492 Email: museum@bda.org