U.K. dental conference attracts biggest crowd to date

Organizers are calling this year's British Dental Conference and Exhibition "the biggest ever staged," with record numbers of both attendees and exhibitors. The annual event, held May 1-3 in Manchester, U.K., attracted 4,263 visitors and 180 exhibitors, up from 3,266 visitors and 128 exhibitors in 2007.

With a theme of "Strategies for success: you and your team," highlights of the three-day event included the introduction of a new MasterClass business education program and a debate by representatives of the U.K.'s two main opposition parties on the future of National Health Service dentistry.

"The 2008 British Dental Conference and Exhibition was a fantastic event," said Peter Ward, chief executive of the British Dental Association (BDA). "Across the U.K., dentists and dental care professionals are confronting change and facing significant challenges. This event brought together visitors from all branches of the dental family and underlined the importance of working together to build success in the future."

The 2009 British Dental Conference and Exhibition will take place June 4-9 in Glasgow, Scotland, under the direction of the newly installed BDA President Peter Ward.