08:45 Registration, refreshments and exhibition
09:15 Introduction, Valedictory address and Installation of President
09:30 Welcome to Wales
09.40 How we make the dental GA experience special in North Wales
Aims
- Highlight how a dental GA service can deliver safe, high‑quality, patient‑centred care through thorough assessment and holistic planning
- Emphasise the importance of collaborative working across community, primary, and secondary care to support a positive experience for patients with complex needs.
Learning objectives
- Appreciate the importance of identifying the different features of a malocclusion and be able Undertake a basic orthodontic assessment.
- Understand the different types of orthodontic service provider along with the types of clinical cases they manage.
- Appreciate the principles of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN).
Learning content
An overview of dental GA pathways and services in North Wales, using Ty Nerys and its unique approach as an example. The session will explain effective GA assessment and best interests planning, outlines the patient journey on GA day, present mini cases illustrating key issues that commonly arise in practice, and explores core challenges in delivering Special Care Dentistry GA across the region and wider local community.
Development outcomes
A, B, C, D
Daniella Garcia Lucas and Zoe Greenwood, Specialists in Special Care Dentistry, North Wales Community Dental Service
10:40 Refreshments, exhibition and poster display
11:10 From Boundaries to Bridges - Caring for our population
Session details to follow
Suzanne Burke, Clinical Director, Liverpool University Dental Hospital
12:10 Dental radiography for special care - A bag of tricks
Aims
- Review the varied challenges when carrying out radiographs for patients with additional needs
- Discuss some approaches to minimising these challenges
- Discuss the use of skill mix in radiography.
Learning objectives
- Describe the challenges which may be encountered when taking radiographs for patients with additional needs
- Apply some different techniques to aid successful radiography
- Identify areas where skill mix can be applied to aid dental radiography.
Learning content
Patients with additional needs face many and varied challenges when approaching dental care. Dental radiography is a key tool to help aid diagnosis and treatment planning. Being able to achieve good quality radiographs, or sometimes any radiographs requires a clinical team to use all of the resources at their disposal. This session will aim to provide some practical tips and tricks as well as to outline how skill mix is applied in our service.
Development outcomes
A, B, C, D
Jessica Bell-Davies, Specialist in Special Care Dentistry and Clinical Director, North Wales Community Dental Service Deputy
12:55 Lunch, exhibition and poster display
13:55 A patient’s journey with oral cancer
Aim
To raise awareness of what treatment a patient has to undergo whist being treated for oral cancer.
Learning objectives
To understand the link between the HPV16 virus and oral cancer and the importance of vaccination.
Learning content
A personal journey using photographs, scans and statistics of the diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer caused by the HPV16 virus.
Development outcome
C
Bryan Webber, Retired GDP
14:55 Undertaking an orthodontic assessment and orthodontic referrals
Aims
- Explore the fundamentals of an orthodontic clinical assessment
- Discuss the various types of orthodontic service provider, their role, and the types of treatment they provide
- Provide an overview of Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need.
Learning objectives
- Appreciate the importance of identifying the different features of a malocclusion and be able to undertake a basic orthodontic assessment
- Understand the different types of orthodontic service provider along with the types of clinical cases they manage
- Appreciate the principles of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN).
Learning content
A lecture with the opportunity to ask the speaker questions at the end.
Development outcomes
A, C
Ben Lewis, Consultant Orthodontist, Wrexham Maelor and Glan Clwyd Hospitals
15:25 Save the date – CDS conference 2027
15:30 Refreshments, exhibition and poster display
16:00 Aetiology of malocclusion and interceptive measures to improve outcomes
Aims
- Discuss variations in dental and facial development which would benefit from intervention and when to appropriately refer to a specialist
- Explore the aetiology of a range of dental malocclusions and some of the interceptive measures which can be undertaken
- Discuss clinical guidelines relating to orthodontic problems.
Learning objectives
- Appreciate variations in dental and facial development which would benefit from intervention and when to appropriately refer to a specialist
- Understand the aetiology of a range of dental malocclusions and some of the interceptive measures which can be undertaken
- Appreciate the range of clinical guidelines available relating to orthodontic problems and associated interventions.
Learning content
A lecture with the opportunity to ask the speaker questions at the end.
Development outcomes
A, C
Ben Lewis, Consultant Orthodontist, Wrexham Maelor and Glan Clwyd Hospitals
17:00 Close
