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IN-PERSON EVENT, hosted by Northern Ireland Young Dentist Group

Fresh ideas. Your career. Your future in focus.

Join us in Belfast on Friday 11 September 2026 for a one-day event created for young dentists - designed to energise, connect and empower the next generation of the profession.

Discover fresh perspectives from leading voices in dentistry and explore the latest innovations and solutions from dental organisations showcasing their products and services.

This conference is your opportunity to invest in your career, build your network and take your next step with clarity and motivation.

Learning objectives

  • Discuss best‑practice posterior composite placement, including rubber dam use, sectional matrices, contemporary adhesive protocols, and incremental layering for predictable, long‑lasting restorations
  • Describe principles of atraumatic extraction and bone preservation, including biological considerations, specialised instruments, complication management, and socket preservation techniques
  • Summarise strategies for predictable endodontic treatment, including avoiding diagnostic/technical pitfalls, managing intra operative complications, and reducing the risk of root canal failure
  • Explain how to align career choices with personal happiness by understanding key satisfaction factors, setting value driven goals, managing stress triggers, and evaluating postgraduate training for genuine professional and personal return.

Why you shouldn’t miss this event

  • Inspiring sessions led by respected figures shaping the future of dentistry
  • Relevant, forward‑focused topics designed for today’s young professionals
  • A dynamic community of peers, mentors and potential collaborators
  • Direct access to exhibitors offering practical tools, technologies and insights.

Timings

08:30  Registration, exhibition and refreshments

09:00  Start of conference

17:30  Ends

Who should attend

This event is aimed at dentists within 10 years of qualification. 

Adam Bzeu
George Cortvriend Associate Dentist
Chris Gardiner Implant Dentist
Marc Harrington Dentist with Special Interest in Endodontics / Clinical Teaching Fellow
Andrea Ogden Undergraduate and Career Development Lead
Callum Youngson MBE BDA President

More information

Please email [email protected] with any dietary requirements.

Would you be interested in getting involved in the Northern Ireland Young Dentist Group?

We are looking for enthusiastic members to join the Northern Ireland Young Dentist Group committee and the Northern Ireland Branch. A role on the committee is a great way to get involved in the BDA at a local level and to help provide and shape local educational and networking events. It’s also great to have on your CV!

A brief description of the different roles in a committee is available here.

The Young Dentist Group has the support of the centrally-based Local Services team who are on hand to help and advise on any aspect of running the Section and planning events.

If interested, or for more information, please email us at [email protected]

Anyone working in dentistry can book online. BDA members are already set up with website access (your username is your email address), but if you don't already have log-in details, you can register for an online account here: Register

Booking more than one place?

Please note you can currently only book for yourself online. Too book more than one delegate place, download the booking form as a word of pdf document and return to [email protected]

Troubleshooting

If you have recently registered for website access and you get an error message when trying to book, it may be you already have an account with us. Please try a different email address. 

If you re-set your password, please allow up to 10 minutes before logging back in again. Make sure your old password isn't automatically saved. 

 

If you experience any issues, please email [email protected] and we will be happy to assist.

08:30  Registration, exhibition and refreshments

09:00  Start of conference

17:30  Ends

 

Adhesive dentistry in the posterior dentition

Aim

This lecture aims to provide an overview of predictable adhesive dentistry in posterior teeth, focusing on effective rubber dam isolation, matrix selection and placement, contemporary adhesive protocols, and incremental composite placement to optimise contacts, contours, and restoration longevity.

Learning objectives

  • Explain indications and principles of rubber dam isolation in posterior adhesive dentistry
  • Select and position sectional matrices to create predictable proximal contacts
  • Outline contemporary adhesive protocols for posterior composite restorations
  • Describe incremental composite placement to improve adaptation and restoration longevity.

George Contrivend, Associate Dentist

 

Bone preserving extractions: keeping the future in mind  

Aim

To equip learners with the knowledge, principles, and refine clinical skills required to perform dental extractions while maximally preserving alveolar bone and soft tissue, optimising outcomes for future prosthetic or implant treatments, and upholding ethical practice by minimising surgical trauma, reducing patient morbidity, and prioritising tissue preservation.

Learning objectives

  • Understand biological principles and anatomy, and recognise indications for bone preservation
  • Compare extraction techniques and demonstrate atraumatic extraction methods
  • Consider specialised instruments and technologies, and manage complications while preserving bone
  • Integrate socket preservation techniques and apply clinical decision‑making.

Chris Gardiner, Implant Dentist, OneByOne Dental

 

BDA membership and mentorship and vision for the future

Callum Youngson, BDA President

 

Endodontics in practice: tips, traps and managing complications

Aim

This lecture aims to help early-career dentists improve the predictability of root canal treatment by recognising common pitfalls, understanding causes of endodontic failure, and learning practical strategies to prevent, identify and manage complications during treatment.

Learning objectives

  • Identify common diagnostic and technical pitfalls in root canal treatment
  • Apply practical strategies to improve the predictability of endodontic procedures
  • Recognise and manage common intra-operative endodontic complications
  • Implement clinical approaches to reduce the risk of endodontic failure in practice.

Marc Harrington, Dentist with Special Interest in Endodontics / Clinical Teaching Fellow QUB, Nick Wright Dental / QUB

 

Crafting happiness; building your own path to a fulfilling career

Aim

Design a fulfilling and sustainable career by understanding the link between happiness and work, developing values aligned goals, managing personal stress triggers, and making informed decisions about postgraduate training and future career pathways.

Learning objectives

  • Explain and analyse the relationship between job satisfaction and personal happiness, identifying key factors that influence both
  • Create personalised career goals aligned with individual values and passions and evaluate the potential risks and outcomes of pursuing conventional career paths without alignment
  • Identify personal stress triggers and apply appropriate strategies to manage them effectively
  • Develop and justify a strategy for evaluating postgraduate training opportunities to ensure both professional value and return on investment.

Andrea Ogden, Undergraduate and Career Development Lead, BDA

Want to hear about all our upcoming local BDA events?

Make sure your email preferences are up to date in the 'My BDA' section of the BDA website. Once logged into the site, on a laptop click on the dropdown arrow next to your name, top right of the page, to see 'My BDA'. Or on a phone, select the three lines in the top right hand corner of the page.

You don’t need to be a BDA member to have a website account or to book events online!

Venue map

Connect with us

Learn more about our Northern Ireland Branch and join the Northern Ireland Branch Facebook group

Good quality CPD content from the speakers and the presentations were enjoyable and engaging!

Great chance to network with colleagues and hear excellent speakers

Highly informative with clear, practical applications