The Founding of BADN/NEBDN

In 1940, during the Second World War, a dentist in Leyland  saw  a patient from the nearby US Air Force base.  This unnamed airman told dentist PE Grundy and his dental nurse, Madeleine Winter, how dental assistants in the US had their own professional association, founded in 1924.

And so, in October 1940, the British Dental Nurses’ and Assistants’ Society – as the association was originally called - was born!  Madeleine (known as Bunty) Winter was the first General Secretary, until 1946 when a full time General Secretary was employed and, in 1948, the legendary Jean Smith became General Secretary, remaining in post until 1985.

Until 1950, all the Presidents of the Association had been male dentists; but in 1950 Beatrice Green became the first Dental Surgery Assistant (DSA) – as dental nurses were known then – President.  The Association became known as the Association of British Dental Surgery Assistants (ABDSA) some time later.  In 1976 it became an independent trade union, with no political or TUC affiliations.

1940 Council Meeting – Dr Grundy in centre and Madeleine Winter to his left

 In 1943, the Association founded the British Dental Nurses’ and Assistants’ Examining Board, and held the first exam. Bunty Lee (nee Winter), then  in her 80s, visited our Hillhouse offices in 2005, and told us that she had received top marks in the exam (she and Mr Grundy’s other dental assistants trained for the exam early in the mornings before the first 8am patient arrived!), but was denied the prize because it was considered unfitting that  Mr Grundy’s dental assistant should win!

Madeleine Winters’ certificate

Originally, only dentists were allowed to be examiners, but in 1978 the Exam Board changed its rules so that DSAs with 7 years’ experience could be elected to the Panel of Examiners.  The Exam Board eventually became the National Examining Board for Dental Surgery Assistants (NEBDSA) and  became a completely separate entity from the Association in the 1980s.   The first dental nurse Exam Board Chairman was Diana Wincott in the early 90s.

Traditionally, qualified DSAs wore a bright yellow belt with a NEBDN buckle – which is why yellow is the dental nurse colour, and the colour of the BADN logo.

Jean Smith retired as Secretary of the Association in 1985, although she continued to work for NEBDSA until the mid-90s.  Sue Ward became the Association’s Secretary; and Jennifer Lavery became NEBDSA Secretary.  Sue left in 1992 and was succeeded by Pam Swain; Jennifer continued to run the Exam Board until 2008 – both titles were updated to Chief Executive.

In 1994, the Association’s Annual General Meeting voted to reclaim the title “dental nurse”; the Association then became the British Association of Dental Nurses, and the Exam Board the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses.

The first AGM in 1945 in Preston

ABDSA and NEBDSA shared office premises, moving to  Poulton-le-Fylde in 1960 and then to London Street in Fleetwood in 1978 (and to another building, also on London Street, in the mid-90s), before the Association moved to new premises in Pharos Street in 1997, and then to Hillhouse in Thornton-Cleveleys in 2004.  BADN has recently moved back to Fleetwood and NEBDN is now in Preston.

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About author

Pam worked briefly for the Home Office in London before moving on to Vienna, Brussels and Bermuda
to work in several MNEs including CPC International, Hilton International, NATO and the Bank of Bermuda,
followed by a year’s sabbatical at the Massage Institute of New England in Boston. Her journey with BADN started in 1992.
The association was then called the Association of British Dental Surgery Assistants (ABDSA). 
Pam worked briefly for the Home Office in London before moving on to Vienna, Brussels
and Bermuda to work in several MNEs including CPC International, Hilton International,
NATO and the Bank of Bermuda, followed by a year’s sabbatical at the Massage Institute of New England in Boston.
Her journey with BADN started in 1992. The association was then called the Association of British Dental Surgery Assistants (ABDSA).

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