History of the Group

10th Years of ONG

The Orthodontic National Group celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a reception at the British Orthodontic Offices in London on Tuesday 29th June 2004.

The Anniversary Cake was cut by Dame Margaret Seward

Dame Margaret Seward cuts the cake, looking on Janet Robins ONG Chairman, Anthony Kravitz President BDA, Alex Moss ONG Director of Training, Geoff Webb Chairman BOS and Ann Wright BOS Administrator.

Janet Robins – ONG Chairman welcomed guests and delivered an Anniversary Speech.

Caroline Holland recorded the event as follows:

A decade of amazing advances and achievements

The tenth anniversary of the Orthodontic National Group (ONG) was celebrated in June when supporters, members and special guests gathered to salute the success of orthodontic nurses.

ONG chair, Janet Robins said: “ I have to start some 12 years ago when Iain Hathorn and Steve Jones encouraged orthodontic nurses to participate in the then multi-group orthodontic conference with a half-day programme. From these early days Alex Moss and myself, with the help of Julia Dixon, who has since emigrated to America, collected interested dental nurses together to form ONG.”

Dame Margaret Seward was at the event to hear the praise and gratitude for her vision when, as President of the BDA in 1993, she organised a Professionals Complementary to Dentistry conference, and which continued when, as president of the General Dental Council, Dame Margaret facilitated meetings at the Department of Health and at the GDC.

It’s a source of great pride to ONG that it holds such a successful nurse’s meeting as part of the annual British Orthodontic Conference, which now has an average attendance of 400 dental nurse delegates, and Mrs Robins thanked successive conference chairmen for giving orthodontic nurses the freedom to develop their programme. She also thanked the British Orthodontic Society for their support and presented Geoff Webb, current BOS Chairman, with an engraved crystal vase.

Continuing with the history of ONG, she said: “In 1997 ONG invited Dr John Gallaway to chair a group to develop a qualification and therefore career pathways for Orthodontic Nurses. Under his expert chairmanship the ‘Certificate in Orthodontic Nursing’ was prepared and launched in 2000 as a new post certificate qualification for dental nurses managed by the NEBDN.

“This is now delivered in 10 accredited centres around the country. This team, which included Alex Moss and the BOS, has now through the GDC, prepared the curriculum for Orthodontic Therapists. Orthodontic Nurses have been students watching chair side for many years – they are now ready to go!”

She went on to mention:

• Mr Glyn Wreakes, her Consultant in 1993 who gave her the encouragement and enthusiasm to evolve the group
• Alex Moss the ONG Director of Training whose expertise and commitment has been outstanding.
• Her husband, Arthur, the main contact and help for any nurse organising a nurse study day and “a level head to my mad ideas.”
• The companies who have assisted with sponsorship and support of ONG. “Without them we could not run two National competitions, or the 15 regional study days held to date.”
• Ann Wright, the BOS administrator, “Work with Ann and you get it right, her help is continuous and endless.”

Other achievements outlined by Mrs Robins included:

1. The Orthodontic Dental nurse World Competition, of which the UK has organisational responsibility.

2. A professionally published quarterly Journal

3. A web site www.orthodontic-ong.co.uk.

It was with great enthusiasm and conviction that everyone at the 10th Anniversary reception, supported by OrthoCare, Dental Directory, D B Orthodontics, and Forestadent, raised their glasses in a toast to the success of the group in their first decade.

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