First prize was awarded to Dr Sarah Gatley from Cardiff, for the paper ‘Requirements, in terms of root canal treatment, of undergraduates in the European Union: an audit of teaching practice’, which was published in the British Dental Journal (Br Dent J 2009; 207: 165–170). Dr Gatley received a certificate and a cheque for £500. The second prize of £250 was awarded to Dr Vishal Aggarwal for his paper ‘Unexplained toothache: an evidence-based approach to diagnosis and management’, which was published in Primary Dental Care (Prim Dent Care 2010; 17: 29–32). The reception was sponsored by Henry Schein.

Commenting on the awards, Professor Kenneth A. Eaton, Chairman of the BDEF, said ‘It was good to see that this year the number of nominations for the prizes rose and the quality of the two prizewinners’ papers was excellent.’ BDTA President Ed Attenborough, who presented th eawards, said, ‘I would like to congratulate this year’s winners for their hard work and successful entries. These awards are a fantastic opportunity for young writers in the dental industry to present their skills and put forward new ideas about current and significant issues is dentistry.'

The Young Dental Writer of the Year awards were revived by the BDEF in 2009 after an offer of sponsorship from the BDTA. All UK dental editors may nominate authors who have published in a UK dental journal or newspaper between 1 July and 30 June the following year. Authors must be under 35 years of age on the day that their work is published.