About BOSF

The Purpose of the BOSF

The British Orthodontic Society Foundation has been set up by the British Orthodontic Society to promote improved patient care by supporting the highest standards of research and teaching in orthodontics. It aims to ensure that the specialty of orthodontics continues to grow and flourish, enhancing people's quality of life across the UK by helping them to have harmonious faces, confident smiles and healthy teeth which function effectively throughout their lifetime. To achieve this the Foundation plans to promote research into better prevention and care of facial deformity and dental malocclusion and also to encourage excellent teaching which ensures that orthodontists are inspired, well informed, caring, valued and responsible.

No learned specialty such as ours can survive and prosper without a steady infusion
of quality research. Research inspires teachers and their students and advances patient care. As a specialty we must respond to the pressure for evidence-based practice by maintaining a healthy flow of quality research and teaching.

There are several reasons for this shortage. An academic career in orthodontics is an increasingly demanding prospect in comparison to other orthodontic career choices. It is very hard for trainee academics to satisfy the stringent criteria for clinical training in addition to achieving their PhD and becoming top quality teachers. Over recent years, funding for teaching and research in orthodontics has come under increasing pressure. All research funds are now subject to competition and this is intensifying. Even highly rated research applications are failing to find funding, yet research performance is assessed more and more rigorously.

We must ensure that from the many highly gifted trainees in orthodontics comes a good flow of top quality teachers and researchers.

Without this, British Orthodontics will steadily decline. Poorer training will attract trainees in fewer numbers and of lesser quality and produce orthodontists who are less able to serve the best interests of their patients and whose clinical practice is based more on anecdote and less on the evidence from good quality research.

Aims

The British Orthodontic Society Foundation has been set up to address this urgent and growing need - as a profession we intend to turn the tide and ensure that orthodontics prospers in future years.

To achieve this the Foundation has two key aims:

• To promote, sponsor and fund research into better prevention and care of facial deformity and malocclusion. This includes enabling researchers to make progress in evidence-based orthodontic care.
• To encourage inspired teaching ensuring that orthodontists have high aspirations, are well informed, caring, valued and responsible. Young, able and enthusiastic academics will receive real assistance in developing their teaching, patient care and research abilities.

The Foundation has already identified three ambitious goals for its first four years of operation. By the year 2003 it aims to have:

• Supported high quality research to investigate what treatment methods and goals are most effective.
• Funded innovative research leading to new, improved treatment methods.
• Awarded Training Fellowships to enable young orthodontists to complete their PhD and academic training.

To achieve these important aims, the British Orthodontic Society Foundation has identified the urgent need to raise over £100,000 per year. It has set a target to raise £400,000 in pledges by the year 2003.

The success of the Foundation's work depends on you - whether you are a clinician practising orthodontics, a company manufacturing or supplying orthodontic products or if you or your family has benefited from orthodontic care.

The BOSF is particularly relying on the support of orthodontists. We are appealing to all practitioners who earn most or all of their income from orthodontics to pledge 'A Case for the Future' - the equivalent of the revenue for just one National Health Service orthodontic case. Over four years this would be a donation of only £18 per month.

Every donation to the Foundation will usually attract tax relief. This means that, through your monthly donation of £16, with the tax the charity can reclaim from your gift, your total donation of £768 over four years would be generating £1,000 towards the work of the Foundation. Additionally, you can now claim tax relief at your top rate, so both you and the Foundation can benefit. You should consult your professional advisor about tax relief.

If you complete 100 cases per year, a donation of £18 per month represents only 0.25% of your NHS fees from orthodontics over four years - just 1p for every £4 of fees.

For an orthodontist practicing privately, this represents perhaps half of the fee for one private case over four years.

For an entirely salaried orthodontist this contribution is less than £1 per working day.

Those at an early stage of their career on smaller incomes or with large initial outgoings may feel unable to give at that level whilst others who are further on in their career will feel able to pledge two cases over the four years or one case for every year.

Other ways of giving

A clinician can arrange that a private patient pay some or all of their fee directly to the Foundation. Patients are then aware of the clinician's commitment to the future of orthodontics. In time it is expected that bequests from orthodontists will contribute substantially to the Foundation. Companies manufacturing or supplying orthodontic products and services are pledging significant amounts to the Foundation.

Through supporting the Foundation your money will be ploughed back into excellent training and research. With this money you will be investing in the future of our profession and helping people to benefit from our care for many years to come. For example:

£5,000 (five 'Cases') will enable the Foundation to fund a significant research project.

£15,000 will fund a research project employing substantial research assistant support which could identify the effectiveness of a current form of treatment.

£30,000 will fund a quality research project including a research technician and aimed at helping to identify better future treatment methods.

£30,000 will also enable a research fellowship for an academic trainee to work full time for one year to achieve a PhD after gaining their MSc. A young academic would overcome a large hurdle on the path to becoming a fully fledged teacher and researcher. Another top quality leader of an orthodontic training and research programme can emerge.

Each year the British Orthodontic Society Scholarship Committee will receive all applications on behalf of the Foundation and agree the awards. This committee comprises orthodontists representing a wide range of interests within the British Orthodontic Society. They are nominated by the constituent groups of the Society and will appoint panels of the highest quality to review all applications. All applicants will receive a report and advice from the Scholarship committee. Additionally, the BOS Foundation and Scholarship Committees may announce annually a research emphasis to encourage the submission of proposals relevant to specific topics. A degree of preference will be given to meritorious proposals which address the announced research emphasis.

The council of the British Orthodontic Society will be responsible for approving the recommendations of the Scholarship committee. The Foundation will publish an annual report on the funds raised, the awards made, the results of the research supported and the direct teaching benefits.

Orthodontics gives so much to so many. By putting something back and helping the British Orthodontic Society Foundation succeed, you will strengthen the specialty as a whole and the practice of individual clinicians. The success of the Foundation will help us all to be inspired, well informed, caring, valued and responsible in our work, and will help to ensure that the specialty of orthodontics continues to grow and flourish in this country. Above all you will see and enjoy the worthwhile and lasting fruits of your pledge. Teaching and research will flourish in this country. Through your support you will be helping improve the quality of life of thousands of people across the UK for many years to come.

Recognition of Your Commitment

Those who pledge at least one Case for the Future will be formally thanked through listing their name in the BOS Newsletter every year for the duration of their pledge. Bequests will also be gratefully acknowledged. Corporate contributors will also be similarly listed and fully recognised. Anonymity of pledges and donations will be respected if requested.

On your pledge form, indicate the pledged amount. A typical pledge (one Case) will be at least £18 per month for four years. Choose your frequency of payment - monthly, quarterly or annually. Having filled in the pledge form, together with the banker's order, gift aid form as appropriate, send it to:

You can download and print the pledge form by clicking the link below.

Download pledge form and Download gift aid declaration form

Further Information

For further information about the work of the British Orthodontic Society Foundation:

Telephone: 020 7353 8680 Fax: 020 7353 8682
Or Email: ann.wright@bos.org.uk