Orthodontic Technicians Association
| 150px | |
| Formation | 11 October 1971 Great Ormond Street Hospital, London WC1N 3JH[1] |
|---|---|
| Type | professional association |
| Headquarters | 12 Bridewell Place London EC4V 6AP[2] |
| Location | |
|
Official language
|
English |
|
President
|
Bill Ip[3][4] |
|
Key people
|
|
| Affiliations |  British Orthodontic Society Gesellschaft für Kieferorthopädische Zahntechnik e.V (GK; Society for Orthodontic Dental Technology) Accademia Italiana di Ortodonzia Tecnica (AIOT; Italian Academy of Orthodontic Technology) ORTEC Polskie Towarzystwo Techniki Ortodontycznej (PTTO; Polish Association for Orthodontic Technology) |
| Website | http://www.ota-uk.org |
The Orthodontic Technicians Association (UK) (OTA) is the professional body that represents orthodontic technologists, based in the United Kingdom.[2]
Contents
History
In 1971 orthodontic technicians based at London teaching hospitals began holding meetings to discuss the regulation of orthodontic technology and the ways in which standards in the profession could be improved. Bert Aldridge, laboratory manager at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and Len Bradshaw, his counterpart at Kings College Dental School, discussed the possibility of forming an Association for orthodontic technicians. They were visiting lecturers at South London College on Tooley Street, which has since merged with Brixton College of Further Education and Vauxhall College to become Lambeth College, with the Tooley Street campus moving to Clapham in 2004. Aldridge wrote to the other orthodontic technicians working at London teaching hospitals and invited them to attend a meeting on Monday 11 October 1971 at 6.00pm at Great Ormond Street Hospital to discuss the possibility of forming an association. Thirteen orthodontic technicians attended the meeting and it was agreed that such an association should be formed. From this meeting a steering committee was organised. Len Bradshaw became the first chairman and Bert Aldridge was secretary. Other committee members were P. Chittenden, H. Close, J. Ford, J. Griffin and H. Haringman. During the first four meetings aims and objectives were drawn up and in March 1972 a letter and questionnaire were sent to dental schools, hospital orthodontic departments and county council dental laboratories. As an act of confidence each committee member together with E. Cripps, H. Essinger, A. Wing and G. Wisker contributed to a launching fund to cover the costs of stationery, printing and postage. In July 1972 a letter together with an application form and the comments received from the original replies were sent out inviting orthodontic technicians to apply for membership. During the meetings that followed the constitution was written and the first conference was planned, which was held in April 1973 at University College Hospital in London. Letters with details of the conference were sent out to all orthodontic departments throughout the United Kingdom.[1]
Aims and objectives
The aims and objectives of the association remain close to those of its founders:
Aims
The Association will be strictly a professional body devoted to the interests of orthodontics. This is to imply that it is not a trade union, but there would be no reason why the Association should not suggest and give opinions to institutions on the role of the orthodontic technician.
Objectives
- To encourage the study, improve the practice and advance the knowledge of the science of orthodontic laboratory techniques for the benefit of the patients.
- To act as an advisory body to institutions and individuals on the use of all orthodontic laboratory techniques and the service orthodontic technicians provide.
- To widen, improve and develop the education and knowledge through the media, publications, lectures, exhibitions and conferences of those actively engaged in the pursuit of orthodontic laboratory techniques.
- To keep a register of members and their qualifications.
- To invite and collect subscriptions and donations to the funds of the Association by any lawful means.
- To co-operate with other organisations with the view to the promotion of the objectives of the Association.[3]
Membership
All grades of membership have the right to attend meetings, conferences and receive all literature. All grades are awarded at the discretion of the Council. Any member may appeal over the grading awarded. The Council issues a list of national qualifications that are recognised by the Association.
Membership benefits
- Full access to the OTA website and Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
- Subscriptions to OTA News, the OTA newsletter and BOS News, the newsletter of the British Orthodontic Society (BOS).
- Discounted subscription rate for the Journal of Orthodontics.
- Discounted rates for the Dental Professionals Conference (DPC) and British Orthodontic Conference (BOC).
- Access to Dental Technology Showcase (DTS) VIP area.
Membership categories
| Category | Post-nominal letters | Requirements | Voting rights | Council eligibility | Membership fee 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate member | AMOTA | Those who are in sympathy with the aims and objectives of the Association and who are interested in the subject of orthodontic technology, are professionally engaged in orthodontic technology and who gain the major part of their income from such activities, or whose professional experience or qualifications are such as to satisfy the council of their fitness for membership in this category. Those studying for a recognised first professional qualification in dental technology. |
No | No | £10.00 |
| Member | MOTA | Any person who holds current General Dental Council registration as a dental technician, or has satisfied the Council of the Association of their ability in orthodontic technology and the science relating thereto, or such to satisfy the Council of their fitness for membership to this category. | Yes | Two only | £50.00 |
| Licentiate | LOTA | Any member of the Association who holds current General Dental Council registration with an advanced qualification in orthodontic technology or who in the opinion of the Council of the Association has shown distinguished ability or originality in the science of orthodontic laboratory techniques, or who has in the judgement of the council been of service to orthodontics. | Yes | Yes | £50.00 |
| Honorary / life members | HMOTA | Any member of long standing who has made a notable contribution to the Association’s affairs or to orthodontics may be nominated for life membership by the council and approved at the next annual general meeting. | Yes | Yes | No fee |
| Fellowship | FOTA | Any member or past member, that the Council deems to merit this recognition either for their many years of service to orthodontic technology or who has shown distinguished ability or originality in their field. | Yes | Yes | £50.00 |
| Retired member | _OTA [Ret] | Members who have reached retirement age are entitled to pay a reduced subscription fee. Retirement is considered to be any age above 60 years when full employment is ended. Retired members shall retain all the benefits of the grade membership they held at the time of retirement. | Yes | Yes | £10.00 |
| International member | IMOTA | Any person or body from overseas, who is in sympathy with the aims and objectives of the Association and who is interested in the subject of orthodontic technology, is professionally engaged in orthodontic laboratory techniques and who gains the major part of their income from such activities, or whose professional experience or qualifications are such as to satisfy the council of their fitness for membership in this category. | No | No | £50.00 |
OTA Officials
Council
The OTA Council is the governing body of the Association and is elected by the members. The council was established in 1971, consisting of four executive officers (Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Secretary) and up to six non-executive council members. At the Annual General Meeting on 12 March 2005 two more non-executive positions were created due to a steady increase in council duties, meaning that the council can be composed of a total of 12 council members.
President
The President is the Association's ceremonial head and is elected biennially by the Council.
Representation
The OTA is represented at meetings with various organisations, such as the British Standards Institution and the General Dental Council.
OTA Officials 2018-2019
| Portfolio | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Bill Ip[3][4] |
| Chair | Andrea Johnson[3][5] |
| Secretary | James Green[3][6] |
| Treasurer and Vice Chair | Daniel Shaw[3] |
| Membership Secretary | Jennifer Alexander[3] |
| Council member (Awards Coordinator / Website Editor) | Edward Mapley[3] |
| Council member | Jennifer Dunnett[3] |
| Council member | Lucia Amato[3] |
| Council member (Co-opted; Newsletter Editor) | Simon Green[3] |
| Council member (Co-opted) | Kerry Lancaster[3] |
Logo and visual identity
The OTA logo has been a visual identity for the Association and its work since the 1970s in three distinct designs:
1971-1984
The first logo was used from 1971 to 1984 and consisted of an image of the base of a maxillary Angle’s trimmed study model surrounded by an annulus with the words “ORTHODONTIC” and “TECHNICIANS” at the top and “ASSOCIATION” at the bottom, separated by dashes.[9]
1984-2017
The second logo was used from 1984 to 2017 and depicts the letters “OTA “ in uppercase with an otter, the OTA’s mascot, in the foreground. The annulus remained the same as for the first logo. The otter was chosen as the association's mascot because the initials OTA can be pronounced "otter."
2017-Present
The third and current logo has been used since September 2017 and consists of a blue globe with a "bite" removed from the left-hand side and the letters “OTA” in lowercase.[2][10]
-
1971 - 1984:
The first logo -
OTA Logo 1984 - 2017.png
1984 - 2017:
The second logo -
OTA Icon TP.png
2017 - present:
The third logo
Affiliate organisations
British Orthodontic Society
The OTA has had a close connection with the British Orthodontic Society (BOS) for much of its history. The BOS sponsor two awards for orthodontic technicians, which were launched in 2000 and 2003, and these are co-ordinated by the OTA. The affiliation with the BOS was finally formalised by an agreement in 2010 that gave increased benefits to members and meant that the Association now shared an official address with the BOS at 12 Bridewell Place in the City of London. These offices opened in 2006 and occupy two floors of a listed Victorian building near St Paul's Cathedral.[2]
International affiliations
The 1990s saw the Association build links with a similar organisation based in Germany, Gesellschaft für Kieferorthopädische Zahntechnik (GK; Society for Orthodontic Dental Technology), which was established in 1990. This relationship remains in place today and the OTA Chair with an accompanying ambassador from the OTA council represents the OTA at the annual GK Congress. The second decade of the 21st century has seen the OTA build links with their Italian and Polish counterparts, Accademia Italiana di Ortodonzia Tecnica, (AIOT; Italian Academy of Orthodontic Technology), ORTEC and Polskie Towarzystwo Techniki Ortodontycznej (PTTO; Polish Association for Orthodontic Technology).
Conference
Continuing professional development (CPD) has been at the heart of what the OTA stands for, long before it became mandatory for UK dental technicians in 2008. The Association has held regular conferences since 1973.[1]
OTA Annual Conference (1973-2014)
The first OTA conference (OTAC) was held at University College Hospital, London in April 1973. The next three conferences were held in 1974, 1976 and 1978 in Cardiff, Manchester and Bristol respectively. Conferences have became a regular occurrence for the Association since the 1980s, with meetings held in towns and cities including Basingstoke, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Gloucester, Luton, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Skipton, Southampton, Stirling and Windermere.[11]
OTA Annual Conference, co-located with the British Orthodontic Conference (2016-2017)
Following a ballot of the OTA membership, the result of which was announced at the OTA Annual General Meeting in 2014, the OTA Conference moved to be co-located with the British Orthodontic Conference (BOC) in 2016 and 2017. These conferences were held in Brighton and Manchester.
-
BOC / OTAC 2016:
Brighton Centre -
BOC / OTAC 2017:
Manchester Central Convention Complex
_(April_2013).JPG)
Dental Professionals Conference (2018 - present)
In 2018 the OTA Conference was opened up to the wider dental team, rebranded as the Dental Professionals Conference (DPC), and held in collaboration with the Dental Technologists Association, the Society of British Dental Nurses and Futurelab. The first DPC was held at Park Plaza hotel in Nottingham on the 14 and 15 September 2018. The second DPC is scheduled to take place at the Holiday Inn hotel in Edinburgh on 27-28 September 2019.[12]
Other Events
British Orthodontic Conference
Between 2009 and 2014, the BOS hosted a dedicated lecture programme for orthodontic technicians at the BOC, which was coordinated by the OTA. These meetings were held in Edinburgh[13][14], Brighton[15], Harrogate[16], Bournemouth[17] and Manchester[18].
-
Edinburgh International Conference Centre - geograph.org.uk - 538378.jpg
BOC 2009 / 2014:
Edinburgh International Conference Centre -
BOC 2010:
Brighton Centre -
Harrogate International Centre - geograph.org.uk - 738910.jpg
BOC 2011:
Harrogate Convention Centre -
BOC 2012:
Bournemouth International Centre -
BOC 2013:
Manchester Central Convention Complex
International Orthodontic Congress
In 2015, the OTA hosted the orthodontic technicians lecture programme at the 8th International Orthodontic Congress at ExCeL in London. [19]
Dental Technology Showcase
Since 2016, the OTA have held seminar sessions at the Dental Technology Showcase (DTS). The DTS is co-located with the British Dental Conference and the Dentistry Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham[20][21]
Scottish Dental Show
Since 2016, the have OTA sponsored a speaker and had a trade stand at the Scottish Dental Show, which is held at the Braehead Arena in Renfrewshire.
-
ExCeL London (geograph 5741387).jpg
IOC 2015:
ExCeL in London. -
DTS 2016 - present:
The National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. -
Scottish Dental Show 2016 - present:
Braehead Arena in Renfrewshire.
Publications
Conference Proceedings
The OTA have published conference proceedings to accompany its annual conference since 1998.
OTA News
The OTA publishes a quarterly newsletter to keep members up to date with news relating to orthodontic technology. [7][22]
BOS News
The BOS News, the newsletter of the BOS, carries up to four pages of news relating to the OTA.[7]
Prizes and awards
The OTA sponsor three awards and coordinate two on behalf of the BOS:
| Year Established | Award | Sponsor | Aim | Eligibilty | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Fellowship of the Orthodontic Technicians Association.[7] | OTA | To recognise a member or past member for their years of service to orthodontic technology or for their distinguished ability or originality in their field. | A member or past member that the OTA Council deems to merit this recognition. | A framed certificate |
| 2000 | BOS Technicians / Student Technician Award.[23][24] | BOS | To encourage student dental technicians and recently qualified dental technicians to pursue a career in orthodontic technology. | Those undertaking a recognised first level dental technology course in the United Kingdom and dental technicians who have been qualified for less than two years at the time of the closing date. | A certificate and £750 |
| 2003 | BOS Award to an Orthodontic Technician for Distinguished Service[23] | BOS | To recognise orthodontic technicians who have made an outstanding contribution to their profession and orthodontics. | An orthodontic technician nominated by the OTA. | A certificate and a glass bowl |
| 2007 | Aldridge Medal[25] | OTA | To encourage members to present new research and developments at the annual conference. | The best lecturer at the conference, as judged by delegates who are OTA members. | A medal |
| 2017 | OTA Award for an outstanding contribution to the field of orthodontic dental technology[25] | OTA | To recognise a specific contribution that has advanced the field of orthodontic technology. | Any person nominated by the OTA. | A certificate and a glass plaque |
In other media
The OTA council were featured on the BBC News website in June 2002 in an item about kilts, following the 2001 OTA conference in Stirling. Council members featured were (from left to right) Bob Woods, John Windibank, Ed Payne, John Brown, Gavin Carmichael, Paul Mallett and Chris Bridle.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
