British Dental Association, founded in 1880, is the professional association and registered trade union for dentists in the UK. The Association's mission is to promote the interests of its members, advance the science, art and ethics of dentistry and improve the nation's oral health. The first Association ties displayed a single, centrally located gold-coloured insignia, representing the rod, serpent and two lions rampant from the centre of the Association's Coat of Arms. They were available in maroon, navy and green. These hard wearing terylene ties were introduced, together with hugely popular car badges, following long and frequent deliberations in 1957. To avoid "trading" and associated tax liabilities, and not being able to afford giving ties away to members, it was agreed to give a tie to any member "who contributed a minimum of a guinea to the Benevolent Fund at the time of asking for one". - a process which had to be transacted by through Branch Secretaries. To encourage the acquisition and wearing of an Association tie, the Representative (Rep) Board of the Association resolved that any member who arrived at the Annual Conference that year wihtout an Association tie would be expected to "repair this deficiency immediately".