A day out

One of my favourite 'extras' in Dentistry is to run courses for qualified dentists, especially in an area where I have some expertise - Prosthetics. It was a real pleasure and a privilege, therefore, to spend Monday teaching and interacting with a group of dentists at Guy's Dental Hospital.

Having been attached to the Hospital for many years, it is always a refreshing experience to revisit the Department, see old friends and catch up with news and current research within the wide realm of dentistry that is carried out there each day.

For those who do not know the hospital, it is situated only 5 mins from London Bridge station and has a worldwide reputation for excellence. It teaches both undergraduates who are going to be the future dentists in Britain and postgraduates, who have returned to the hospital to train in specialised areas of dentistry.

One of the areas that is expanding rapidly, and which will impact patients and practice in the next few years, is the area of PCD's. This stands for Professionals Complimentary to Dentistry, and includes nurses, hygienists and therapists - all those who allow high quality, modern dental techniques to be offered to patients in the 21st century.

My day was made more enjoyable by teaching within a group of motivated, interested and able dentists, who were all there for one reason - to improve the quality of the dentistry that they offered to their patients. And as I always find, I came away with a few tips from them! That is the benefit of good dental courses; everybody goes home with a new angle on the role of dentists and their delivery of treatment options to their patients.