Sir, O'Brien and Kay (BDJ 2006 200: 73–74) should be congratulated for opening the debate on clinical academics. Much of the correspondence has highlighted the negative aspects of following such a career and whilst we do not disagree with the problems over the years of dental academia, it is important to highlight the positive side. A number of those individuals who have corresponded in the letters column of the journal are very successful academics.

In all walks of life there are role models who have influenced our career progression and it is vital that clinical academics encourage others. Professor Michael Rees wrote in Role models in academic medicine1 published by the BMA, 'one of the recurring themes is that in order to inspire the next generation of medical academic staff, more visible academic role models are needed.' We all remember clinical teachers who were inspirational and were passionate about their work, and dental schools should come forward to champion their teachers and researchers.

There will be many people who can contribute in many different ways to teaching and research. Some may major on teaching whilst others will be researchers, but all groups will have a common aim and that is to change the future of dentistry for the better. There are challenges to being a dental academic but these are not insurmountable and it is how the opportunities are acted upon that is important. It is possible to become disillusioned by the work load etc, and dentistry has had its fair share of self destruct mechanisms in the past. O'Brien and Kay may be wearing rose coloured tinted spectacles but what is the alternative? To lie down and die? Certainly from the correspondence that has been received this latter option is not advocated.

In response to the difficulties facing academia the Dental Academic Staff Group of the British Dental Association is holding a fringe meeting on the role of the dental academic on Friday 19 May 2006 at the BDA annual conference and everyone is welcome. We would like to use the proceedings to form the basis of a web document similar to that of the BMA. It is our opinion that where ever possible the dental profession must make young dentists aware of the opportunities available in teaching and research. It is vital for the future of the profession that new colleagues take up such careers in order to influence the future of dental academia.

The summary below is taken from the talk on the Joy of being an Academic.

'A job is a job but dentistry is a vocation. It is the interaction with patients and the variety of the work that makes dentistry so rewarding. It is possible to add extra value to your dentistry by being involved in both new developments arising from research and helping others to learn. Reward is a great motivator in any job or career and academic dentistry will provide it in abundance. Being an academic involves both research and teaching but also allows you to stay focused on your clinical activities. But most importantly you are in a privileged position to help the profession develop and move forward into the future.'

The job of being a dental academic does have challenges; we do have three masters to follow: clinical, teaching and research, which at times can be frustrating. However, it is a matter of looking at the glass being half full not half empty. The opportunities in academia are endless and with new funding, increasing undergraduate numbers and two new dental schools, there probably has never been a better time to be involved. Our call to all those who are thinking about an academic career is to join us now and to look to opportunities of the future and not to the past.