Sir, it has been (correctly) brought to my attention that there was an error in the author status and specialty name quoted on my previously published article Oral and maxillofacial surgery - a case of mistaken identity? (BDJ 2011; 210: 9–11).

I am currently a penultimate year dental student - having previously studied medicine and completed my Member of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) examinations. Working part time in oral and maxillofacial surgical jobs during my dental undergraduate training (as a means of gaining both experience and marginally improved financial sustenance) grants me the lengthy denomination 'Part-time Junior Trainee in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and simultaneous Penultimate Year Dental Student'.

As (again, correctly) pointed out by our reader, it is only once I have completed my BDS and been successful in obtaining a National Training number, that I may justifiably use the more economical rank of 'Specialist Trainee in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery'.

Furthermore, concerns were expressed that the opinion provided by the article was perhaps 'inexperienced' and without sufficient referencing. I disagree. The paper primarily portrays the views of those that responded to the questionnaire - which for the majority of cases are Consultants in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery. The lack of references in the paper is primarily due to the fact that it is, as mentioned before, an opinion - with no direct reference to previously documented or published word. In fact, the Oxford Dictionary defines opinion as 'a view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge'.1

I apologise for any confusion or annoyance caused by the errors in both specialty name and author status. It is not and certainly was not, my intention to deceive or mislead. 'There is no greater mistake than the hasty conclusion that opinions are worthless because they are badly argued.' (Thomas Huxley)