Sir, I awaited the most recent issue of the BDJ and possible letters from others before applying for the record of longest serving dentist in the same practice!

This coming August I will have been at 'the Retreat' in Woking for 45 years – man and boy!

I remember as a first year clinical student marching on the Houses of Parliament in my 'White Coat' to protest at the introduction of NHS dental charges, using silicates for anterior fillings and the introduction of 'Adaptic' composite. I have over the years consigned buckets of 'the latest materials' to the bin but keen to try anything new, regarding all new techniques as potentially necessary to my professional advancement and worthy of consideration (if not action!).

Like your last long server, I too qualified from 'The London' and was taught 'Cons' by the late, great, Harry Allred who encouraged us to think about what we were doing, not follow blindly the 'Black' principles of cavity design, laying my foundation in minimal preparation dentistry and where appropriate minimum intervention. I was also lucky enough to have had Bernie Keiser as my perio tutor and Prof. Fish for prosthetics, Nicholls for endo and many other eminent tutors.

I know that evidence-based dentistry is now the norm, but regret the current tendency to disapprove of those who 'think outside the box'.

I have been in the enviable position of being able to see in the long term what works and what doesn't, but have come to the conclusion that most procedures if carried out diligently will work, and that all dentistry is the art of delaying tactics against the destroying hand of time!

I started as an associate in 1972, became a partner in 1974, moved mostly away from the NHS after the first 'new contract' around 1990 (seeing the writing on the wall), sold out to a corporate in 2001 and now full circle am working as an associate again!

I have had the good fortune to have worked in a very happy practice (apart from some years of the corporate), made a comfortable if not wealthy living, enjoying and feeling stimulated by dentistry and not least, feeling I have made a difference for my patients.

With the high costs of practice purchase, rise of the corporates and the downgrading of general dentistry from a profession to a business, I wonder what the chances are for new graduates to say the same and how many years they will enjoy and commit to dentistry.

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