Sir,- I was recently asked for guidance by a senior student at a well-known and highly regarded school who was considering dental surgery for his chosen career.

Understandably, he wished to be advised by someone whose experience in the profession he could rely upon before proceeding with a step that would affect his entire life.

Having willingly agreed to spend some time explaining the nature of our profession to him and the scope of the responsibilities involved, I felt that it would be sensible to have at hand some printed materials that he could take away from our meeting and read at his leisure.

I had on earlier occasions asked the General Dental Council for their publications on guidance for prospective entrants to the profession, but I was shocked this time to be told that they no longer supplied anything other than the addresses of University Dental Schools!

Members of a profession whose governing body is so apathetic have good cause to feel ashamed for paying a compulsory subscription for supervision by a statutory body with such a frail opinion of itself that it does nothing to encourage new entrants to its numbers.

By contrast our own 'trade union', the BDA, responded instantly with abundant printed material detailing how to become a dental technician or a dental therapist or a dental hygienist or a dental nurse, in addition to modestly listing dental surgery as a possible career choice.

If matters have deteriorated so greatly during my half century in our formerly esteemed profession, should we all be exhorted to hang our heads in shame and hide from the public gaze?