Sir, I wish to highlight the difficulty in obtaining ethical approval for research projects. This is an issue with which many clinicians and academics will identify. The application process involves two phases. Initially indemnity for the research is sought from the Research & Development committee locally. Subsequent to obtaining local approval, permission is granted to apply centrally to the NHS Research Ethics Committee (REC). Unfortunately the local and central requirements for approval differ significantly. Application inevitably involves completion of the NHS REC application form comprising over 100 detailed questions covering areas from radioactive materials to complaints processes. Depending on the nature of the trial further requirements may include appropriately formatted CVs of principal researchers, letters of peer review, a letter from a statistician, consent forms for adult participants, assent forms for children, information sheets for adults, another for adolescents and another for younger children. Following submission of all the required material central approval usually takes three to four months. I fully appreciate the necessity to analyse research projects to facilitate high quality research and safeguard patient welfare, particularly in the case of trials of relatively new medicinal products. However, the majority of dental trials carry minimal risk. I feel the application process should be shortened and simplified, and the central application form made more relevant to dental research. Failure to address this issue may make clinicians in both primary and secondary settings less inclined to undertake research, rendering the evidence base on which we endeavour to base our patient care less robust and innovative.