Sir, I read with great interest the article Academic dentistry – where is everybody? (BDJ 2006; 200: 73–74). It is understandable that new graduates may not opt for an academic career due to the financial burden of repayment of loans, especially when private practice is usually more rewarding financially, in developing countries like India as well as in developed countries.

Recruitment of potential immigrant dentists for academic positions at UK universities may be a feasible idea for alleviating the academic fallout. However, foreign trained dentists from developing countries are unable to fill academic positions in the UK due to the facts that the General Dental Council does not recognise their previous academic and professional training and also because dentists from the European Union are preferred. Dentists who are solely interested in academic teaching posts should be waived the International Qualifying Exam. Grants provided for overseas researchers who are from developing countries are very few and most universities ask students to obtain funding from their home country or the local embassies. Distribution of grants from individual universities would help in retaining new found talent.

I do feel that UK universities could start collaborative programmes in the developing world and harness the talent among aspirants who could be recruited for academic positions in the UK. A unique example of this is represented by the Universities of Bergen and Oslo, Norway which have developed collaborative programmes for students from developing countries under the quota stipend scheme. Another option could be the opening of satellite branches of UK universities in developing countries so that the pattern of education provided is uniform. These dentists could be later recruited for academic positions in the UK thereby preventing a dropout of dentists from the academic field.