Sir, I was pleasantly surprised to see the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Top 10 Research Priorities.1

They are useful not only to research groups but also to clinicians providing care. It is impossible to address the issues within NHS dentistry without addressing the existing inequalities to accessing and receiving dental care.

Having worked in both England and Scotland, I have noticed a stark difference in each country's approach to dental public health.

For example, the Scottish dental community is unified through a stronger network than in England. General dental practitioners (GDPs) signed up to NHS Education for Scotland (NES) all recently received notification of NIHR's priorities.

Most Scottish dentists are well acquainted with NES, which is also responsible for coordinating and funding dental training at undergraduate, vocational, core and specialty levels.

NES is the education and training organisation administering professional development and supporting programmes including Childsmile and the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme.

The Scottish Dental Practice Based Research Network (SDPBRN) is also part of NES and has used this communication platform to circulate a NIHR survey to GDPs.2

This survey, aimed at primary dental care practitioners, looked to identify and integrate professionals interested in research with the ultimate aim of strengthening the workforce. By working with NIHR Clinical Research Network Oral and Dental Specialty Group, GDPs can make the leap from accrued wisdom to applicable evidence that may result in meaningful change.

The survey is also supported by British Society for Oral and Dental Research and is available to all UK practitioners.3

However, I suspect this survey is not widely known among English GDPs.

One barrier is the lack of a communication platform to distribute such information to practitioners in England. The structure of NHS England, as a complex and fragmentary organisation, means that achieving universal communication is problematic. The importance of communication is often overlooked not least because dentists in primary care may find themselves isolated.

I urge the dental profession in England to prioritise communication and make use of our existing resources and networks, despite not having an equivalent organisation to Scotland's NES.

Following the issuing of the NHS Long Term Plan,4 the fact that oral health was 'largely ignored' should not come as a surprise.

Oral health has often been excluded from previous NHS strategy plans. This can change by working together to produce the research base to answer NIHR's key questions and form a compelling argument for oral health measures in the future NHS strategy plans.

As the dental services have always done, we need to take our own steps to support NHS dentistry. The survey's deadline has recently passed but expressing interest of participation to NIHR may possibly be accepted.