The 11th Annual Rural Dental Conference aimed to explore 'complementary' techniques in the world of dentistry, such as acupuncture, hypnosis, homeopathy, herbalism and propolis together with the role of 'golden proportions' in cosmetic work.

Organised by the Welsh Rural Postgraduate Unit and held at Gregynog Hall, near Newtown in Mid-Wales, the theme of the conference was 'Open mouth, open mind'.

'The General Dental Council has advised that dental teams are familiar with complementary techniques to be better able to advise their patients,' said Dr Charles Vaughan Jones, postgraduate dental tutor for Rural Wales. 'However, the general feeling after the day was that the techniques that had been discussed were of more than academic interest.'

Speakers included Phil Wander, who outlined the use of homeopathy in his practice and extolled the virtues of propolis, a natural secretion of the honey bee.

Tom Thayer, Consultant Oral Surgeon and also chair of the British Dental Acupuncture Society, described the valuable part that acupuncture plays in his everyday work.

Val Walters spoke on hypnosis in dentistry and presented a film of demanding dental work that relied solely on hypnosis for analgesia.

Next year's Rural Dental Conference will also be held at Gregynog Hall, on 10 June 2011.