Sir, the GDC should adopt a reasoned, pragmatic approach to the issue of the 'Dr' title rather than trying to address a problem where there is none.

The title 'Dr' is used by almost all dentists throughout the world; this is because many countries award a doctorate as their primary dental qualification. When I am abroad I am always accorded the title 'Dr' and people have no difficulty with the concept.

In this country, graduates of medicine and dentistry are usually awarded a bachelor's degree. No one has suggested that we are any less qualified or capable than our overseas colleagues; in many cases the reverse may be true.

Our medical colleagues have established their use of the courtesy title 'Dr' through common usage over many years. Dentists are now seeking to do the same and, in my experience, almost all new dental graduates are doing so and have been for some time.

A colleague recently joined our practice and she uses the title 'Dr'. We decided, therefore, that all the dentists at the practice would now do the same. This has not caused any confusion with our patients, even those new to the practice. Many have expressed the view that 'it's about time' and entirely appropriate.

The use of the title allows female practitioners to disguise their marital status if they so wish, an important factor in the very personal relationships that our patients can often have with us.

Quite frankly, I find the view that I might seek to enhance my professional status by inferring that I am medically qualified very insulting. I assume that no one feels our medical colleagues might do the same by claiming a dental qualification.

Holders of a PhD, whether dental or not, presumably represent a similar 'risk'. Is this currently a significant problem? Where is the evidence base?

We demean our profession if we think our patients would prefer to have their dental treatment provided by an individual who has anything other than dental qualifications.

Provided safeguards are in place to deal with misrepresentation by all dental care professionals, the GDC should allow our profession to move forward and join the rest of the world in the twenty-first century, not push us back into the nineteenth.

To quote Keith Marshall, 'doctoring does not stop at the mouth'.