1932–2016

Peter Long, who died on 3 August 2016, could be said to have had three careers in dentistry, each he thoroughly enjoyed.

After grammar school a Middlesex Scheme County Scholarship took him to Mill Hill, which had a medical sixth form. This vocational scheme, leading to his choice of dentistry at Guy's, was remarkable at the time.

An exciting and varied start for Peter came during National Service, when, in 1954 after his time as Resident Dental House Surgeon (on a salary of £125 a year), he was posted as an Officer in the Royal Army Dental Corps to the base hospital for Korea, in Japan. On the way he was expected to provide all necessary dental services on the troopship with a field kit and a foot-treadle drill (recalled as being excellent when powered by the orderly).

After leaving the army, marrying Judy, and starting his main career in practice in Hertford, Peter took a part-time post at Guy's under Frank Ingram in the dental X-Ray department.

The career which most suited his deep commitment to teaching came next at UCH as a part-time demonstrator in oral surgery, from 1961 until its closure.

Peter needed to deal with the high child caries rate in the Home Counties; he had such a calming influence on children that most hardly needed the N2O, they were talked into analgesia.

The NHS was well suited to a man with his social conscience, and the Hertford practice flourished. The VT scheme extended Peter's teaching and mentoring activities, and he was an outstanding and caring tutor to those lucky enough to come under his guidance.

Towards retirement Peter took on the challenging role of adviser to fellow practitioners in the Dentist Support Scheme, where those with problems with the use of drugs or alcohol needed a guiding hand.

A keen Rotarian, Peter was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of his commitment to helping people in need.

Neither of his sons followed him into dentistry, so Peter was delighted when he acquired Dianne (Eggleton) as a daughter-in-law, who had met his son while on the practice visit that he offered all his house surgeons.

Peter's reminiscences are recorded in the MacLean Interviews held at the BDA.