Sir, I had thought that I would have left the dental profession long before ever having to read the word 'anilingus' in the previously very unsaucy British Dental Journal. However, it was not to be (BDJ 221: 603 Workshop examines fourth function of the mouth) and thus I feel moved to put fingers to keyboard.

A quick visit to the Science Gallery London website made me discard my initial thought that 'student prank' would explain all, so my problem is where to start. The possibilities for comment on this article, comic and otherwise, are extensive.

I will restrain myself and merely comment that a report of the involvement of King's dental students (Carly Billing and Anisha Gupta), in a workshop which, and I quote directly, 'created a prototype for a disposable wearable device to be used to increase sexual pleasure for women', indicates that the undergraduate dental curriculum is evidently packed with opportunities unimaginable 30 years ago.

I am already eagerly anticipating the publication of the clinical trial of this appliance in your august Journal, while wondering how they will first get it past the University Ethics Committee. The questions mount: will the study be randomised fairly and controlled adequately and will the lucky participants be blindfolded?

Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee that other readers may not be thinking instead, that these students would be better off spending their spare time down in oral surgery watching a few teeth being extracted, or dare I say it, actually pulling on a few themselves!

1. Rochester