The Great Debate

It is usual to hold debates with a live audience. However, they can be held via the written word. Indeed, Letters to the Editor and responses are in many ways a debate. Specialist lists were introduced by the General Dental Council in 1997 and have been discussed ever since. This discussion will doubtless continue for many years. Two longstanding Faculty members have strong views on the topic. They were therefore invited to conduct a written debate to mark the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Faculty.

Reflections on the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) at 20 years

This paper presents the reflections of four colleagues who were instrumental in the foundation of the then Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (UK) in 1992. All four subsequently became members of the first Board of Faculty, of whom one became the second Dean of the Faculty and one became the first editor of Primary Dental Care. Two are members of the current Board. They were asked to reflect on six questions, which were: 1. What were the original hopes at the inception of the Faculty 20 years ago? 2. Have these hopes and expectations that you had 20 years ago been realised? 3. If the original aspirations have been met, what factors made this possible? 4. If some aspirations have not been realised, why? 5. What trends will shape dentistry in the next 20 years? 6. Where would you like to see the Faculty in 20 years’ time?

The 2012 Malcolm Pendlebury Memorial Lecture

At 6 pm on Friday, 2nd March 2012, Russ Ladwa, the Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) gave the Malcolm Pendlebury memorial lecture in the Eleanor Davies-Colley lecture theatre at The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The lecture was attended by over 100 people and preceded the Faculty's Annual Dinner. The lecture is presented here verbatim.

Challenges to Oral Healthcare for Older People in Domiciliary Settings in the Next 20 Years: A General Dental Practitioner's Perspective

This ‘In my opinion’ paper has been written by a general dental practitioner who, prior to his recent retirement, had a particular interest in the provision of domiciliary oral healthcare. The paper describes the rapid rise in the number of elderly people with mental illness and the increasingly dentate older population who pose new challenges for dentists and carers. It considers the different types of care homes for the elderly, challenges, barriers to care and the provision of care in homes for the elderly and those with dementia. It goes on to reflect on the need for training carers, the role of technicians, and costs. It suggests that there is a need to review treatment planning for those in the early stages of mental illness and improve the availability of domiciliary care. There is a need also to review training and support for carers in the maintenance of oral health. Its final suggestion is that all of these issues are pressing and will become more so over the next 20 years as the population ages.

A Patient's View of Dentistry 20 Years Ago, Now, and in 20 Years’ Time

The expectations that 2012 Britain has of its healthcare system is a far cry from Aneurin Bevan's 1948 vision of a National Health Service (NHS) as he opened Park Hospital in Manchester. Originally designed to treat diseases of poverty and emergency, the modern NHS now spends much of its time dealing with diseases of excess: smoking, eating, drinking, and vanity.

Corporate Dentistry in 2032?

During the last 20 years, there has been considerable growth in the number of dental practices owned by corporate bodies. At present, well over 800 practices are owned by such bodies and they employ over 3000 dentists. This paper describes the factors that have led to this growth and explores the advantages and disadvantages of ‘corporate’ dentistry for patients, dentists, and the dental team. It then considers how and why dental practice may change over the next 20 years and concludes that by 2032 the small one-dentist practice may well be in the past. It is likely that smaller practices will have to work in some form of association if they are to survive. Although their current model is unstable, corporates are likely to adapt to a changing environment. By 2032, in some cases, dentistry may well be taken out of its conventional setting, into supermarkets or a school environment.