Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

13CommentFebruary 6-12, 2012United Kingdom Edition 13 almost cool – all in the quest for perfect teeth. Of course, it was not just teeth that had to be perfect and so a whole range of other cosmetic treatments, once the province of the very rich or the very old and rich, came within the reach of a wid- er market. It will be interesting to see in 20 years or so whether there are any long term health and psychological effects on today’s 20 something’s – I’m al- ways curious to see how Barbie and Ken will age. Subjective When the cash starts flow- ing less freely, we are forced to reconsider our values and to accept that appearance is not all that matters, and any- way perfection is subjective and certainly does not equal happiness. If banks are no longer willing to lend money to cash strapped businesses, they are definitely not going to fund a 28-year-olds’ vanity pro- jects as they certainly did a few years back. When money is in short supply every penny needs to count - not just on what is be- ing bought but from whom and how. Of course, that applies not just to dentistry but across the board – who made those jeans/ that gadget, where and under what conditions? We already know that our patients are well informed and assiduous in their own re- search; they will want to know about the investment they are making in their long term dental health, the benefits and comfort that will result from the expertise they are buying. In my experience, when times are tough the rather nebu- lous concept ‘quality of life’ goes out of the window and is replaced by a return to ‘quality of health’ as the major concern and that will shape the next phase of dentistry in the UK . Shifting sands Of course, only time will tell and I may be wrong , but I be- lieve the shifting sands in den- tistry in the midst of this eco- nomic depression may settle in a place where health resumes its place as paramount, dentists no longer feel the need to com- pete with beauty salons and a person’s appearance is not val- ued above all else. There is no doubt that times ahead will be hard, but the silver lining could be a ‘back to basics’ that would reinforce the priceless value of dental health. DT About the author Dr Michael Sultan BDS MSc DFO is a specialist in En- dodontics and the Clinical Director of EndoCare. Mi- chael qualified at Bristol University in 1986. He worked as a general dental practitioner for 5 years before com- mencing specialist studies at Guy’s hospital, London. He completed his MSc and in Endodontics in 1993 and worked as an in-house endodontist in various practices before setting up in Harley St, London in 2000. He was admitted onto the specialist reg- ister in Endodontics in 1999 and has lectured extensively to postgraduate dental groups as well as lecturing on Endodontic courses at Easman CPD, University of London. He has been in- volved with numerous dental groups and has been chairman of the Alpha Omega dental fraternity. In 2008 he became clinical director of Endocare a group of specialist practices. Dr Mi- chael Sultan can be contacted for advice regarding patients or any issues raised by the articles on mi- chael@endopro.co.uk Sponsored By: Media Partners:Live Theatre Sponsors: CPD Partner:Supported By: ION We’vesqueezedmorein… soyoucangetmoreout www.thedentistryshow.co.uk/Tribune The Dentistry Show is back with a world-class clinical and business CPD programme across six streams for every member of your practice team. The biggest ever exhibition floor is brimming with more than 280 UK and international suppliers, and our live surgery theatre will demonstrate some of the latest aesthetic procedures. The conference features an international speaker faculty of over 60 lecturers presenting more than 55 hours of seminars, lectures and clinical workshops including Didier Dietschi, Michael Morgan, Jeff Blank and Steve Rasner. When it comes to helping forward thinking dental professionals to stay at the forefront of the profession – The Dentistry Show has it covered. And here’s the best news of all – it’s still completely FREE to attend. Register now for free... REGISTER NOW FOR FREE * *DELE GATE PASS W O RTH£499 Every penny counts ‘When money is in short supply every pen- ny needs to count - not just on what is being bought but from whom and how’