Interview Continued »
Focus on endodontology Endodontology had become the main focus of Professor Saunders’ research and clinical practice, and his work in this area is one of the aspects he’s most proud about contributing to. “One of my motivations was that I always
wanted to make endo easier for the general practitioner. That was always my main aim,” he said. “I wanted to find out more about the
science of endodontology and transfer that knowledge to clinical practice, to make it better first and foremost for the patients, but also to make sure that dentists are able to do the best job they could.” In 2000, Professor Saunders returned
to Dundee, this time as dean of the dental school. “I loved that role. We had a strong
team and a committed staff both on the academic and NHS sides,” he said. “It was a great place to work and I had a lot of support from the then principal, Sir Alan Langlands, and we had a ball. For a couple of years we were voted the number one dental school in the country, so it was very rewarding.”
Fresh challenges Another highlight during this period was the opportunity to contribute to the design of the purpose-built campus for the new Aberdeen Dental School. Professor Saun- ders helped to design both the curriculum and also with input into the infrastructure of the school’s buildings and facilities. After a brief fling with retirement,
Professor Saunders is prepared for a fresh challenge in his role as dean of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s dental faculty. “I wasn’t particularly ready to retire,”
said Professor Saunders. “I enjoyed playing a bit more golf, and I didn’t miss the clinical side as much as I thought I would, but I still enjoy being at the forefront of what goes on in both Scottish and British dentistry, and this is an opportunity to continue that. “I was still on the Dental Council here,
for my third term, and I’m a great supporter of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. I think it’s a wonderful insti- tution in terms of what it brings to the profession.” In his three-year term as dean of the
dental faculty, Professor Saunders is keen to build on the College’s reputation for education and assessment in dentistry specialties, and to ensure it follows contemporary assessment procedures. International growth is also on the
agenda. 26 Scottish Dental magazine “We already have conjoint exams
within the UK, but we’re looking for other opportunities overseas,” said Professor Saunders. “We have recently negotiated being involved with training in Bahrain, in my specialty, and we have signed an agreement in Kuala Lumpur for a programme in Malaysia. “We are working worldwide, with great
strength in the Middle East, Asia, Austral- asia and also in North America, but I would like to see us do more in west and south Africa – these are areas where we haven’t invested anything on the dental side and I would like to see something happen there.” In whatever direction he plans to take the
faculty, Professor Saunders is keenly aware of the international reputation of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. “It’s easy to say the name carries a lot of influence, and of course it does, but that
Bill Saunders
Curriculum Vitae EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
1971 – Graduates BDS London 1970-75 – RAF 1975-81 – General practice in Southampton 1981-88 – Lecturer in conservative dentistry at Dundee 1982 – FDS RCS (Edin) 1986 – PhD (Dund) 1988-2000 – Rose through ranks at Glasgow Dental School
AWARD WINNER
Professor Saunders was the inaugural recipient of the Scottish Dental Lifetime Achievement Award, organised by Scottish Dental magazine and presented at the first Scottish Dental Show, in 2012.
“I was completely and utterly floored, but absolutely delighted by the award, because it was voted for by both the dental profession and the trade, and that made all the difference to me.”
1993 – FDS RCPS (Glasg) 1994 – MRD 1995 – Became UK’s first chair of endodontology 2000-2011 – Dean of Dundee Dental School 2001 – FDS RCS Eng 2014 – Dean of the Dental Faculty at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
comes with a caveat, that we must main- tain that reputation, but also continue to modernise,” he said. “This college has never ever rested
on its laurels, it has always worked very hard to ensure that we always have the most clear cut of modern assessment and training, that’s our main focus and we have wonderful people here to ensure that happens.” When he’s not attending college commit-
tees and boards, Professor Saunders has plenty of other plans to fill the gaps after a lifetime in dentistry. “As well as my golf, I have a great passion
for Scottish arts and go to a lot of galleries, and I’m thinking about trying my own hand as an artist,” he said. “I’m also keen to get into photography, or even study a new language. But I’m not ready to give up my role in dentistry quite yet.”
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