INTER VIEW
MARK OF EXPERIENCE
DUNDEE DENTAL DEAN PROFESSOR MARK HECTOR TALKS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES IN THE PROFESSION TODAY
STEWART MCROBERT W SCO TTISH DENT AL
ith nearly 35 years’ experience, Professor Mark Hector, dean of dentistry at the University of Dundee, is well
placed to comment on the changes experienced by the profession in recent times and the situation that today’s students face. In a wide-ranging interview, he gave his thoughts to Scottish Dental. “In terms of technique and
technological advance, perhaps the biggest change in recent times has been in the development of materials, specifically adhesive dentistry and implants. Te way a dentist works today is much more conservative of tooth structure. When I was taught, if you wanted to fit a crown on an incisor, a significant amount of tooth had to be cut away. Now that doesn’t have to happen. “Although not without their
problems, implants provide a huge advantage over what used to happen.” From a philosophical point of
view, Mark has detected a shift in attitude towards lifelong learning. In the past, when an individual qualified, they were often regarded as fully trained. Now, dental school is seen as the beginning of an education cycle. Te expectation is that people will continuously learn, reflect and keep up to date. He also highlighted the move
towards evidence-based dentistry. “A good example is the managing of dental caries in children. In the past, it was always about cutting the caries out, putting amalgam fillings in, or cutting teeth to fit pre-formed crowns. However, there is strong evidence in favour of recent developments, such as the Hall
HIGH-QUALITY PEOPLE” 8
“DENTAL SCHOOLS ARE PRODUCING
crown technique, where the crown is placed on the tooth without much preparation. If you choose the patient and crown correctly, it will work and the tooth will exfoliate naturally.”
Wider range Inter-generational debate about the quality and character of students is always guaranteed to generate a lively exchange of views. But Mark is clear about one thing – today’s students are graduating with a much wider range of experience and skills. He believes they are exposed to broader subject matter, particularly around softer skills, such as communication. “Te course I went through
mainly consisted of doing fillings and making dentures. Vocational training, which was only beginning when I graduated, is important – it gives qualifying students a year in a training practice where they can consolidate the skills they have gained and learn much more about the practice of dentistry.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52