Students by Beth Bradley

DENTAL ACADEMIA AND RESEARCH
When we hear the words dental academia at dental school, many of us instantly think of solitary hours spent sitting in an office studying, reading or researching all day long. This, however, is not the case. Take a look around you on your clinics or in your lectures: Your tutors and lecturers are all dental academics! Dental academia encompasses teaching, research and clinical practice.

As students, we are all too aware of the importance of evidence-based practice; most of us will use the Delivering Better Oral Health tool kit by the Department of Health as a baseline for our studies and advice to patients. Without dental academics and researchers, this evidence-based resource would not be available.

Research is essential to improve patient care; without it, dentistry would not be what it is today. Do you ever find yourself wondering why we choose one treatment over another? Or do you constantly ponder the reasoning behind your treatment plans? Then perhaps dental research is the career for you: Research is not purely lab- or office-based; some studies have heavy patient involvement through conducting interviews, piloting new treatments or reviewing current treatments.

There are so many routes to take into a career in research and academia, from teaching to focusing entirely on research. You can shape a career pathway that suits you, and you never know—someday you could be the next professor at your dental school or making essential decisions for groundbreaking health policies.

DentaltownUK Editor Mike Gow speaks with dental student Shahad Al-dabbagh at the BACD 2018 Conference

Leeds Dental Students ‘Inspire’d by Dental Research

by Esme Grange

On 17th October 2018, the student-led dental research society EviDent hosted the fourth annual Inspire undergraduate research conference at the University of Leeds. The conference aimed to give students a flavour of what a career in dental academia could offer, and also to let them explore the many pathways into a career in research.

Stations were hosted by researchers from across the country, working within the dental school and beyond. This gave students networking opportunities and the chance to learn about new research discoveries.

A wide range of topics were explored, from dental public health to oral and maxillofacial surgery. Students learnt about current research occurring within the dental school, ranging from oral cancer immunotherapy to infrared dental imaging.

The Child Oral Health Northern Research Collaborative, or CONNECT, also attended the conference. Its aim is to conduct high-quality, trainee-led, multicentre research in the field of child oral health, and it presented students an opportunity to design a randomised controlled trial.

Students also heard about a salivary gland tumours project that Melissa Sin presented at BAOMS annual scientific meeting earlier in 2018 and Arunika Nehra’s year intercalating in Global Health. Delegates were encouraged to be inquisitive and to take initiative to further their learning—both key attributes to any successful researcher.

Professor Sue Pavitt gave a passionate, inspiring and emotive key note speech that discussed the many avenues a career in dental research may take. She also discussed her recent invitation to 10 Downing Street to meet with the prime minister, in commendation for Pavitt’s work in multiple sclerosis. After the event, she mentioned how nice it was to meet bright students at the beginning of their possible research careers.

Students learnt that it is vital to go into a research topic which they are passionate about. Pavitt’s speech imparted that research isn’t always a straight path, and requires determination through the hard times and support and mentoring from others. Networking is key, and asking questions is what drives initiation of important research.

It was an amazing event that instilled excellent advice, expanded the knowledge of attendees, forged new research skills and inspired future careers in research. Students learnt how to develop professional relationships to commence research, and since the conference, several students have become involved in research within the oral biology department and have begun to conduct audits.

The conference was organised by Esme Grange and Beth Bradley, 5th year undergraduates, with the help of the Evident committee and staff support from Dr Peter Day. We were fortunate to obtain funding from Inspire, which made the event a very professional and certified conference.

We are already looking forward to the Inspire conference 2019!

DentaltownUK’s student editor, Beth Bradley, interviews Thomas Hayes-Powell

Tell us a little about you and where you’re studying dentistry.
Hello, my name is Tom. I’m in my fourth year at King’s College London and I’m currently the Dental Society Student president. One of the things I love most about dentistry as a profession is that it opens the door to so many diverse career pathways; it truly is what you make of it.

Why did you choose this particular university?
I was born and raised in Trafford in south Manchester, and I wanted to go to a university away from home to help me become more independent. I had several offers, but King’s was the most impressive in terms of location, education, international reputation and prestige.

How have you found university life so far? Academically and socially, is it what you expected?
I’m thoroughly enjoying my time at university. My aim has always been to make the most of the opportunities available to me, so I’m involved in numerous different societies, committees and events. In my first two years at King’s, I represented the university tennis team and I worked as a tennis coach to earn some extra money. I’ve served on the Dental Society Committee for the past four years—as first- and second-year representative, then as president-elect, and this year as president. This has kept me pretty busy, which I love. London offers a great (albeit expensive!) nightlife so there’s always something going on. Dental students are very fortunate in that we can attend a large variety of conferences and lectures at discounted prices; I make a point of attending as many of these as possible and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to surround myself with and learn from people who are at the top of their profession.

What have you most enjoyed learning about so far? Is this something you’d consider specialising in the future?
It’s too early for me to decide, because I haven’t yet had enough exposure in any specific field. I’ve really enjoyed learning about the different aspects of cosmetic dentistry in greater detail; it’s such a dynamic area, with new techniques and materials being developed all the time.

Has there been an unexpected or shocking moment during your university career so far?
I recently had the honour of winning the Dental Student of the Year Award as a part of the Future of Dentistry Awards. It felt surreal on the night when my name was announced, because before this academic year, I’d never really considered applying for any awards!

If you weren’t studying dentistry, what would you be doing?
It’s hard to say, because I’ve had my sights set on dentistry for a very long time. However, before starting my university course I was an avid musician, playing the sax and singing, so potentially I would have followed that route. I’ve also worked as a tennis coach part time, which has been a good skill to fall back on.

If someone came to visit your university city, what’s one thing they should go and see or do?
At King’s, we have most of our clinics at Guy’s Hospital, which is next to London Bridge Station and the Shard (my favourite building in London). I recommend enjoying afternoon tea or cocktails and dinner at the Shard. I recently celebrated my 21st birthday there, and it’s an experience I’d highly recommend. Great food and fabulous views—you can’t go wrong!

Dental Student of the Year Award

by Thomas Hayes-Powell

Just a few weeks ago, I had the great honour of winning the Dental Student of the Year Award as part of the Future of Dentistry Awards.

In the past, there haven’t been many opportunities for dental students to gain recognition for the work they may be doing outside of their university courses, which is why I think these awards were received so well and had such a large number of applications. I’ll offer my views as to what dental students are able to do outside their degree courses to go above and beyond and thereby develop their portfolios and skillsets.

As students, we’re fortunate to be offered significantly discounted (sometimes free) access to professional lectures and conferences, which allows exposure to some of the most highly regarded practitioners in the world. This is an opportunity I’ve taken full advantage of, and I’d highly recommend this type of engagement to other students. It’s never too early to develop professional relationships and to learn from others who were standing in our shoes a few years ago. By attending these events, you are exposed to modern, cutting edge clinical and academic content and also able to network and socialise with experts in many different areas of dentistry and learn from their experience and wisdom.

In my second year, I attended the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s Annual Conference in Scotland, not knowing anyone else attending. Looking back, this was a daunting prospect; however, it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Everyone was extremely welcoming and a number of people whom I met that weekend are now good friends and mentors.

Across the UK, there are a range of dental charities, including Todos Juntos and the Dental Wellness Trust. Organisations such as these are always grateful to receive student help and ideas for initiatives, and I can say from personal experience that it’s an incredibly rewarding experience and a great opportunity to give back to society.

I worked as the student coordinator for the Dental Wellness Trust for two years, and the trust currently has student representatives across all the major UK universities. If you would like to get involved, please get in touch with me.

There are thousands of dentists out there who were once in a very similar position to all of us. They would love nothing better to share their knowledge, experience, successes and failures with you and to help the next generation of dentists, so make the most of that incredible resource.

Whether it’s through attending conferences, taking part in societies and or charities, or simply contacting people by email or social media, don’t be shy and just take the first step. Who knows what it might lead to?