Cover Story: Dentistry and Brexit: Professional Opinion by Mike Gow BDS (Gla) MFDS RCPS (Gla) MSc Hyp (Lon) PGCert (Edin), Editor, DentaltownUK magazine

Dr Alif Moosajee
‘Brexit is an excellent example of how the experts of spin, half-truths and misdirection can cause travesties in the democratic process. It isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last! Don’t we regret it all after every government is elected and we realise that their promises weren’t exactly what we thought they would be?’

Dr Elaine Halley
‘I voted remain, and am not 100 percent in favour of all the European red tape but I believed it was better to stand up for ourselves from within. I think it’s a complete travesty that “spin” convinced the nation to vote on matters that were not based on truth and without thorough consideration of the consequences. The British public were let down by the politicians and we are now having to live with the consequences.’

Dr Alessandro Fedi
‘I am a dentist working in general practice in Itay. I cannot imagine a European Union without the United Kingdom, whose history has influenced so much on the whole of Europe. The Brexit vote caused me enormous disappointment and I continue to hope for a change of mind! Europe without the UK just won’t feel like the real Europe.’

Dr Stephen Hudson
‘There are many people still unhappy with the result of the 2016 referendum and the situation we now find ourselves in really doesn’t help. What amazes me is how even now, the country still seems surprised that the British people voted to go against the will of the EU and the majority of our elected leaders. To me this was the only result that made any sense. That’s not to say I voted for Brexit; that’s something only for me and the ballot paper to know. For decades those at the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder have been ridiculed and vilified by the liberal elite. We have TV programs dedicated to making them look like idiots. Even now disgruntled “Remainers” show derision towards the people who “really didn’t understand things” and shout, “What have you maniacs done?” On social media I’ve seen people called scum, racists and xenophobes for voting “Leave.” Many on the “Leave” side have been just as intolerant. ‘Generalising like this never brings the opposing side around to your position. Before you can attempt to change someone’s mind, you must first try to understand their point of view. And you don’t do that with insults and scorn.The majority who voted “Leave” do not fit the generalisation. They are devoted to their families, hardworking, honest and trustworthy. But they have time and again been lied to and have been abandoned by the political elite. It was not just “lager-swilling”, St George or Union flag-waving white van-driving racists who voted “Leave.” They were fathers, mothers, artists, scientists, mechanics, bankers, lawyers, veterans, doctors and, yes, dentists! They were people who feared for their future and the future of their children, just as the “Remainers” did. They just saw something in the EU that those who voted “Remain” didn’t: an EU bureaucracy that they felt did not respect democracy; a bureaucracy that would overrule democratically elected governments that seemed to treat the populace as an inconvenient obstacle to whatever vision they had for Europe.

‘Those who voted “Leave” wanted no part of it. They were given the democratic right to make that decision, and I believe that the majority who voted “Leave” did so for one overriding reason: freedom.

‘Ironically, perhaps they also made the mistake of trusting the politicians. Rightly or wrongly, the UK people decided to go down a path of more nationalist self-determination. The majority who voted don’t want an ever-increasing number of our laws being made in Brussels by people we didn’t elect; they want to be able to hold our own elected representatives accountable, to lawfully protest and let them know our displeasure when they get it wrong. And get it wrong they will, as current events are certainly proving. Perhaps both sides of the debate actually put a little bit too much faith in the right honourable ladies and gentlemen in Parliament.

‘No political party will come out of this looking good whatever happens in the coming weeks. Whether there is a deal or a no-deal Brexit, I believe the biggest change that is coming actually isn’t about whether we are in the EU or not. The biggest change is the shift occurring in the UK public’s political awareness. There is a far wider realisation than ever before that governments and politicians really cannot be trusted no matter the colour of their party. The level of incompetence there can no longer be ignored.

‘Perhaps we should utilise the power that democracy ultimately gives us... and vote the majority of them out at the next available opportunity.’

Dr Joss Reid
‘My thoughts on Brexit are pretty negative, but I voted “Remain” anyway and I still don’t want Brexit to happen! Assuming it does happen, I can see a lot of downsides—as an ordinary member of the public, as a dentist and as a small-business owner.

‘As an ordinary member of the public, I believe that after such a long period of fiscal hardship, the country doesn’t need anything that will cause further uncertainty. I can see it prolonging our recovery from the 2008 financial crisis, or even potentially plunging us into new difficulties. I’m concerned that businesses will leave the UK and unemployment may rise. Not good for individuals or the country as a whole. As someone who voted “No” in the Scottish independence referendum, I fear that it will add strength to the independence movement, which will argue that an independent Scotland could rejoin the EU. Leaving one club where you feel your voice isn’t heard to join another where your voice might be lost in a bigger crowd seems counterintuitive to me. I worry about the stability of Europe. The EU came in to existence as a result of two World Wars in an attempt to create a Europe that can work together and prevent further conflict. It has been successful in this regard. What will happen now? I feel the country voted “Leave” because of (marginal and debatable) economic benefits, but what price do you put on peace?

‘As a dentist: I work in the NHS, where dentistry has been underfunded for a long time. Governments can get away with this for the simple reason that it’s not a vote-winner; who’s going to vote to give dentists a pay raise? Even if the money for the NHS on the side of Boris’ bus does happen—which I doubt—I can’t see much of that money coming our way. More likely, I think we’ll see further financial and economic problems, reducing the availability of funds for the NHS. If that happens, people will feel poorer and this may well have a knock-on impact on private dentistry, too. The NHS has benefitted from talent coming to the UK from across the EU. My associate is Polish and a superb clinician who would be very difficult to replace. Will this supply of talent dry up? Will some choose to leave as a result of Brexit?

‘As the owner of a small business: Most of our dental materials are made abroad. The weak pound, which has largely happened as a result of markets being nervous about Brexit, has meant that we’re experiencing increased costs already. When Brexit happens and we have no trade deals with countries where materials and equipment are manufactured, I think we’re like to see further increases in costs? The best scenario I can envisage is that all of this has been overhyped in the media, and Brexit will make little difference to us on a daily basis and that life will go on regardless. I can’t really see us being hugely better off as a country.’