One of the characteristics that distinguishes the professional from an amateur is the degree of competence they have in performing a particular task.

It is not easy to find a consistent definition of what is (and is not) a profession, and by extension, to describe what is expected of a professional person.

It has been suggested that 'familiarity breeds contempt' and this is as true of the dental setting as of any other situation. The phenomenon can manifest itself in many different ways, of course, but the one thing that they have in common is the capacity to generate a real sense of shock in the clinical setting.

Struggling to search for a new dental job or career pathway? Check out this new website SOURCE1uk, a one stop shop for the entire dental profession.

The title of this module might seem to be something of a misnomer for those readers who do not see themselves as being in business at all.

Dentists think they know their patients, and they say or do something that provokes an unexpected response.

One aspect of a professional career that sometimes receives less attention than it deserves, is the relationship that develops between professional colleagues.

Whenever we think about the law and ethics we often include them in the same breath, rolling them together as one interchangeable concept, and while they are inextricably linked, naturally, it is possible to have one without the other.

Today I said goodbye to my work fellows at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel where I spent the last six months and part of my year as a senior house officer in oral and maxillofacial surgery; and what a year it was!

Technology in the universal sense of the word is evolving at an ever increasing frantic pace.

Over the past few years patient demand for better aesthetics has been met with an amazing spectrum of new materials and techniques.

Davina Graham graduated with honours from Trinity College Dublin in 2012. She is currently working as a Foundational Dental Practitioner (FDP) at Millersneuk Dental Practice, in Glasgow, Scotland.

For many years orthodontics has been regarded as a relatively low-risk field of dentistry with few dento-legal problems arising. Times have changed and we are currently seeing an increasing number of claims and complaints involving orthodontics.

Arti Hindocha reflects on some of the achievements made by Bridge2Aid and the satisfying and worthwhile friendships she has made whilst volunteering.

Alex Holden gives a brief introduction to the possibilities of using hypnosis in dentistry.

The people we work with, the materials, instruments and equipment we use and the dental laboratories with whom we work, and professional colleagues to whom we refer patients or who refer patients to us, are all part of our clinical routine and ‘comfort zone’.

When you leave dental school, you think that the world is your oyster and that you will never ever have to worry about work.

This article looks at the many aspects that need to be addressed for patients considering undergoing dental treatment abroad.

Andrew Wilson reflects on his first days in foundation training dentistry.

Techniques dentists can use to improve dental patient satisfaction understanding patients better.

In the Internet age, dental records have never been easier to create and share. Online you can find text, videos, digital images, sound files and every combination of these.

For undergraduate dental students, law and ethics, or ethics and 'jurisprudence' (that is, the science that teaches the application of every branch of dental knowledge, to the purposes of the law) tend to be intertwined and inseparable.

Kat Wainwright DipPFS, Dental Student Adviser at MedDen Financial Services, explains the need for income protection and exactly what it covers.

Reena Wadia reflects on her experiences so far as a young dentist and the challenges she faced.