Since I retired a couple of years-or-so ago, I’ve had many dentistry-related dreams/nightmares. Many of these dreams find me suddenly planted back in a surgery somewhere, working on difficult patients with tricky clinical needs.

When UK dentistry restarted back on June 8th after such a long break, I naively thought that it might be a fresh start for the relationship between dental staff and patients. In my mind’s eye, I pictured a beautiful slow-motion reunion between dentist and patient on a beach, against a background of crashing waves, accompanied by a sweeping orchestral soundtrack of music lifted from 1970’s Love Story.

Retirement from dentistry isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. It’s not all waking at ten, eating a big breakfast bowl of Rice Krispies while you listen to PopMaster, taking a leisurely shower, eating lunch and in the afternoon watching the wife working in the garden while you keep an eye on Trump via YouTube.

You Can’t Be Brilliant At Everything! - Let The Nurses Take Charge

When the patients swan back in -it'll be here before you know it.