Last bite

Optimistic futures

It seems indeed that it is an ill wind that blows no-one any good. The recent rioting and disquiet over student tuition fees, while not specifically mentioning dental students, will doubtless have their impact. It seems that far from erecting a further barrier to undergraduate dentistry the announcement has created a surge of additional interest. Apparently there has been an increase in the number of university applications to study subjects which lead directly to jobs, as young people seek to prepare for higher debts after graduating rather than dodging courses that generate them.

Dentistry, engineering, veterinary science and the sciences have increased in interest in the past few months, while applications linked to medical subjects, nursing, midwifery and pathology, have increased more rapidly than any other subjects. I wonder if NHS or private fees in three, five and more years time will 're'-fund the deficits?

Thinking and chewing

German pupils are now being encouraged to chew gum in class as part of a pilot project following new research which claims that continuous chewing 'stimulates the brain'. Although the teachers involved have sought assurance that their students will have to keep their mouths closed while chewing, early results seem to show that chewing gum can improve memory performance by about 25 per cent.