I shall resist the temptation to fill this brief blog with puns.

But this afternoon I chaired an excellent session at EuroPerio8 in London – the largest European meeting of periondologists – to launch a new film which explores the patient perspective on gum disease.

The film can be found here http://www.efp.org/public/index.html and is truly excellent.  Most of all because of its three starring patient contributors – John, Julian and Angela.

This is a milestone moment in public involvement in periodontology and perhaps dentistry as well. Just as patients fear going to the dentist, so have dentists feared going to patients for their views.

Now that is about to change I hope. Judging by the quality of this film but also the 300+ audience that turned up today.