The ever-popular Café Med series continues next week with a reflective account of dentistry through the years.

The Director of Dentistry at The University of Aberdeen Dental School, Professor Richard Ibbetson will lead a discussion that will cover how our modern understanding of dental diseases, their prevention and treatment has changed and improved over recent times. 

A past Dean of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Professor Ibbetson took over Directorship of the state-of-the-art, purpose built Dental School in July this year. Professor Ibbetson is passionate about dentistry and has a wealth of experience at both a clinical and academic level. The dental school in Aberdeen is providing well-educated and trained dentists: one measure of their quality is that all our recent graduates have obtained jobs which is not always easy in a competitive world. During his short time in Aberdeen, he has been impressed with the quality and application of the students and the care taken by the staff in their education.

Professor Ibbetson said: “Gone are the days when dentistry consisted of losing teeth and having dentures. Modern understanding of dental diseases, their prevention and treatment have improved dramatically over thirty years whilst dental decay remains the major cause of hospital admissions in those under 10.

“During my talk I will explore how modern dentistry has changed and advanced in recent times and will go on to consider how we can continue to develop successful interventions and treatments to improve oral health in the future.”

The event is part of the University of Aberdeen’s popular Cafe Med series which is hosted by the University’s Public Engagement with Research Unit. The Café Med series, invites leading experts to share the latest in medical research with the public in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. This is set to be an informal and inspiring night aimed at the general public with plenty of time for questions. The event will be held at 6pm in The Suttie Centre, Foresterhill on Monday September 21 and is free to attend.

This talk also forms part of the wider TechFest 2015 programme.  TechFest, running from Friday 11 September to Friday 2 October, is Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland’s annual festival of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).  The University of Aberdeen remains one of the festival’s major supporters and contributors and will host as well as provide many of the main events of the year.

Full details of the Café Med series and other events in the University’s wider programme can be found at www.engagingaberdeen.co.uk. Details of the TechFest programme can be found at www.techfest.org.uk