Looking forward: educating tomorrow's dental team

This publication reports a meeting of the stakeholders of dental \neducation in the UK, hosted by the Council of Heads and Deans \nof Dental Schools (CHDDS). The meeting, held in Manchester, \nUK on 4–5 October 2007, occurred within days of the seventh \nanniversary of a dental hospitals and schools policy retreat \nhosted by the then Council of Deans of Dental Schools and the \nAssociation for Dental Hospitals. The proceedings of the retreat, \nintended to raise awareness and stimulate discussion on matters \nimportant to the planning of the future provision of dental education \nin the UK, were published in the form of a supplement \nto the European Journal for Dental Education (1). \nThe principal purpose of the meeting of stakeholders of dental \neducation reported in the present publication was to raise and \nstimulate discussions on issues considered important to the further \ndevelopment of dental education in the UK. A secondary, \nbut by no means less important purpose of the meeting was to \ngive members of the CHDDS opportunity to interact with other \nstakeholders in dental education and, in the process, facilitate a \nshared understanding of existing and, in certain respects increasing \ntensions and challenges in the UK dental education system.