Last year's Royal Wedding was merely the warm up, the chance to practise the celebration of 'Britishness' before the competitive flag waving can begin in 2012. Coming up are the European Championships, Wimbledon, the Queen's Jubilee... oh yes and that small event you might have heard about called the Olympics. There will be street parades, parties, faces painted and Union Flags flying all around as the country's patriotism goes into overdrive.
This enthusiasm for the country exists in spite of the problems which we still face; taxation, crime, questionable politicians and so on. To cheer on Team GB will not be blind denial of the country's problems, but a sign that in spite of these people are proud of their nationality. In NHS dentistry there are many problems but even so there is much to be optimistic about and a great deal to look on with a sense of pride. Whilst payment plan providers don't hesitate in extolling the merits of their plans, often we fail to recognise the amount the NHS has to shout about, quality service at a fair price that is within the reach of the people as a whole. Dentists in the NHS are an active part of an organisation that is revered the world over for the healthcare it provides patients. If you can cheer on an athlete who happens to be born in the same country as you, surely you can wave the flag for the organisation you represent.
Changing of the guard
The Olympics will of course bring an incredible number of tourists flocking in to the country. Tourism is already one of Britain's biggest industries and one of the attractions that never fails to gather a crowd is the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. There is a changing of the guard taking place in the dental publishing world as Jenny Dyer steps down as editor of The Dentist.
Jenny has been the driving force behind the magazine for over 20 years. Just think of the changes that have taken place in dentistry during that period. Consider how difficult it is to keep up with the latest trends in an industry whilst not losing sight of why you got into it in the first place, and you'll see how good a job she has done over that time. Whilst Jenny is too modest to write a farewell herself, it is only right and proper to pay tribute to the person who has kept The Dentist moving forward. She has kept up the magazine's high standards as only a model professional could over such a long period of time. I wish her all the best for the future.