It has just been brought to my attention by Edward Shaw, one of our alumni, that a member of his graduating year of 1962 was centrally involved in campaigning for dentists to be allowed to use the courtesy title of ‘Doctor’. After twenty years of active effort by Dr Douglas Pike the General Dental Council agreed to this in November 1995.
One significance of this has been that many dentists, particularly the more recent graduates, automatically assume this title without being aware of when and why it came into use in the United Kingdom. In addition, many will not have been aware that the prime mover in achieving this is a Bristol Dental School graduate and that November 2019 was the 25th anniversary of the ‘Call Me Doctor’ movement.
Bristol dental ‘Doctors’ therefore, can if inclined, raise a retrospective 25th Anniversary glass to Dr Douglas Pike!
Ken Marshall,
Chairman,
Bristol Dental Alumni Association.