Dentistry + paediatrics + maxillofacial surgery = not so ordinary

I know there are many of your readers who have taken the opportunity to work at least at some point in their careers in a hospital, but not everyone. Even fewer have had the chance to work at one of only three Paediatric Craniofacial units in the UK. I write to you hopefully to give the readership an insight into the Paediatric Maxillofacial world. Working in such a unit could be described as working with children with complex medical needs, complicated medical histories, complex treatment plans, at times with difficult behavioural issues, with acute and urgent needs. But I would simply describe it as the most rewarding job I have done. Why? Well, as a dentally qualified professional in a medical environment it is a challenge. There is a quick and often brutal learning curve both clinically and academically. Working with children brings in another challenging factor; they can be both predictable and unpredictable and the clinical decisions can be obvious or completely unknown territory.