Dental health 233 Having said all this it is salutary to remind ourselves that, despite all the measures that can be taken to prevent disease, the advances in practice techniques and changing attitudes towards dental health, only about 40•o of the public seek regular dental care, that in 1977 an estimated 31•o of the public over age 16 years wear full dentures, that less than 10•o of the public drink water containing the optimum level of fluoride ions, that a high but unknown proportion of the population do not own a toothbrush, let alone use it, and that in the U.K. we buy approximately half the number of tubes of toothpaste per family, per annum, compared with the U.S. Despite the fact that nearly two thirds of the population fail to seek regular care, the dental profession is stretched almost to breaking point. If only a small proportion of the erstwhile 60•o decided to seek regular care the profession would reach the point when it couldn't cope. It is obvious that the whole approach to the provision of dental care has to change it has to change from an approach which is essentially reparative to one which is preventive. The profession alone cannot bring about that change. It requires everyone's participation- the profession, government, industry and the public. Indeed it is a com- munity responsibility.

J. Soc. Cosmet. Chetn. 29 235 (1978) Notices AN INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON BIO- ENGINEERING AND THE SKIN An International Symposium on 'Bio- engineering and the Skin' will be held at the Welsh National School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, on the 19th, 20th and 21st July, 1979. It is intended to hold the meeting over the three days with four for- mal sessions (including poster and work- shop sessions and exhibition). Progress made in understanding the physical pro- perties of the skin and in the instru- mentation for these measurements will be reviewed and original work on these themes presented. Further details and abstract forms may be obtained from the co-organisers: Dr R. Marks, Reader and Consultant in Dermatology, Department of Medicine, W•lsh National School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff. CF4 4XN or Dr P. A. Payne, Head, Bioengineering Unit, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff. CF4 4XW. THE EPIDERMIS IN DISEASE An International Symposium will be held at the Welsh National School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, on the 18th, 19th and 20th April 1979. Session Subjects and Chairmen Dr E. Beutner (USA) Immunopathology of epidermal disease Professor M. Greaves (London) Pharmacological aspects of epidermal disease Professor E. Wilson Jones (London) Reaction patterns of epidermal disease Professor M. Prunieras (France) Epidermal symbionts Professor E. Christophers (Kiel) Disorders ½haracterised by increased epidermopoiesis Dr R. Marks (Cardiff) Disorders of keratinisation Further details and registration forms can be obtained from the co-organisers: Dr R. Marks, Department of Medicine, Welsh National School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XN or Professor E. Christophers, Hautklinik der Christian-Albrechts, Schittenhelmstrasse 7, D-2300 Kiel, Germany. 235