Success in European Federation of Periodontology Undergraduate essay competition
13 June 2018
The European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) has announced School of Dentistry 2nd year, Natasha West, as a winner of a new undergraduate essay writing competition.
The competition, the first of this nature the EFP has run, asked students to write a short essay in response to the question “why I would consider a career in periodontology”. Natasha faced tough competition from dental schools spanning 20 countries. She was named a winner alongside a fourth-year dental student from Glasgow, and a third-year dental student from Umea, Sweden.
Periodontology, meaning in Greek ‘around tooth’ looks at the study of both hard and soft tissues in the mouth which support the teeth. There are known associations linking Periodontitis to other health issues so pursuing this field as a career could lead to research as well as practice.
Natasha’s prize is registration at the leading European Periodontology event EuroPerio9 in Amsterdam and 250 euros. When asked about her win and the opportunity to attend this prestigious event she said;
“I am honoured to have been awarded the opportunity to hear world leaders in periodontology present their latest research. I am especially excited to see the live surgery session to gain further understanding of the speciality, and of course find time to explore Amsterdam as a city."
Head of School Professor Alastair Sloan added his congratulations;
“I was very pleased to see that the School had significant interest and a number of entrants for the EFP Undergraduate Essay prize this year from across our Undergraduate programmes. To be one of the winning entries is a fantastic achievement and I am delighted for Natasha and, along with the rest of the School, very proud of her achievement. I am sure she will thoroughly enjoy her time at EUROPERIO9 and learn a lot from attending this large and exciting conference. Well done Natasha!”
The essay illustrates Natasha’s passion for the topic and identifies several approaches and ideas which could be used during her career driven by the desire to “provide the best patient care”.