“The best laid-schemes of mice and men often go awry” is a quote from the poem To a Mouse, written by Robert Burns, the Scottish national poet and lyricist from the 18th century. In the poem, Burns reflects on the plight of the mouse whose nest is destroyed by a plough, noting the fragility of life and our plans.
On the 25th of January each year, Scotland celebrates the birth of Robert Burns who is reported to have written around 550 poems including Auld Lang Syne, Tam o’ Shanter and of course the Address to a Haggis. Burns is also celebrated for his collection of over 300 songs celebrating a variety of themes including love and friendship. Robert Burns spent the majority of his life in the west of Scotland but travelled frequently to Edinburgh and his standing as a writer meant that he was received as an equal by Edinburgh’s literary fraternity being both respected and dignified, including making of a lasting impression on a young Walter Scott, who would in later life be knighted for his own literary work.
Whilst the most famous song Burns wrote during his time in Edinburgh was Ae Fond Kiss, a poignant work exploring love, loss and the pain of parting, his writings are rich with tales of friendship, nostalgia, the Scottish landscapes, as well as the passage of time and the fleeting nature of life and the importance of bonds we make throughout our lives. 2026 is already underway and promises to be an exciting year, and no doubt it will feel that time is passing ever-quicker again this year. I wonder what Robert Burns would make of the Winter Olympics in Italy, the football World Cup expanded from 32 to 48 teams across three countries and among global politics this year, the US midterm elections. Through this blog, I will apologise in advance to everyone at the Diploma Ceremony on 25 June since due to the Scotland v Brazil game at 23:00 (UK time) the night before, I may look a little tired.
As ever, the expectations for enterprising technological developments in 2026 are diverse, with speculation that we will be able to utilise emotional AI assistants, next-gen wearables and breakthroughs in renewable energy generation along with space tourism becoming a reality. Whilst I am fascinated by space, stars and wonder at the aurora borealis, I appreciate the climate impact of space tourism might not be a favourable development. On the other hand, if the photovoltaic panels at our house could work at night or be augmented with thermoradiative panels, I would be first in the queue to invest.
The dental predictions for 2026 are equally interesting: teledentistry, development of genetic testing for specific approaches to treatment, the continued drive for sustainability in dentistry, increasing operational efficiencies, service accessibility, the continuing switch from impressions to intraoral scanners, transition from 2D radiographs to small-volume CBCT based diagnosis, remote monitoring of orthodontic treatment, the digital-first practice environment, a gradual switch from the instant smile-makeover on social media to more consistent oral health coaching and of course AI integration into the work of dentistry.
In the blogs throughout this year, I will pick up on some of these topics and others as well, but as I noted in January 2025, the Westminster government which is in charge of NHS dentistry across England, promised 700,000 additional appointments each year. Information from the Westminster government sources confirms that the roll-out for these additional appointments began in April 2025, almost a year after the current government came to power. Moreover, it appears that the funding for these appointments is coming from existing dental underspends within Integrated Care Boards, not ‘new money’. Additionally, as I pointed out a year ago, the number of additional appointments needs to be scaled up by 5.7 times to reach pre-COVID levels. In the background, the number of dentists in the UK has increased to 45,580, an increase of 3.1% on 2024 levels, which is welcome, however the UK population grew by a further 0.57% in 2025, meaning that targets for and delivery of additional appointments need to be more sophisticated.
Returning to celestial events coming up, the 2026 Lunar New Year begins on 17 February, marking the rare Year of the Fire Horse bringing dynamic energy, bold action, and rare astrological events. It lasts 16 days and ends with the Lantern Festival on March 3, coinciding with a blood moon total lunar eclipse. Burns was also inspired by astronomy which was a subject undergoing considerable advancement in his lifetime. Burns was inspired by the discovery of Uranus during his productive years and his poem To a Louse reflects on the cosmos and the stars. While Burns noted in To a Mouse that “The best laid-schemes of mice and men often go awry”, it is incumbent on the Westminster government to address accessibility of NHS dental care and ensure that the slow start to their plans, however fragile are delivered.
One important event that I can predict with certainty is the RCSEd Dental Triennial Conference which will run 22-23 October in our Edinburgh campus. The conference title is 'Digital Intelligence in Dentistry: From Innovation to Clinical Impact'. With an impressive line-up of world-class speakers and cutting-edge topics, the RCSEd Dental Triennial Conference 2026 will be an excellent event. Further information will be released as Earth gradually orbits the Sun.
Throughout the year ahead, please feel free to get in contact: dental@rcsed.ac.uk.