Sir, thank you for publishing the paper by R. Patel et al. (BDJ 2011; 211: 133–137) regarding the numbers of EEA dentists working in the UK. I qualified in the UK and worked in the NHS for eight years before entering wholly private practice prior to the introduction of NHS performer numbers. Despite my many years of experience I am unable to return to the NHS as vocational training did not exist when I qualified and I am therefore unable to obtain a performer number.

It is astonishing that an EEA dentist can obtain a performer number and work in the NHS without any vocational training and yet I am unable to do so.

As to the standard of training of dentists in the EEA which is outside the remit of the GDC, we know there is no equivalence as the paper states. The European Union permitted free workforce movement before the harmonising of undergraduate dental education and the results are much like the crisis facing the Euro common currency pulled apart by the differing economies of the EEA states.

An EEA dentist new to these shores requested information from my dental laboratory on how to make dentures for a patient as it was not part of their training. So we have the situation where a UK qualified dentist with many years' experience is not permitted to work for the NHS, but an EEA dentist who may/may not communicate in good English and may/may not have any experience is welcomed. Can anyone tell me who is protecting the patients?

But then common sense was never a strong part of the EU, and even less in the NHS.