Dentist suicides.

EDITOR'S COMMENT: The following article highlights the very sad circumstances surrounding the suicide of a colleague earlier in the year. We received the text below from Paul Hood as a submission to 'Letters to the editor' for the BDJ and reproduce it here in full. My initial reaction was that the letter contained sentiments and thoughts that would resonate with readers but that it over long for our pages and needed some general 'tidying up' before we could publish it. I replied by e-mail suggesting this and offering editorial help if he wished. Very sadly I did not receive a reply as Paul had committed suicide. Subsequently John Renshaw contacted me and suggested that we might publish the letter together with an introduction. We do this, with full, and gratefully received, permission from Paul's widow, to whom we also extend our sincere condolences.