There are two main training pathways in most dental specialties, the NHS and academic routes. Restorative Dentistry involves the restoration of diseased, injured, or abnormal teeth to normal function. This includes all aspects of Endodontics, Periodontics and Prosthodontics and Implantology. In the first article of a two-part series, Jamie Dickie, Specialty Registrar in Restorative Dentistry, discusses a career as an academic in this field.