After completing more than 40 years as a full-time dental academic (teaching, research, patient treatment and administration) with Univ Sydney, in 2009 Prof Bryant committed to two part-time professor positions (Univ Sydney and the newly opened Charles Sturt Univ) with a focus on teaching, while maintaining a small weekend dental practice. Over the years, Roland's field of academic responsibility has centred on simple restorative ("Tooth Conservation", "Operative Dentistry"), while enjoying regular involvement in the teaching of endodontics and fixed prosthodontics. In the late 1980s, associated with clinical research, he first introduced and led the teaching of posterior composites and, although this has continued to be his principal interest and concern, with a noticeable deterioration in the standard of care observed in recent years, he considers that older members of the Australian population, who grew without the opportunity to benefit in any way from the presence of fluorides, deserve the right to choose an inexpensive alternative posterior restorative for their large and very large posterior restorations. These thoughts will be pursued in his presentation.