The Leeds Foundation for Oral Research has recently announced it is to close.

It was originally started in 1988 by Professors Martin Curzon and Michael Kowolik, of Leeds, to provide money to encourage and support young dentists to take up postgraduate studies in paediatric dentistry and the care of people with special needs.

Tuition fellowships, research grants and travel bursaries have been awarded each year until 2006. In the past, there were few if any Government funded training posts for these specialities, but there has been a considerable change in the funding of training in these two dental specialities from central Government funds. Therefore the rationale for the charity no longer exists and the decision has been made close.

Over the life of the charity some £75,000 has been raised and used to support 37 young dentists. A number of these people have now attained Consultant status within the NHS as well as in the Community Dental Services in paediatric dentistry and the care of people with special needs.