Interview in 2016

Dr Sandra White has been the National Lead for Dental Public Health at Public Health England (PHE) since 2014. Before taking on her current role, Sandra has had a varied and substantial career in dentistry working as a consultant in dental public health for many years, before which she worked in various roles in special care dentistry, general dental practice and oral surgery.

Ian Brack was appointed Chief Executive of the General Dental Council (GDC) in May this year, after a period as Interim Chief Executive starting in January. Prior to joining the regulator, he was Chief Executive at the Office for Legal Complaints. He also led the Olympic Lottery Distributor where he oversaw substantial grant expenditure, including the multi million pound grant for the Paralympics.

Marcus Woof, Honorary Senior Lecturer for Disability Studies at the University of Birmingham School of Dentistry, spoke to News Editor Kate Quinlan about his career in dentistry and his involvement with the Association of LGBT Doctors and Dentists – also known as GLADD.

Dr Aditi Desai is President of the British Society of Dental Sleep Medicine. A restorative dentist for over 36 years, she now limits her practice predominantly to the management of sleep disorders. She works with respiratory, chest and sleep physicians, ENT consultants, neurologists and psychologists helping manage patients with snoring and sleep apnoea. Dr Desai's late husband was also a dentist.

Professor Ros Keeton is Honorary Treasurer and Trustee for the BDA Benevolent Fund, visiting Professor at the Faculty of Health at Birmingham City University and a Fellow at the University of Worcester. Ros was a partner at Keetons Dental Practice in Kinver with her husband for just over 30 years and is an experienced NHS Chief Executive. News Editor Kate Quinlan spoke to Ros about her work for the BDA Benevolent Fund.

Helen Falcon has just recently retired as Postgraduate Dean for Dental Education and Training for both the Thames Valley and Wessex local offices of Health Education England, and as Chair of the UK Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors (COPDEND). Ruth Doherty, BDJ Managing Editor, caught up with Helen to find out more about dental education, COPDEND and CPD standards.

Professor Phillip Dowell is International College President of the International College of Dentists 2015-2016. Phillip was principal of Witley Dental Practice in Godalming for almost 30 years and has lectured widely in periodontology. In the 1970s he worked in the West Indies then studied periodontology in the USA and in Cardiff. A keen traveller, skier and sailor, Phillip has led dental study tours and in late 2015 sailed 2,700 nautical miles non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean. He is married to Sheila, a consultant in occupational and aviation medicine.

University life as a student is fraught with challenges, excitement and development opportunities – personally and professionally – but what is life like for the staff? David Westgarth met with the Executive Dean of the College of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Central Lancashire, StJohn Crean, about life in Preston.

Heather Pope is Clinical Director for Dental Services, East Cheshire NHS Trust and a specialist in special care dentistry, based in Crewe. Heather is also a member of the BDA's Salaried Dentists Committee and its representative on the Advisory Committee for Community Dentistry at the Royal College of Surgeons (England). Ruth Doherty, BDJ Managing Editor, caught up with Heather at the BDA Conference in Manchester last year to find out more about the challenges faced in special care dentistry.

There's no escaping the escalating rates of head and neck cancers we've seen over the last decade, and that will inevitably lead to an expansion in the role of the dental professional over time. David Westgarth speaks to Professor Simon Rogers at Aintree University Hospital about what it takes to succeed as an oral and maxilliofacial surgeon.