This report was commissioned by the Office for the Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR) to explore solutions to the declining clinical research workforce in oral and dental health, and was overseen by the Dental Schools Council’s Oral and Dental Health Clinical Researcher Task and Finish Group.
Oral health delivers major health and economic benefits, yet the dental clinical academic workforce is shrinking and ageing. There were 75 fewer FTE clinical academics in 2025 than in 2005, and currently more than twice are over 55 years old as under 36. Meanwhile, new clinical and public health approaches to oral health are needed more than ever, with progress on improving oral health stalling and even reversing and inequalities remaining stubborn.
The wider health workforce also struggles with clinical academic recruitment and retention. The Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR), a four-nation committee of the Department of Health and Social Care, commissioned a series of reports on rejuvenating the research workforce across professional groups, including medicine and Nursing, Midwives and Allied Health Professions (NMAHPs), both published in 2025. OSCHR later commissioned the Dental Schools Council (DSC) to lead this dental-specific report.
This report sets out a rigorous four-nation action plan to reverse the decline in the oral health research workforce. That includes dentists, and the wider oral health team of Dental Care Professionals (DCPs) including dental hygienists, nurses, therapists and others. Stakeholders across the sector are willing to work differently but require coordinated support, aligned incentives and removal of policy barriers.
Multiple data sources were analysed to identify points of attrition in the dental research workforce and highlight evidence gaps.
Key findings showed that:
- the number of dental clinical academics fell from 435 FTE in 2005 to 360 FTE in 2025
the workforce is ageing, with 28% over 55, compared with only 12% under 36 - barriers to clinical academic careers include insufficient inspiration at undergraduate level, expectations of high geographic mobility, and job insecurity in early career
- for primary care dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs), there are limited role models and a lack of well-designed relevant research posts, with some notable exceptions
- there is limited data on research participation among primary care dentists and DCPs
- information on socioeconomic background is lacking, constraining understanding of how financial barriers affect involvement
The report recommends improved workforce tracking and proposes actions across three themes each with named owners. Many of the actions align with actions identified in the medical and NMAHPs reports. There are specific actions targeted at DCPs, primary care professionals and for the devolved nations. Delivery will be overseen by a dedicated taskforce, with progress reviewed by OSCHR after five years.
The aims are to:
- develop more flexible and clearly defined pathways for new and resumed clinical academic careers, especially for general dental practitioners and DCPs
- strengthen leadership and mentorship to support and motivate the next generation of clinical academics
- improve terms and conditions, including consistent pay parity across the dental clinical academic workforce and general dental workforce
We are grateful to the oral and dental sector for their help and support, particularly the members of the project board including early careers researchers and four nation funders who contributed data and their experiences and insights. These stakeholders have co-developed and committed to delivering the roadmap outlined in this report.