Mission

The Dental Schools Council represents dental schools across the UK and Ireland, providing a collective voice for undergraduate dental education. We work with stakeholders to shape policy and promote excellence in dental training for the benefit of patients and the public.

In a bright dental clinic, clinicians in blue scrubs gather around a patient in a treatment chair, working together with focused, attentive energy.

Our aims

We are committed to protecting and advancing the quality of dental education, clinical training and research across the UK and Ireland.

We provide trusted, evidence-informed advice and guidance on dental education, research and workforce across the UK and Ireland.

We support high standards in dental education, clinical training and research, promoting continuous improvement and the sharing of best practice.

We work to strengthen partnerships between dental schools, universities, regulators, the NHS and other healthcare providers, in particular supporting dental graduates in their transition from education to professional practice.

We recognise and champion the contributions of academic, clinical and honorary staff to dental education and research.

We promote equity, diversity and inclusion by supporting fairness into and across the dental profession.

We work to advance dental education and research to support better oral health and benefit patients, including in an advisory capacity.

Insights and analysis

Explore our independent insight and analysis of education and dentistry in the UK & Ireland.

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Masked healthcare workers in blue protective gowns lean over a patient during a close examination, focused and collaborative in a bright clinic.

Our history

The Dental Schools Council was established in 1932 as the Dental Education Advisory Committee of Great Britain and Ireland. Since then, the organisation has evolved through several names and structures, reflecting changes in dental education and the institutions we represent.

In 1937, it became the Dental Education Advisory Council of Great Britain and Ireland, before taking the name Council of Deans of Dental Schools in 1993. It later became the Council of Heads and Deans of Dental Schools, adopting its current name, the Dental Schools Council, in 2008.

For almost a century, we have represented dental schools across the UK and Ireland, supporting the development of dental education and oral healthcare. Our work has spanned the history of the NHS, supporting its ambition to improve the nation’s health and ensure that oral health is recognised as an essential part of overall health and wellbeing.

Council

Council

The membership of the Dental Schools Council consists of 28 dental schools. The Chair of the Dental Schools Council is Professor Ewen McColl, Head of the School of Dentistry at the University of Plymouth. 

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Office

Office

Based in London, the Dental Schools Council office supports members across the UK and Ireland.

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