The Dental Schools Council has elected Professor Ewen McColl as its new Chair

The Dental Schools Council (UK and Ireland) has elected Professor Ewen McColl, Director of Clinical Dentistry and Head of School at Peninsula Dental School, University of Plymouth as its new Chair.

Prior to his roles at University of Plymouth, Ewen began his career in the military, serving as Senior Dental Officer in Afghanistan and was for two years on Loan Service to The Sultan of Brunei’s Armed Forces. He was certified as a Restorative Consultant in 2009 and worked as a Consultant for the military before joining University of Plymouth in 2012.

Alongside his current position, he is an Editor of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (Now CGDent) Standards in Dentistry, a Director of Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise and is the Editorial Director of Dental Update, a leading peer-reviewed clinical journal. During his tenure as Head of School at University of Plymouth, the dental school team has won the 2023 Times Higher Education award for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community, and has topped the 2024, and 2025 Guardian League Table for UK Dentistry.

Of his new role, Professor Ewen McColl said:

“I am honoured to be elected as Chair of the Dental Schools Council. I’d like to thank Professor Kirsty Hill from the University of Birmingham who did a remarkable job as Chair in bringing dental schools together to share best practice and develop a joint position on how education and training needs should adapt to the changing oral health needs of the population.

“There are still many barriers that impede access to oral healthcare which has the greatest impact on the most vulnerable in our society. Dental schools will come together to improve access to oral healthcare for all by increasing the number of people they train in line with the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. We will also continue to advocate for the often-disadvantaged and underrepresented patients who are often treated at our dental school clinics.

“I am passionate about environmental sustainability and will look to foster a forward-looking approach in dental schools to do our part in mitigating climate disaster, through sharing best practice and engaging with other partners in the universities and health care sectors.

“Dental schools are vital research hubs for advancing our understanding of oral health and disease, developing new technologies and shaping the future of clinical services. The new government and regulators must therefore work with dental schools to ensure clinical academia is prioritised and policy reflects current trends and clinical knowledge.

“The Covid-19 pandemic notably saw an acceleration in the digitalisation of the entire health sector – dental education and practice especially benefited from these recent advancements, for both training and for improving patient care. Dental schools will continue to work together to embed the latest innovations and new technologies into training and teaching, to fully prepare the next generation of dentists, therapists and hygienists and ensure clinical standards remain at their highest.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:
1. The Dental Schools Council is the authoritative voice of the dental schools within universities across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its Chief Executive is Dr Katie Petty-Saphon. For further information about the work of the Dental Schools Council please see www.dentalschoolscouncil.ac.uk.
2. For more information on this press release, please contact Flora Meadmore at flora.meadmore@medschools.ac.uk