Andrew Dickenson Chief Dental Officer

His primary role and responsibilities include:

• providing leadership to all dental practitioners and dental care professionals
• professional input into workforce planning and contractual arrangements to support their professional role
• providing advice, guidance, and support to ministers on all matters relating to dental services and oral health
• monitoring and promoting quality of:
  • dental healthcare services
  • patient-related outcomes
  • strategies to address oral health inequalities
  • oral health regulation
  • education
  • training
  • performance
  • implementation of evidence-based standards to achieve, and maintain, high quality dental services
• developing policies and strategies to promote and improve the health of the population ensuring timely access to dental services

As a clinician Andrew holds dual qualifications in dentistry and medicine. He undertook postgraduate surgical training across the North East of England and the Midlands regions. In 2003 he became a consultant in oral and maxillofacial surgery. He has worked in medical and dental education, joining Health Education England as Dean of Postgraduate Education in 2014.

Andrew holds a visiting professorship in health and social care at the University of Chester.

Current priorities include:

• focussing on the restoration and reset of dental services following the COVID-19 pandemic
• restarting a programme of contract reform for primary care dentistry