eGDCDental Public Health
The purpose of dental public health as a specialty is to protect and improve the oral health of the population and tackle oral health inequalities. This is alongside supporting the delivery of high-quality oral health-related services and implementation of evidence-based interventions using health intelligence and research across the health and social care systems.
The specialty promotes disease prevention by collaborative working across health and social care systems, voluntary organisations, and communities across the life course. Specialists advocate for oral health in the context of general health and provide strategic leadership and specialist advice in influencing policy.
Specialists in dental public health work across the three domains of public health:
- Health improvement (improving oral health and reducing oral health inequalities)
- Healthcare public health (maximising the benefits of healthcare using available resources and ensuring effective and efficient services which promote equity)
- Health protection (infectious disease control and pandemic response, protection against environmental hazards, and emergency response)
They seek to improve oral health on a universal, ‘big picture’ level, seeking to protect the population and identify the needs of the whole population with a focus on disadvantaged groups. They work across all sectors of health and social care with a variety of organisations and agencies to improve oral health and quality of life.
The next curriculum will take effect for all new specialty trainees by September 2024.