Leading dental experts from across the globe came together in London for the 14th annual Senior Dental Leadership conference in July. Over five days, delegates including Chief Dental Officers, representatives from NGOs, and leading members of the clinical and academic communities, discussed a diverse range of topics including children’s oral health, diversity and inclusion in dentistry, and leading change in the profession.

The Senior Dental Leadership programme seeks to develop the strategic leadership skills of the world's senior dental professionals. The annual conference is hosted jointly between King's College London and Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and sponsored by Colgate and Henry Schein. Throughout the conference, delegates develop their leadership skills and learn to use them effectively to advance oral health agendas and improve the dental health of children.

This year’s event took place from 10-15 July, and included a visit to the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at King’s campus in Guy’s Tower, where delegates were given an overview of the world leading facilities, and discussed the landscape of oral health inequality in London.

Speakers included: Professor Jenny Gallagher MBE, Newland-Pedley Professor of Oral Health Strategy at King’s College London; Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein; Dr Jaime Edelson, Chair of the Mexican Dental Association Foundation; Prof Mahesh Verma, Vice Chancellor Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.

The keynote speech at the Henry Shein Gala Dinner was provided by Professor Funmi Olonisakin Vice President (Global Engagement) at King’s College London, who spoke on the nuances of international leadership.

Since its inception, over 200 delegates from 43 countries have attended a Senior Dental Leaders programme. The Senior Dental Leadership programme is run by the Global Child Dental Fund, a UK-based charity whose mission is to ensure that the most disadvantaged children, from the most deprived communities around the world, have access to dental care and do not suffer from obvious dental decay in their lifetime.