Monthly Noma Webinars

Dr. Dympna Kavanagh is the chief dental officer for Ireland, and she led on the development of the National Oral Health Policy published in 2019 which aligns with the WHO action plan. Her remit includes EU regulations and amalgam, fluoride surveillance, and commissioning of evidence reviews to support oral health services. She works with the Departments of Environment, Agriculture, Education, Enterprise and Foreign Affairs to support cross-departmental partnerships. This involves working with international, WHO and European Union units and attaches.

Dympna is also the Chair of the Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe (PBOHE) and Ex-President of the Council of European Chief Officers of the Council of European Chief Dental Officers (CECDO). The PBOHE aims to collaborate with Member States, Professional Organizations and Civil Societies across Europe to integrate oral health into EU policy and support WHO implementation across the oral health European network. In the CECDO, the focus is on Member States across Europe to support the EU Presidencies WHO Oral Health action planning for Member States in Europe.

She obtained her PhD in UCC, Ireland and completed her postgraduate in Kings College London culminating in the award of an intercollegiate fellowship in Dental Public Health from the Royal College of Surgeons London at the completion of consultancy training. She obtained her Fellowship in Dental Surgery (RCS London), and obtained her Diploma and Masters in Dental Public Health from Royal College of Surgeons England and Kings College respectively. She has worked across academia, health services (general and oral health care), industry and in the Ministry for Health, Ireland.