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Public
Engagement

The Dental School and Hospital is a major, public-funded institution. It’s important for members of the public to know what we do. We're also keen to engage with individuals and community groups

Welcoming in

We welcome in members of the public to share their voice in our:

  • education research
  • clinical and bioscience research
  • student interviews

Effective engagement is essential in directing impactful research outcomes, including:

  • fundamental discovery science, identifying novel therapeutic targets essential to integrity of dental plaque
  • research in dental nutrition, helping to shape global health policy on sugar consumption
Our patients and the public are fundamental to our research and education of our students.

Patient and Public Involvement group

We provide opportunities for patients and members of the public to volunteer to work with us. We do this through our Patient and Public Involvement group.

The group is a growing body of volunteers who take part in studies and other activity in the school. If you would like to know more please contact us:

Susan Bissett, Chair for the Oral & Dental PCPI group

Greig Taylor, Lead PPI - Children and Young People

 

Reaching out

As a civic university, it is important we reach out to our community and engage them in their oral health.

We embed oral health education into our curriculum. Students visit diverse community groups to promote oral health and understanding.

Brush Up group

Student volunteers invest considerable energy and free-time in oral-health community outreach. Our Brush Up group has a full programme of events, engaging with:

  • school groups
  • uniformed organisations 
  • community health initiatives such as Newcastle Sure Start

They bring oral health and dietary advice. They give information on careers in dental and oral health.

The group also contributes to wider University initiatives. These include Apprentice Students on Campus. This helps introduce schoolchildren to the University and its courses.

The Brush Up group.

Award-winning

In partnership with the Wallsend Children's Community, our students lead a project. They provide oral health education to children, aged 5 in 13, in Wallsend primary schools.

Brush Up has won a Santander Community Engagement Award and a NUSU GoVolunteer grant. For more information on Brush Up or outreach events, please contact brushup@ncl.ac.uk.

You may even see us out and about in the city. We take part in local and national events such as:

  • the British Science Festival
  • Fame lab
  • Soapbox Science

General dental advice

If you need some general dental advice, the following links may help you.

If you worry about your oral health, contact your local practice.

You can fill in the free treatment form to attend the hospital if we're currently recruiting patients.

 

Advice is available via our Brush-up group.