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Staff Profile

Emma Beecroft

Clinical Fellow

  • Address: School of dental sciences
    Newcastle University
    Room D5.010
    Richardson Road
    Newcastle Upon Tyne
    NE2 4AZ
Background

Who am I?

I am a Clinical Fellow and Honorary Oral Surgery Specialty trainee at Newcastle University, whose clinical and academic interests focus around acute and persistent orofacial pain management. I am a Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain and I am currently working towards both oral surgery specialist training and a PhD focussed on dissecting the cellular mechanisms driving trigeminal neuropathic pain. I

 

My research interests include: Orofacial pain, in vitro Cellular Modelling, Trigeminal Nociception, Parkinson’s Disease and Glucocorticoids. 


Roles and Responsibilities

School of Dental Sciences

Stage 5 Oral and maxillofacial surgery written examination lead (2020-present)

Stage 5 Board of examiners (2020-present)

Stage 4 Board of examiners (2020-present)

Course lead Temporomandibular disorders and diagnosis of orofacial pain (BDS stage 4) (2024-present)

BDS undergraduate tutor (2014-present)

Postgraduate tutor (PG Cert Dental Education; Conscious Sedation in Dentistry PG Cert) (2020-present)

Clinical teaching lead Dental Emergency (2014-2019)

Co-coordinating committee for clinical studies (2014-2019)

Staff student committee member (2015-2017)


External

NIHR BRC Skin Disease, Oral Disease & Immunogenomics Theme Steering Committee (2022-present)

NIHR BRC Skin Disease, Oral Disease & Immunogenomics Theme PPIE ECR sub committee (2022-present)

International Network for Orofacial Pain and Related Disorders Methodology (INFORM): Member of Communications committee (2024-present)

International Network for Orofacial Pain and Related Disorders Methodology (INFORM): Member of Translation committee (2024-present)

International Network for Orofacial Pain and Related Disorders Methodology (INFORM): Member of Education committee (2023-present)

Co-opted Dental member on NICE Adrenal Insufficiency committee (2022-2024)

Ad hoc peer reviewer for several journals


Qualifications

Diplomat of the America Board of Orofacial pain, American Board of Orofacial Pain (2024)

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Research (Distinction), Newcastle University (2021)

Postgraduate Diploma in Conscious Sedation, Newcastle University (2017) 

Certificate in Facilitated Learning in Healthcare Practice (Distinction), UCLAN (2014)

Membership of the faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS RCS) Edinburgh and England (2010)

Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) with merit in clinical dentistry, Newcastle University. (2008)


Memberships

American Board of Orofacial Pain

European Academy of Orofacial Pain and Dysfunction

International Network for Orofacial Pain and Related Disorders Methodology (INfORM)

Faculty of Dental Surgery; Royal College of Surgeons of England and Edinburgh

International Association for Dental Research

British Association of Oral Surgeons

Association of British Academic Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

The Cochrane Collaboration


Awards and Esteem Indicators

School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle university, research support fund (2024)

The Pain Relief Foundation Small Grant (2021)

Faculty of Dental Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons England, Pump-Prime Grant (2021)

NIHR Newcastle Biomedical research centre skin and oral diseased research grant (2021)

Helen Tonge Award; Newcastle University (2014)

Nick Jackson Prize in Child Dental health and Orthodontics, Newcastle University (2008)

Schick Prize in Dental Radiology, Newcastle University (2008)


Podcasts

Gulati J, Beecroft EV, Durham J. The Protrusive Dental Podcast. TMD New Guidelines! Evidence Based Care – PDP213 – Protrusive Dental Podcast February 2025


Invited speaker

International

  • Beecroft EV. Pharmacological management options for refractory orofacial pain. Invited keynote speaker 38th International AIGeDO Congress, Naples 10th October 2025
  • Beecroft EV. IADR session chair: Perspectives in TMD. International Network for Orofacial Pain and Related Disorders Methodology (INfORM) IADR Barcelona  24th June 2025
  • Beecroft EV. Arthrogenous TMD: The surgical perspective. International Network for Orofacial Pain and Related Disorders Methodology (INfORM) Webinar. 19th February 2025
  • Beecroft EV. TMD: What general dental practitioners need to know. Embedding evidence based practice for TMD into general dental practice: International Network for Orofacial Pain and Related Disorders Methodology (INfORM) keypoint symposium IADR 12th March 2024, New Orleans
  • Beecroft EV. Managing TMD in general practice. Certificate in Orofacial Pain Management, A collaboration between Trinity College Dublin and University of Southern California. March 4th 2024. 
  • Beecroft EV. Temporomandibular disorder diagnosis. University of Minnesota, Temporomandibular disorder residency programme USA. (January 2023 and 2024)
  • Beecroft EV. Splint therapy. Temporomandibular disorder diagnosis. University of Minnesota, Temporomandibular disorder residency programme USA. (January 2023 and 2024)
  • Beecroft EV. Pharmacological treatment of TMD: Evidence from Cochrane systematic review. European Association of Orofacial Pain Congress Stockholm, 2nd September 2023.



National

  • Beecroft EV. Facial pain (TMD) an update.​ Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh Online Afternoon Dental Symposium 'Managing dental patients’ pain and anxiety: everyone’s challenge' Thursday 18th September 2025
  • Beecroft EV. Facial pain and oral infection. British Society of Gerodontology Conference Friday 20th June 2025
  • Beecroft EV. Surgical considerations for those at risk of persistent pain. British association of oral surgeons (BAOS) Wed 14th May 2025
  • Beecroft EV. Steroid cover: Dental guideline development. Association of Academic Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Annual Scientific Conference London, 9th November 2023.
  • Beecroft EV. Orofacial pain – Is endodontic treatment always the answer? British Endodontic Society London, 1st July 2023
  • Beecroft EV. Facial pain. Thinking outside the Box – Managing headache from different perspectives. British Association for the study of Headache Newcastle-upon Tyne, 20th April 2023.
  • Beecroft EV. Adrenal insufficiency for Oral Surgeons, British Association of Oral Surgeons Annual conference. Nov 2022 
  • Beecroft EV. Adrenal insufficiency for Dentists. All Wales Special Interest Group/Special Oral Health Care conference, Oct 2022 
  • Beecroft EV. Adrenal insufficiency for dentists. British society for disability and oral health national annual conference, May 2022.
  • Durham J, Spencer J, Green R, Beecroft EV, Palmer J. Oral Surgery Training: The current academic perspective. Association of the British Academic Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons – Annual Scientific Conference. May 2021


Regional

  • Beecroft EV. Considerations for Patients at Risk of Persistent Pain. Northeast Odontological Society (NEOS) 16th October 2025​
  • Beecroft EV. Temporomandibular disorder for newly qualified dentists. Health Education Northeast. May 14th 2024.
  • Beecroft EV. Temporomandibular disorder for general dental practitioners. Health Education Northeast. Webinar (Dec 2022 and 2023)
  • Beecroft EV. Other orofacial pain conditions (Burning mouth syndrome, persistent idiopathic dentoalveolar pain disorder and trigeminal neuralgia) for general dental practitioners. Health Education Northeast. Webinar (Dec 2022 and 2023)


Poster presentations

  • Beecroft EV, Durham J, Niwa H, Kudo C, Kato T, Coulter J, Telezhkin V. Developing a novel in vitro human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived sensory-like neuronal model of orofacial neuropathic pain (ONP). Abstract and poster presentation. Europhysiology Conference, Coopenhagen 2022. 
  • Maguire W, Beecroft E, Holmes R, Landes L. Dental Emergency Clinic (DEC) service evaluation project: this used attendances at DEC in Newcastle Dental Hospital to identify any variations in utilisation of this NHS dental emergency service across the Northeast of England. BDA Hospital Dental Services 2019.
  • Lopez J, Greenwood M, Beecroft E. Prospective audit of accidental analgesic overdose prevalence and treatment regime. Dental Emergency Department, Newcastle Dental Hospital. British Association of Oral Surgeons Annual conference, September 2018.




Research

MiTiGate Trial: Managing chronic Myalgia Temporomandibular Disorder: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of Botulinum toxin type A, lidocaine, and amitriptyline/gabapentin, with internal pilot and cost-effectiveness analysis. Beecroft EV: Clinical lead and Associate PI. (2024-present)


PhD Thesis: Exploring peripheral trigeminal voltage-gated sodium channel commonalities in Parkinson's disease and orofacial neuropathic pain to identify areas for therapeutic exploration: The Excite study. (Jan 2023-present)


FacE-PD- Facial pain Experience in Parkinson’s Disease. This study aims to understand the types of pain affecting the face, head and mouth regions in people with Parkinson’s disease. Most people living with Parkinson’s disease experience pain, and this pain is often not well managed. Pain acts as the body’s warning system, signalling that something may be wrong so that the area can be protected and given time to heal.  Pain in the head, face, and mouth area (known as orofacial pain) is often felt more intensely than pain elsewhere in the body. This stronger reaction encourages greater protection of an area, which contain structures vital for survival, such as the eyes and brain.  

We do not yet know what kinds of orofacial pain people with Parkinson’s disease experience, or whether this pain changes as the disease progresses. Learning more about these patterns could help healthcare professionals provide better pain management and, in turn, improve the quality of life for those with the condition. (2024-present)

Teaching

Current undergraduate lecture provision

  1. Introduction to orofacial pain BDS stage 4 TMD course.
  2. Continuous and episodic neuropathic pain BDS stage 4 TMD course.
  3. Conservative and initial reversible management of TMD BDS stage 4 TMD course.
  4. Understanding, assessing, and communicating about painful TMD BDS stage 4 TMD course.
  5. Multidisciplinary and pharmacological management of TMD BDS stage 4 TMD course
  6. Orofacial pain course plenary and Q&A BDS stage 4 TMD course.
  7. HPA axis BDS stage 4 and BSc Dental therapy stage 3 Human disease course.
  8. Safe dental care for those at risk of Adrenal insufficiency BDS stage 4 and BSc Dental therapy stage 3 Human disease course.
  9. Cranial nerve examination BDS stage 4 and BSc Dental therapy stage 3 Human disease course.
  10. Orofacial pain: Is endodontics always the answer? BDS stage 4 endodontic course
  11. BDS stage 3 Clinical introductory course - Never events, LOCCSIPs/NOCSIPS 
Publications