In the final episode of Series 2 of Oral Health Matters, host Richard Watt, Professor of Dental Public Health at University College London, explores whether the dental profession is currently standing on a precipice. He asks a fundamental question regarding the future of oral health care: is the profession destined to remain an integral part of the social contract and general health, or has it already tipped into being a primarily cosmetic endeavour left to the whims of the private sector?

This conversation investigates the shifting landscape of global dentistry, analysing the move away from traditional primary health care models towards high-tech, commercially driven environments. As "dental spas" and social media influencers promote unrealistic aesthetic standards, our guests discuss the risks of iatrogenesis (harm caused by treatment) and the increasing marginalisation of vulnerable populations who lack access to affordable dental care. The episode concludes by examining how professional ethics, public health policy, and civil society can work together to pull the profession back from the edge and reclaim oral health as a basic human right.

Our Guests:

• Denise Faulks - Researcher at the Centre for Clinical Dental Research at the University of Clermont Auvergne in France, and an experienced clinician with expertise in special care dentistry.
• Rob Witton - Chief Executive and Director of the Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise and Deputy Head of the Peninsula Dental School at the University of Plymouth, who is passionate about making quality oral health care accessible to all.

Oral Health Matters is produced by the Dental Public Health Group at UCL with funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Follow the conversation by connecting with the Dental Public Health Group on LinkedIn, BlueSky, and Instagram.

This is a Research Podcasts production.

You can read a transcript of the conversation here.

Episode Credits

Presenter: Richard Watt, UCL

Guests: Denise Faulks and Rob Witton

Producer: Catherine McDonald, Research Podcasts

Editor: Anton Jarvis, Research Podcasts

Music: The Documentary, Mapamusic

In the fifth episode of Series 2 of Oral Health Matters, host Richard Watt, Professor of Dental Public Health at University College London, is joined by two experts in health inequalities to discuss the pro-equity policy agenda.

This conversation explores why researchers have often failed to influence policymakers effectively, despite 30 years of investigation into health inequalities. As the world faces the ongoing impacts of climate change and the aftermath of a global pandemic, this episode examines how to move beyond "lifestyle drift" and address the structural determinants of health. Our guests provide a deep dive into the necessity of a lifecourse approach and discuss how to pivot research so that communities are treated as knowledge holders and experts rather than just participants.

Our Guests: · Yvonne Kelly – Professor of Lifecourse Epidemiology at UCL and Co-Director of the ESRC-funded Equalize program, focusing on health inequalities research. · Bulela Vava – Founder and President of the Public Oral Health Forum and lecturer in community dentistry at Wits University in South Africa. Oral Health Matters is produced by the Dental Public Health Group at UCL with funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Follow the conversation by connecting with the Dental Public Health Group on LinkedIn, BlueSky, and Instagram.

This is a Research Podcasts production.

You can read a transcript of the conversation here.

Episode Credits

Presenter: Richard Watt
UCL Guests: Yvonne Kelly and Bulela Vava
Producer: Catherine McDonald
Research Podcasts Editor: Anton Jarvis, Research Podcasts

Music: The Documentary, Mapamusic

In the fourth episode of Series 2 of Oral Health Matters, host Richard Watt, Professor of Dental Public Health at University College London, is joined by two global leaders in oral health to reflect on the historic WHO Bangkok Declaration. This conversation explores the shift from oral health as a neglected periphery of medicine to a global priority, catalysed by the first-ever WHO global meeting on oral health in November 2024.

As the geopolitical landscape shifts in 2026, this episode examines whether the momentum gained in Bangkok can be sustained despite significant changes in international funding and leadership. Our guests provide a deep dive into the "Bangkok spirit," discussing the legal and practical roadmaps created to integrate oral care into Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the power of global coalitions to ensure there is "no health without oral health".

Our Guests:

• Paula Vassallo - Chief Dentist in Malta and a prominent advocate for oral health across the European Union and international organizations.
• Irving McKenzie - Chief Dentist in Jamaica and a high-profile policy figure across the Caribbean and the Americas.

Oral Health Matters is produced by the Dental Public Health Group at UCL with funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Follow the conversation by connecting with the Dental Public Health Group on LinkedIn, BlueSky, and Instagram.

This is a Research Podcasts production.

You can read a transcript of the conversation here.

Episode Credits

Presenter: Richard Watt, UCL

Guests: Paula Vassallo and Irving McKenzie

Producer: Catherine McDonald, Research Podcasts

Editor: Anton Jarvis, Research Podcasts

Music: The Documentary, Mapamusic