Professionalisation of Dental Hygienists and Therapists in Academia

Thursday, 21st August 2025 - 16:00 to 17:30

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Timezone:

Dublin (IST, UTC+1)

Venue:

Room 119 TCDBS

Session type:

Type 2: Organised, planned and delivered by a subgroup, special interest group, community of practice of ADEE

Pre-register as part of your ADEE 2025 meeting registration

Session synopsis:

Dental hygienists and dental therapists play an integral role in oral healthcare, yet the academic pathways leading to professionalisation in these fields remain underdeveloped compared to other dental professions. As the demand for advanced clinical practice, research and teaching continues to grow, it is crucial to support the academic development of these professionals, fostering their ability to become the next generation of researchers, scholars, and Professors.

This Community of Practice group plans to address the current lack of structured academic pathways for dental hygienists and dental therapists across Europe, enabling these professionals to advance in academia and research. By creating a supportive network, fostering research, and advocating for the integration of dental hygienists and therapists into higher academic structures, this initiative will contribute significantly to the professionalisation of the field, benefiting educators, students, and patients across Europe.

The aim of this Community of Practice is to support the professional development of dental hygienists and dental therapists through the creation of a robust academic pathway, facilitating the progression of early-career academics into research and teaching roles, with the goal of nurturing future professors in these fields. Proposed Objectives The objectives include to:

explore the current academic pathways for dental hygienists and dental therapists across Europe, identifying challenges and opportunities for expanding academic careers in this group
develop a framework for academic progression that supports career advancement.

Programme:

16:00 Welcoming remarks and outline of session objectivesby session chairs

16:05 Opening words on the European perspective delivered by Gitana Rederiene, President of the European Federation of Dental Hygienists

16:10 Invited speakers

Dr Susan H. Kass USA
Professor Laura Dempster
Professor Dagmar Else Slot
Mrs Joanne Bowles
Dr Jeanie Suvan

17:00 Discussion

17:25 Closing remarks

The session will also include an interactive segment for collecting data and perspectives from attendees to inform future commentary and collaborative publications.

Chair:

Leon Bassi

Lecturer in Restorative dentistry (Dental Therapy Practice)

University of Liverpool

Leon Bassi is a Clinical Lecturer at the University of Liverpool. His professional background encompasses substantial clinical experience within community, hospital, and specialised private practice environments. He possesses a Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric Dentistry for Dental Therapists and a Master of Science in Advanced Specialist Healthcare. Leon is an active member of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT). Furthermore, he holds Fellowship of Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) and Fellowship of the Faculty of Dental Trainers. He has a keen interest in the professionalisation of dental hygienists and dental therapists as dental occupations with a view to advocate for career literacy and structured career pathways.

Sarah Murray

Reader in Dental Therapy Education

Queen Mary University of London

Sarah Murray has worked in dental education for over 30 years, during which time she has demonstrated a commitment to advancing the clinical practice of dental hygienists and dental therapists. She has been a strong advocate for expanding the scope of practice, by playing a pivotal role in the introduction of direct access in 2013 and contributing significantly to the recent HEE dental exemptions training. In addition to her clinical and educational contributions, Sarah is keen to ensure that dental hygienists and dental therapist academics have a clear, structured pathway to achieve professor status, addressing a gap that remains unclear in the profession.

Barry A. Quinn

Vice Dean for Scholarship & Staff Development | Chair in Restorative Dentistry and Dental Education

University of Liverpool, School of Dentistry, UK

Professor Barry F.A. Quinn is the Vice Dean for Scholarship and Staff Development and Chair in Restorative Dentistry and Dental Education at the University of Liverpool. He is an internationally recognised leader in dental education and research, with an extensive portfolio of senior roles in national and international organisations.

Barry currently serves as Secretary General of the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE), President of the Royal Society of Medicine’s Odontology Section, and President of the IADR Prosthodontic Group. He has previously held presidencies of the British Alliance for Researchers in Dental Education and Scholarship (BARDES) and the Education Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR).

He has also contributed to the work of UNESCO, IFIP, and the General Dental Council (GDC), particularly in areas of quality assurance and professional standards. Barry’s contributions to dental education have been widely recognised. In 2023, he was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship—only the 12th UK dental professional to receive this honour in the award’s history. His research spans interprofessional education and haptic virtual reality surgical simulation training, and has earned accolades such as the Medical Futures Award and ADEE’s Mature and Interprofessional Educator Awards.

He is the author of over 200 abstracts and publications, and remains committed to advancing excellence, innovation, and collaboration in dental education and scholarship.

Speakers:

Susan H. Kass

Dental Hygiene Program Director

Miami Dade College, USA

Dr. Kass has been involved in dental hygiene education for over 48 years. She has been the Dental Hygiene Program Director at Miami Dade College for the last 41 years after serving as the Assistant to the Dean of Health Sciences. Susan is the current Immediate Past Chair of the Board of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA). She is the third dental hygienist to serve in this position in the 100-year history of the association and the first dental hygienist not affiliated with a dental school. Susan served as Board Director for ADEA from 2012 – 2015. Dr. Kass has served as the Allied Commissioner of the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and served on the CODA Dental Hygiene Review Committee. Susan is serving as a Board member on the GIES Foundation of ADEA. Susan completed the ADEA Leadership Institute in 2005, continues to serve as a Mentor and Speaker at the Allied Leadership Development Program since its inception in 2000.

Susan earned her Certificate of Dental Hygiene at the University of Pennsylvania, her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with an externship at the University of Michigan, her Master of Science degree from the University of Miami, and her doctorate degree from Florida International University.

Susan was the keynote speaker at the Miami Dade College graduation in 2004 and was honored to serve as the Mace bearer at the Miami Dade College Graduation in 2024. Susan is the recipient of three Endowed Teaching Chairs from Miami Dade College and received the Chair of the ADEA Board Citation Award in 2016.

Joanne Bowles

BSc Dental Therapy Programme Director

University of Liverpool

Joanne Bowles is a Dental Therapist, Senior Lecturer and the BSc Dental Therapy Programme Director for the fully integrated and innovative BDS/BSc curriculum at the University of Liverpool, School of Dentistry. Joanne is an executive council member for the British Association of Dental Therapists where she now has a role as BADT Secretary.

Gitana Rederiene

President

European Dental Hygienists Federation / Lithuanian Dental Hygienists Association

Dr. Gitana Rederiene is a President of the European Dental Hygienists Federation as well as a Founder and current President of the Lithuanian Dental Hygienists Association. She is also a board member of the Odontology faculty of Lithuanian Health Science University, as well as a consultant for a few dental hygiene programs in Lithuania. She completed her Dental Hygiene and Public Health studies at Lithuanian Health Science University in Kaunas and defended her doctoral thesis at Vilnius University Medical Faculty in Public health. Her main research topic is the greater empowerment of the professional group of dental hygienists and a clearer role in shaping the oral health policy. She is a practising dental hygienist at the University clinic as well as holds courses for continuing education on various topics nationally and internationally. Dr. Gitana Rederiene is also a member of European Association Dental Public Health.

Jeanie Suvan

Clinical University Lecturer Oral Sciences

University of Glasgow Dental School

Jeanie achieved her dental hygiene qualification at the University of Alberta, Canada. Following work in clinical practice and teaching, she moved to the Department of Periodontology, University of Bern, Switzerland, beginning her research activities. After an MSc at the University of Oxford in Evidence Based Healthcare, she completed a PhD in Clinical Dentistry investigating obesity and periodontitis at UCL and more recently, an LLM in Medical Law and Ethics at University of Edinburgh. For many years Jeanie was involved in patient care, post-graduate teaching and clinical research at UCL Eastman Dental Institute Unit of Periodontology where she was Associate Professor and Director of the MSc Dental Hygiene Programme. Her most recent roles include part-time Clinical University Lecturer at University of Glasgow Dental School and Honorary Clinical Lecturer, University of Siena, Italy.