The aim of the society is to protect, maintain and improve the oral health of older people.
This is achieved by providing a forum to further knowledge and increase awareness relating to the oral health, dental needs and treatment of older adults.
The society holds two meetings per year when members of various dental specialities and professionals complementary to dentistry come together to consider and exchange information on the oral health care of older adults.
BSG now also organises a webinar series each year, usually on a collaborative basis. In 2024 the BSG webinars were run in association with RCS Edinburgh.
We work with other aligned societies – dental, medical , and others including third sector groups to further these aims
We collaborate with the Faculty of Dental Surgey at RCS England to co -fund priming grants for Gerodontology research
We contribute to and comment on national guidance relevant to older people’s health, and oral health/oral care
We engage with the various strands of the dental profession on relevant guidance
We support dental trainees in dental care for older people
BSG submits a report annually to the UK Charity Commission ,in line with its charitable status obligations
BSG has its Annual General Meeting in December of each year, usually after its winter conference
Click here for a short History of The British Society of Gerodontology , and a list of Past Presidents
Committee Members
President and Research Lead BSG
Dr Becky Wassall is a practising clinical specialist and expert in Special Care Dentistry.
Qualified in 2000, she worked across NHS hospital, GP and community dentistry, going on to complete a PhD (2011) and clinical Specialist Training (2019).
As a Clinical Lecturer at Newcastle University, she was awarded an NIHR Transitional Research Fellowship to undertake postdoctoral research into the organisation and delivery of person-centred dental services for older people living and dying in care homes.
Her work seeks to celebrate and promote the humanistic aspects of dental care for older people with significant health and care needs while also embracing the opportunities of research and innovation to change everyday practice and improve oral health and wellbeing.
As an enthusiastic and committed teacher she is always willing to share skills, knowledge and practise with more junior colleagues. Under her supervision, two early career researchers have now secured NIHR fellowships within the field of Special Care Dentistry. More recently, she was recognised by the Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University, for her efforts in supporting student’s pastoral and wellbeing needs.
Chair , BSG
Mili qualified from Guy’s Hospital in 2001 and is a Consultant in Special Care Dentistry at Surrey and Sussex Health Care NHS Trust and the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability. Mili has always been very committed to dental training and improving oral health services for adults with disabilities. Mili has a special interest in sedation and general anaesthesia in Special Care dentistry. In 2015, Mili developed the Health Education England national initiative ‘Mouth Care Matters’ to improve the oral health of adults in hospitals that was rolled out across England. Mili is the past president of the British Society of Gerodontology and is the current chair. She is the author of several articles in peer-reviewed journals and is the editor of a book on the oral health of older people. Mili was awarded an MBE in 2018 for service to NHS dentistry
Adele qualified from Queen's University, Belfast, in 2011. She discovered a passion for special care dentistry (SCD) during dental core trainee roles in Northern Ireland, Dundee and Cardiff. She completed specialist training in SCD in 2019 in South Wales, working in community and hospital settings. Adele worked as consultant in SCD in Cardiff University Dental Hospital since 2021 and has recently been appointed as consultant in SCD in Belfast Trust. She is passionate about health inclusion and is 2024 president for British Society of Gerodontology.
Committee member
Gerry McKenna
School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences
Belfast
Centre for Public Health
Committee Member, DCP Representative
Loraine is a qualified specialist registered dental nurse with many years of experience within the dental profession and is a DCP representative for BSG.
She was part of the original Mouthcare Matters Team ,an initiative to improve the oral health of hospitalised patients through training and education. Currently she is the permanent Mouthcare Lead in an acute Trust, supporting staff and patients with all aspects of mouthcare. With an ageing population within hospital her duties range from presenting training sessions for staff to tracking lost dentures!
Sponsorship Secreary and president- elect
Rakhee is a clinical academic working as a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant at Kings College London and a Consultant in Dental Public Health at NHS England, London region.
Rakhee completed her master’s in dental public health in 2010 and commenced an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship and Specialist Training post in Dental Public Health training in Bristol / London. In 2014, she was awarded a prestigious NIHR Doctoral Research Fellowship Grant and undertook one of the first CTIMP clinical trials in social care, titled ‘Fluoride interventions to prevent dental decay in care home residents: A randomised feasibility study’. She completed this part time, alongside her consultant role. In 2023, Rakhee was awarded a PhD in Health Services Research, and having published and presented the work nationally and internationally, she was awarded the International Association Dental Research (IADR) Geriatric Oral Health Research Prize.
Rakhee has a strong focus on education. She is a specialty training educational supervisor, supervises masters projects and is undergraduate module lead at KCL. Nationally, she is an examiner for the Oversees Registration Examination and the Royal College of Surgeons England Intercollegiate Specialty Fellowship Examination, and a member of Specialty Advisory and Dental Public Health National Recruitment Committees.
Rakhee is impact driven, and her chief areas of interest academically and in service are prevention of oral disease, innovation in care delivery and the integration of oral across health and social care for an ageing population.
Yvonne is the honorary treasurer for the British Society of Gerodontology.
She qualified from Trinity College Dublin in 2008. She is a Consultant in the Department of Sedation and Special Care Dentistry, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London. Yvonne completed her specialty training having worked across community and hospital dental services. In 2015 she completed a Masters in Sedation and Special Care Dentistry with King's College London (KCL). Her MSc project investigated methods of diagnosing dental pain in patients with moderate to severe dementia, and her continued research interest is the oral health of older people. Yvonne is involved in training in special care dentistry and conscious sedation for postgraduate dentists at KCL and special care dentistry specialty registrars. She is the Chair for the Special Care Dentistry Managed Clinical Network for London, is a member of the Specialty Advisory Board for Special Care Dentistry and examiner for the Diploma in Special Care Dentistry in the Royal College of Edinburgh.
Kiran currently works as a speciality registrar in Special Care Dentistry in Bristol. Prior to this, she worked as a Dental Officer in the Community Dental Service across the South West of England and completed DCT 1-3 roles in London and Birmingham. Kiran has been published in the British Medical Journal Case Reports, Dental Update and the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry. She is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons (Glasgow) and has a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education. She is passionate about promoting the oral health of older adults as well as addressing their treatment needs.
BSG Secretary - Thea qualified from Leeds Dental Institute in 2016 and is a Specialist in Special Care Dentistry at Sheffield Teaching Hospital Trust. She is committed and enthusiastic in developing services and improving oral health for adults with disabilities across many vulnerable groups. Thea’s current role in Sheffield involves leading a specialist domiciliary service. She also has a special interest in anxiety management for patients, including sedation in combination with CBT
Website Editor
Daniel works in special care dentistry across Oxfordshire in the community dental service. Prior to this he has worked in dental core training posts across London and Surrey, and supported undergraduate students in a clinical tutor role at Kings College London. He has completed a Diploma in special care dentistry at the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and was awarded a research grant from the British Society of Gerodontology in 2021 to investigate the feasibility of 3D scanning and printing dentures in care homes
Trainee Representative
Sarah is a speciality registrar in Special Care Dentistry at Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
She graduated from the University of Sheffield and has since worked in a range of hospitals, community services and general practice settings.
She has published articles in peer reviewed journals on the use of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy booklets in treating children and Silver Diamine Fluoride.
Sarah is committed to supporting the Society’s mission of promoting and protecting the oral health needs of older adults.
Trainee Rep.
Kiren completed her postgraduate dental degree at the University of Central Lancashire in 2020 and is currently a Specialty Trainee (STR) in Special Care Dentistry (SCD) at Birmingham Community Healthcare. She has been published in SAAD and the BDA and has presented both nationally and internationally on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and GA treatment planning.
Kiren is deeply committed to advancing awareness of special care dentistry and enjoys contributing to improvements in dental specialty training by sitting on the National Dental Specialty engagement forum representing East and West Midlands. She recently established a national tutorial group for SCD to facilitate collaborative learning among trainees. In addition, she is passionate about enhancing oral healthcare for older adults and is the dental representative on the Dementia Working Group within her trust, focusing on strategies to improve dental care for this demographic. Kiren has gained her Diploma in Special Care Dentistry from the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh.
DCP Lead
Mouth Care Matters Lead & Registered Dental Nurse
I am a Registered Dental Nurse, qualified in 2005, with 19 years’ experience working in general practice maxillo-facial nursing and my current role as a Mouth Care Matters Lead at an acute trust spanning three sites.
During my time as a Mouth Care Matters lead I have had the honour to receive a British citizen award with special recognition for my work in mouth care. I am passionate about improving patient outcomes and am dedicated to promoting excellent oral care practices across the various health care setting and have previously held a post on the Royal college of surgeon’s odontology section council.
My Duties range from presenting training sessions to staff, attending many different ward rounds to educate on links between general health and mouth care to tracking dentures.
Caroline Persaud is a qualified Clinical Dental Technician working at Brightside Dental Clinic in Palmers Green, London, where she delivers high-quality denture services. In addition to her clinical role, Caroline dedicates part of her time to providing domiciliary denture care for older patients in North London, visiting residential homes, care facilities, and private residences to meet the needs of this underserved community.
Caroline completed a BSc in Dental Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2001 and later pursued advanced training as a Clinical Dental Technician, earning her qualification through George Brown College in Toronto, Canada, accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons in 2007. She was among the first women to qualify in this field, marking a significant milestone in her career.
Beyond her clinical work, Caroline is deeply involved in professional education and continuing professional development (CPD). She has co-presented several CPD webinars with ProDental and the College of General Dentistry, focusing on the role of Clinical Dental Technicians (CDTs) in modern dental practice. These initiatives underscore her dedication to fostering multidisciplinary care, improving patient outcomes, and advancing the dental profession.
Caroline serves on the faculty board of the Faculty of Clinical Dental Technology and Dental Technology (FCDTDT) at the College of General Dentistry (CGDent). In this capacity, she has played a pivotal role in shaping educational standards and professional development pathways for dental technicians. Her leadership has contributed to innovative curricula designed to meet the evolving needs of the profession.
As a member of the British Society of Gerodontology, Caroline has presented on key topics such as domiciliary denture provision, sharing best practices and innovative approaches to older persons care. Her efforts were recognised with her inclusion in the prestigious “Laboratory Leading 20” award in 2024.
Membership