The Global Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Robert's work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
About Robert
Robert Witton is a General Dental Council registered specialist and Consultant in Dental Public Health. He is Professor of Community Dentistry in the dental school and has a broad portfolio of interests across education, clinical leadership, dental services, public health, social enterprise and health policy. Robert arrived at Peninsula Dental School in 2008 to undertake his higher specialty training in dental public health assuming a substantive role in 2012 following successful completion of a CCST. Since then Robert has had a leading role in school strategy, development of its clinical placement arm – Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise CIC and the community aspects of the curriculum.
Prior to this Robert worked at Portsmouth Dental Academy and before that completed a successful short service commission in the Royal Army Dental Corps and worked in primary care dentistry for 10 years prior to specialisation. Through each of these roles, Robert developed an interest in dental education, dental public health and supporting communities to improve population oral health.
Robert is the current Chief Executive of Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise (PDSE) CIC, which is the main clinical placement provider for students from the dental school.Externally Robert is the current Chair of the British Dental Association Dental Public Health Committee. In this role, he supports and highlights the importance of Dental Public Health across the UK, working to ensure Dental Public health is integrated into national plans for tackling poor population health and supporting Dental Public Health workforce development. This includes work with the BDA and national stakeholders to promote oral health to the public.
He is also the Training Programme Director for postgraduate specialty training in Dental Public Health for the Southwest of England, Oxford and Thames Valley. Internationally, he has contributed to the FDI’s expert working group for migrant oral health, supporting international awareness and implementation of the FDI’s Oral Health Advocacy Guide for refugees.
He has also joined an alumni network of senior dentists across the world following his participation in 2019 in the Senior Dental Leaders Programme hosted by Harvard University and Kings College London. Robert continues to work with international colleagues and the Child Global Dental Fund supporting development of dental education and public health programmes.
Robert is passionate about preventing oral disease and promoting oral health in the UK and internationally, and about the aim of making quality oral healthcare affordable, accessible and available for all.
Supervised Research Degrees
Post-doctoral supervision
Tom Thompson. To investigate the oral health impact of the dental school and PDSE in Devon and Cornwall (2017 – 2021)
Jo Erwin. Identifying factors influencing oral health habits and dental care access among children and young people with Autism: Evidence synthesis and qualitative stakeholder research (2021 – present)
Doctor of Philosophy
Martha Paisi. Obesity and dental caries in children in Plymouth (2014-2017)
Nicole Thomas. Testing an oral health intervention in a highly vulnerable child population (2017- 2022)
Anastasios Plessas. The impact of inter-professional education in the dental curriculum on students’ views towards social accountability (2021 to present)
Amazon Doble. Diagnosing high blood pressure at the dentist: an examination of periodontal disease and the oral microbiome (2022 to present)
MSc Supervision
Does the socket shield technique for immediate implant placement result in reduced bone resorption and improved aesthetic outcomes, compared with the placement of immediate implants alone in the anterior zone (2019 – 2020)
A systematic review of calcium hydroxide and mineral trioxide aggregate in managing pulp exposures (2018-2019)
A systematic review of chlorhexidine and hypochlorite in root canal treatment (2017 - 2018)
Academic Clinical Fellow
NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Dental Public Health (2017 – 2020)
Clinical Leadership Fellow
Health Education England clinical leadership fellow (2021 to present)
Speciality training
Specialty trainee in dental public health. Educational Supervisor (2016 – 2021)
Teaching
Robert is an experienced dental educator with an interest in community-based dental education, dental public health and health policy. He has delivered teaching and supervision at all levels of undergraduate and postgraduate training. In addition, he is an experienced educational supervisor in NHS dental public health specialty training and holds several examinerships from undergraduate to consultant level for Higher Education Institutes and Royal Colleges.
He also supervises postgraduate research students and holds several senior education roles.
