Saturday 26 September 2026
Dentaid Connect 2026
A free learning & CPD day for Dentaid volunteers
Join us this September 26th for Dentaid Connect 2026, a day of practical learning, hands-on sessions and networking focused on delivering dental care for vulnerable communities across the UK.
As we celebrate Dentaid’s 30th year, we are hosting a day of learning for our volunteers, focused on caring for the vulnerable patient groups we support.
We want to celebrate you, our volunteers, without whom we would not have been able to provide oral care to so many people.
With sessions relevant to both dental nurses and dentists, you will be able to choose to attend the topics you most wish to learn more about. The day will include presentations, hands-on learning, panel discussions and virtual reality learning.
Attendees will receive 5 hours of CPD and lunch will be provided. The event will be hosted at the Bupa Campus in Staines-upon-Thames. Attendance is free of charge, but spaces are limited, so please register by 31 July 2026 to secure your place.
Please note that while we would love for everyone to attend, we recognise that travelling to the venue may not be practical or accessible for all volunteers across the country.
Event details
Date
Time
Audience
Dentists & Dental Nurses
Explore the programme
The day will include sessions for both dentists and dental nurses, with the opportunity to choose the topics most relevant to your role and interests. Expect hands-on clinical learning, interactive sessions and insights from experienced speakers with expertise in caring for vulnerable patient groups.
Our full agenda is still being confirmed, but sessions are expected to include:
- “Just Stick Some Lidocaine In” – exploring dental local anaesthesia for Dentists and Non-dentists, led by Ian Corbett.
- Hands-on sessions covering vital pulp therapy and the use of Biodentine, led by Josette Camilleri.
- Top tips for delivering dental care for vulnerable people, led by Natalie Bradley.
- Managing medical emergencies in vulnerable patient groups, led by Ian Corbett.
- Practical CPR training sessions.
- A dedicated session for dental nurses, led by Fiona Ellwood.
- A panel discussion exploring the challenges and experiences of treating vulnerable patient groups, led by Catherine Rutland.
- “Managing Dental Anxiety” – an interactive virtual reality learning scenario, delivered by the Bupa Clinical Training Academy.
Meet the speakers
Prof. Josette Camilleri
BChD, MPhil, PhD, FDS RCPS (Glasg.), FICD, FADM, FIMMM, FHEA, FCGdent.
Josette Camilleri trained as a dentist at the University of Malta and completed her doctoral training as a Commonwealth scholar by a split site scholarship enabling her to work under the supervision of the late Professor Tom Pitt Ford, King’s College London. She is a Professor in Endodontics and Applied Materials at the University of Birmingham and a Consultant in Endodontics at the Birmingham Community Health Care Trust. She is also founder and Director of Birmingham Materials Testing Services (BiMaTS), an operating division of University of Birmingham Enterprise. Her research interests include endodontic materials such as root-end filling materials and root canal sealers, with particular interest in mineral trioxide aggregate, Portland cement hydration and other cementitious materials used as biomaterials and also in the construction industry. Her research work has been key to the discovery of the role of sodium hypochlorite interactions with bismuth oxide and its link to tooth discolouration.
In 2018, she has been awarded the Louis Grossman prize by the French Endodontic Society and is the first female recipient of this prestigious award. She is also immediate past president of the Dental Materials Group of the International Association of Dental Research.
Dr. Ian Corbett
FDS (OS) RCSED, PhD, BDS Hons, BSc Hons
Ian Corbett is a Consultant Oral Surgeon and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Newcastle, with a private practice covering the North-East of England. Ian graduated from King’s London and Newcastle University, has a PhD in Pathology, and is a Fellow of RCS Edinburgh. After more than 20 years’ experience in maxillofacial trauma he now concentrates on dentoalveolar surgery, specialising in surgical management of paediatric patients. Ian has been involved with undergraduate teaching and postgraduate training, was examinations convenor for RCS Edinburgh, chair of Tricollegiate examinations, and is a member of the Oral Surgery SAC.
He has a research interest and international recognition in the field of dental anaesthesia, having published extensively, lectured internationally, and was awarded a European Federation for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry prize.
Dr. Catherine Rutland
BChD MA IRM Cert FCGDent
CMI Level 7 Cert in Leadership Mentoring and Coaching
Head of clinical and policy at Dentaid The Dental Charity
As Head of Clinical and Policy at Dentaid The Dental Charity, Catherine leads the charity on clinical governance. She also advocates widely with stakeholders on the important work the charity carries out in delivering oral care to some of the most vulnerable groups in society.
Catherine qualified as a dentist in 1992 and has worked in hospital and general practice, joint owning a dental practice for almost 20 years and then more latterly as Clinical Director for Simplyhealth and Denplan.
She achieved a Masters in Medical Ethics and Law from Kings and holds Level 7 qualifications in Risk Management and Leadership Mentoring and Coaching.
She has been involved in policy work, meeting MPs and writing policy papers to inform government and stakeholders of the challenges faced in dentistry.
Catherine is a Non-Executive Director and Member of Council of Medical Protection Society and a member of the Board of Dental Protection. She is also a Trustee of both the Dentists’ Health Support Trust and the College of General Dentistry.
Fiona Ellwood
Doctoral Researcher, MEd, PGCert HFE, PGCert PH, PGCert MDent, BA (Hons), PGCHE, LCGI, FFGDP (Hon), FFDT RCS Ed, FRSPH, FIAM
Fiona Ellwood BEM is Associate Professor and Director of Dental Education. A registered dental nurse with more than 40 years’ experience, she is one of the founders of the Society of British Dental Nurses and co-founder of the International Federation of Dental Assistants and Nurses. She has also been a trustee of Dentaid for many years and has only recently handed over the role of Vice Chair. She has held senior roles across the profession, including Lincolnshire Local Dental Network DCP Chair and honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Portsmouth, and continues to contribute to key stakeholder events and policy discussions. Fiona has helped develop qualifications, served on GDC quality inspection teams and the overseas registration panel, and held national leadership roles including Honorary Vice President of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy and President of the Society of British Dental Nursing. She was the first dental care professional to receive an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England Faculty of General Dental Practice and is also a Fellow of the Faculty of Dental Trainers at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Her academic work has focused on mentoring, leadership, and challenging hierarchy in dentistry, with a particular interest in second-chance learners. She has driven work forward on Mental Health Wellness in Dentistry, Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace and Domestic Abuse/ GBV in Higher Education.
Natalie Bradley
BDS MFDS DSCD MSc MSCD
UK clinical director at Dentaid The Dental Charity
Natalie is a Consultant in Special Care Dentistry at Kings College Hospitals and has been Clinical Director for Dentaid the Dental Charity since 2022. She completed a Masters in Special Care Dentistry at Kings College London in 2021, supported by Dentaid, where her research was in pathways and the design of dental services for people experiencing homelessness. She has experience in general practice, hospital settings, community dentistry and private care treating patients with additional needs, including setting up services for people experiencing homelessness and inclusion in multiple settings. She is a deputy chair for the managed clinical network for Special Care Dentistry in London and has recently been elected to the board of the British Dental Association.
Thank you to our event supporters
Venue information
Bupa's UK campus and clinical training academy:
Willow House West
4 Pine Trees
Chertsey Lane
Staines-upon-Thames
TW18 3DZ
Further travel and parking information will be shared with attendees closer to the event.
Book your place at Dentaid Connect 2026
As spaces are limited we are currently asking volunteers to register by 31 July 2026 to secure a place.