Skill Mix – Obstacles, Options and Opportunities

13 Mar 2026
CDO Theatre
Chief Dental Officer Theatre and Zone

Objectives: 
        1.  to understand issues that affect the Obstacles, Options and Opportunities for increase in the use of dental nurses in surgery 

        2. to understand issues that affect the Obstacles, Options and Opportunities for increase in the use of dental therapists in surgery 

        3. to understand issues that affect the Obstacles, Options and Opportunities for increase in the use of clinical dental technicians in surgery 

Aims:  To consider the issues surrounding the increase of skill mix use in dentistry and oral health. This session will look at it from a clinical dental technician, dental therapist and dental nurse’s perspective. Update on current workstreams to increase skill mix use 

Chairperson
Jason Wong MBE
Jason Wong MBE, Chief Dental Officer England
Speakers
Fiona Ellwood
Fiona Ellwood, Assoc. Prof - Director of Dental Education Lincoln University, Executive Director Society of British Dental Nurses, Chair National Oral Health Promotion Group
Bill Sharpling
Bill Sharpling, Associate Dean (CPD), Director LonDEC Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences King’s College London
Amanda Bloomfield-Gallie
Amanda Bloomfield-Gallie, Doctoral Researcher and Dental Therapist, Lincoln Institute for Rural and Coastal Health, University of Lincoln