Janet Goodwin has been named president of the British Dental Health Foundation, an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving oral health worldwide. After serving as a trustee for 4 years and supporting the National Smile Month and Mouth Cancer Action Month campaigns, she replaces outgoing president Dr. Tony Newton.
“Three in 10 adults suffer from tooth decay in the United Kingdom, and although oral health has improved recently, that is still far too many. A lot of this can be put down to a perceived lack of accessible information around oral health, which leads to misconceptions about what people can expect from their dentist,” Goodwin said.
“By improving accessibility to quality oral health information, we hope to alter this; making visiting the dentist something people don’t worry about and feel safe and comfortable doing by increasing their own knowledge,” she said.
Goodwin began her career in the dental profession in 1971 and has worked in many different environments, including general practice and dental hospitals. She was nurse manager of clinical and educational services at Leeds Dental Hospital and holds a degree in business management.
Also, Goodwin serves as chief examiner for city and guilds, chair of the DCP Committee for the Faculty of General Dental Practice, and registration assessor and clinical expert for the General Dental Council. In fact, in 2009, she was the first dental nurse to become a member of the General Dental Council.
“We are facing some major issues in the UK, such as a shortage of National Health Service dentistry in certain areas of the country and the devastating effect that sugar is having on the public’s teeth,” she said. “In my new role, I hope to draw attention to these areas so we can make a real difference.”
Over the past year, the British Dental Health Foundation has facilitated and assisted in 856 community events promoting oral health. It also worked with more than 5,000 dental and health organizations to increase awareness of oral health issues. Its Dental Helpline directly advised 10,000 people. And, it accredited more than 150 products.
“The British Dental Health Foundation is highly regarded as one of the leading voices on oral health in the UK,” Goodwin said, “and during my presidency I hope to build upon this and use our position to help influence how the public views their oral health.”
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