Dr Anne O’Donnell

I qualified as a dentist from Cork Dental School in 1984 and began my career in the United Kingdom, working as an associate dentist for two years. During this time, I also undertook a clinical attachment in Oral Surgery at The London Dental Hospital, Whitechapel.

On returning to Ireland in 1986, I spent four years in private practice as an associate before joining the Public Dental Community Service, where I remained until 1997. In 1998, I established my own dental practice within one of the first purpose-built integrated Medical/Dental/Pharmacy healthcare centres in Ireland. I was actively involved in the site acquisition, planning, and construction of this innovative facility alongside the medical doctor and pharmacist. In 2004, I also contributed to the design and development of a further medical–dental centre within a major pharmacy group.

In 2008, I sold my practices to the Smiles Group, where I took on the role of Group Clinical Director and Non-Executive Director. I was responsible for developing and implementing clinical protocols across the group and also served as a non-shareholding director on the board of Xeon Dental Ltd.

Always keen to expand access to care, I established a mobile dental service for care home residents in 2011. Despite its early success, the service concluded in 2013 due to funding challenges. That same year, I purchased a practice in Mullingar, which I developed into a multi-associate centre offering both general and specialist dental services. I sold this practice in March 2025.

Throughout my career, I have been a strong advocate of lifelong learning. I have attended numerous short courses and online programmes across all areas of dentistry. I completed Dr Paul Tipton’s one-year restorative course, followed by a second year of advanced hands-on restorative training, as well as Dr David Harris’s one-year implant course.

My professional journey has combined clinical practice, healthcare innovation, and leadership within group dentistry, underpinned by a consistent commitment to high standards of patient care and continuous education.