Dr Gerry Kearns

The upcoming five years will prove to be a very important period for the incoming Dental Council.  The major agenda items amongst others will include:

1. The establishment of a new Dentists Act to replace the now outdated Act from 1985. The new act must align with contemporary Dental Practice.
2. The endorsement of Continuous Professional Development as an essential aspect of Dental Practice to maintain knowledge and enhance clinical skills
3. The implementation process around the National Oral Health Policy
4. The establishment of Specialists Lists in addition to those in Orthodontics and Oral Surgery

It has been my privilege to work in the early part of my professional career in General Dental Practice in both Ireland and the UK, in addition to working in the HSE Dental Service. The latter part of my career has been within the Hospital Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service initially in University Hospital Limerick and for the past 15 years at Children’s Health Ireland, Crumlin and the National Maxillofacial Surgery Unit at St James Hospital Dublin.

I feel with this broad background I will be in a position to make a worthwhile contribution to advocating for oral health care reforms from within the Dental Council on behalf of all Dentists and patients, including children and vulnerable groups whose access to care has been severely impacted in recent years.

If elected, my focus will be on assisting in the preservation of the independence of General Dental Practitioners, supporting young Dentists in the early stages of their career and advocating for meaningful investment in the Public Dental Health sector, which will ultimately lead to the improved provision of dental care for our patients.