Dr Niamh Coffey

I am from Killarney, Co. Kerry and graduated with a BDS from University College Cork in 2013. Following graduation, I spent five years working in a mixed NHS and private practice in the UK. Since returning to Ireland, I have worked across a variety of dental settings, including general practice, dental hospital, and dental school environments.

Alongside clinical work, I have developed an academic career, holding supervisory and fellowship roles in Cork University Dental School and Hospital. I completed my PhD at UCC in 2023, with research focusing on oral health in people with Cystic Fibrosis. This work was recognised with several national and international awards. In 2024, I joined the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland as a Senior Lecturer, leading on Simulation and Clinical Dental Practice within the new undergraduate community-based dental programme. I also continue to work in general practice in County Cork, which keeps me grounded in the realities of day-to-day clinical care.

I have published extensively in the field of dentistry and presented at conferences both nationally and internationally. Recent invited talks include lectures to the Society of Chief and Principal Dental Surgeons (HSE) and the Oral Health Promotion Research Group. I was awarded Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS) of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow in 2016, and Fellowship of the College in 2025.

In addition to clinical and academic roles, I am actively involved in promoting equity in oral healthcare access through my work with the Dental Health Foundation.

Through membership of the Dental Council, I aim to contribute to upholding the highest standards of dental care, while bringing practical insight into the pressures and realities of general practice, informed by my own ongoing clinical experience.