Article
Chris Deery, BDS, MSc, PhD, FDS RCS(Ed) FDS(Paed), RCS(Ed) FDS RCS(Eng) Professor/Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry University of Sheffield
Chris graduated from Edinburgh University in 1984. Following periods in general dental practice in the West Midlands and the Community Dental Service in Grampian, he undertook an MSc in Child Dental Health at the University of Bristol. Following this he moved to the University of Dundee where he worked at the Scottish Executive funded Dental Health Services Research Unit (DHSRU) and the Children's Dentistry Department.
Initially, he undertook a longitudinal study in primary care, examining the care of adolescent patients. His PhD examining fissure sealant provision and evaluation, including caries detection, was awarded in 1997. This work led to him being part of the development of the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) from the outset and he is an active member of the ICDAS Co-ordinating Committee, a multinational collaboration. At the core of ICDAS is effective preventive management of caries through accurate diagnosis.
He continued his interest in research in primary care with the development of the primary care research network in Tayside and spent many enjoyable evenings discussing and supporting research with primary care colleagues. This led to a number of both small and large projects looking at evidence-based and effective practice.
In 2001, Chris became a Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry at Edinburgh Dental Institute, where he developed the Masters in Paediatric Dentistry Programme. At this time he joined the team undertaking a Cochrane Review into ‘The Effectiveness of Powered Toothbrushes’, which has been one of the Cochrane reviews which has generated the most media interest.
He took up a Chair in Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Sheffield in October 2006, where he has continued his research interests and also child-centred research, a strength of this unit. He is Deputy Director of Learning and Teaching for the Dental School. He is an examiner for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and Royal Colleges nationally and internationally. His NHS Duties include being Clinical Lead for Paediatric Dentistry, with Clinics at the Charles Clifford Dental Hospital Sheffield and Sheffield Children's Hospital.
Chris is pleased to be the University of Sheffield Lead for the Fiction Trial, an HTA-funded trial looking at the most effective method to manage decay in the primary dentition. The results of this trial are likely to have a major influence on the care children receive in the future. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry. He has published and presented widely in these areas, including being the author of clinical guidelines, Cochrane Reviews and four textbooks. Other interests include cooking and football.
Trevor Burke and the rest of the Dental Update team would like to welcome Chris to the Editorial Board.