
Profiles
Mr Robert Witton
Director of Social Engagement and Community-based Dentistry (Education)
Peninsula Dental School (Faculty of Health)
Director of social engagement and community-based dentistry (University of Plymouth)
Chief Executive (Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise CIC)
Consultant in Dental Public Health (Public Health England)
Qualifications
BDS (Birmingham University) 1999
MFGDP(UK) 2003
MFDS RCS(Eng) 2005
DPDS (Bristol University) 2009
Certificate in Clinical Periodontology (UCLAN) 2009
MSc Public and Community Health (Universities of Exeter & Plymouth) 2012
FDS (Dental Public Health) RCS(Eng) 2012
FHEA 2016
Professional membership
General Dental Council Reg No. 75972
Performer number - 75972-5F1
British Dental Association
British Society for the Study of Community Dentistry
Associate Member Faculty of General Dental Practice
Fellow in Dental Surgery Royal College of Surgeons of England
Roles on external bodies
Teaching interests
Public health
Community engagement
Health policy
Primary dental care
Periodontology
Paediatrics
Staff serving as external examiners
South West Population and Public Health Academy Board (2018 to present)
South West Regional Committee for Speciality Training in Dentistry (2017 to present)
Health Education England (HEE Southwest, Oxford and Thames Valley) Training Programme Director in Dental Public Health (2017 to present)
ISFE Examiner (the four Royal Colleges) in dental public health (2015 to present)
RCS England Examiner in dental public health (2019 to present)
External Examiner Queen Mary University of London (2019 to present)
Research interests
Primary Dental Care
Health Services Research
Other research
Ahmed A, Bannerman N-L, Paisi M, Potterton R, Witton R. A dental student perspective on the impacts of an inter-professional engagement module. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship 2020 13(1) 111-113
Coelho C, Witton R, Smith W. Assisting communication in the dental setting; a student team working initiative with stroke patients. Journal of Disability and Oral Health 2018 19/1, 10-13
Witton R. Oral health and diabetes – where next for the dental team? Dental Health 2010 49(3), 6-9
Witton R. Open wide – a discussion of diabetes and oral health Diabetes Update 2009; Autumn: 28-32
Books
Co-editor. Standards in Dentistry. Second Edition. Faculty of General Dental Practice. London, 2018
“Open Wide and Step Inside” storybook for children. First edition. Witton and Smith. Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise CIC, 2018
Book chapter. Prevention of dental caries in “Dentistry at a glance”. First Edition. Edited by E Kay. Wiley Blackwell, 2016
Other published reports, policy contributions and articles
Witton R. The future of dental public health. Br Dental J In Practice 2021 34, 10-11
Witton R. Scrapping PHE, a threat to oral health? Br Dent J 2020 229, 272
Witton R. How has COVID-19 affected dental provision for the homeless? (2020). Available at: https://www.dentistry.co.uk/2020/10/02/covid-affected-dental-provision-homeless/
Witton R (representing the British Dental Association). 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review. Joint representation on local public health funding to HM Treasury (2020). Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/sites/default/files/csr_joint_representation_on_local_public_health_funding_-_24_september_2020.pdf
Witton R. Written evidence in response to the Health Select Committee Inquiry into dental services (2019). Available on the Parliament website at https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/health-and-social-care-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/dentistry-services-inquiry-17-19/publications/
Witton R. Underprivileged in Plymouth receive dental care (2019). Springer Science and Business Media LLC 01/01/190001/01/1900
Oral care and people with learning disabilities. Chapter 12 – For people with learning disabilities to provide peer support. Public Health England (2019). Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oral-care-and-people-with-learning-disabilities/oral-care-and-people-with-learning-disabilities
Witton R. Open Wide and Step Inside. Research Outreach. Issue 111. http://cdn.researchoutreach.org/Flipbooks/RO111/index.html (2019)
Harman C, Allen Z, Nelder R, Witton R. Plymouth Oral Health Needs Assessment. Plymouth City Council (2019)
Warren S, Allen Z, Harwood P, Witton R. Special Care and Paediatric Southwest Needs Assessment Summary Report. NHS England and NHS Improvement (2019)
Allen Z, Harwood P, Ireland A, John J, Oliver J, Scott D, Sowerbutts J, Warren S, Witton R. South of England Paediatric and Special Care Needs Assessment Framework. Public Health England (2018)
Harwood P, Witton R, Allen Z. South West Orthodontic Needs Assessment. Public Health England (2015)
Harwood P, Witton R, Patel R, Woof M. South West Oral Health Needs Assessment. Public Health England (2014)
Blogs
Fighting for prevention in oral health. British Dental Association. Available at Fighting for prevention in oral health (bda.org) (November 2020)
Scrapping PHE, a threat to oral health? British Dental Association. Available at https://bda.org/news-centre/blog/Pages/Scrapping-PHE-a-threat-to-oral-health.aspx (November 2020)
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
Post-doctoral supervision
To investigate the oral health impact of the dental school and PDSE in Devon and Cornwall. Second supervisor (2017 – current)
A systematic review of calcium hydroxide and mineral trioxide aggregate in managing pulp exposures (2018-2019)
A systematic review of chlorhexidine and hypochlorite in root canal treatment (2017 - 2018)
Academic Clinical Fellow
NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Dental Public Health. Educational Supervisor (2017 – 2020)
Grants & contracts
Research grants
£69,166. “The impact of inter-professional education in the dental curriculum on students’ views towards social accountability.” Principal Investigator (2020)
£143,029 (external). Post-doctoral fellowship. “Identifying Factors Influencing Oral health Habits and Dental care Access among Children and Young People with Autism: Evidence Synthesis and Qualitative Stakeholder Research” Co-investigator (2020)
£216,484K (external). NIHR Public Health Practice Evaluation Scheme. Health Visitor Oral Health Improvement Pilot (HVOHIP). Co-investigator (2019)
£2,500 (external). GSK and Association for Dental Education in Europe. Advancement of dentistry in society scholarship award (2018)
£5,800 (external). GSK Oral and Dental Research Trust. Co-investigator (2017)
£128,000 (external). Post-doctoral fellowship. To investigate the oral health impact of the dental school and PDSE in Devon and Cornwall. Co-investigator (2017)
£89,000 (external). Wrigley Global Oral Health Fund. To deliver and improve the “open wide and step inside” oral health education intervention in Plymouth primary schools. Witton R (2017)
£5,000 (internal). Plymouth University Medical Education Award ‘Exploring transformative and troublesome moments for medical and dental students during social engagement pathways’. Co-investigator (2016)
£60,000 (internal). Plymouth University. Preliminary investigation of the effectiveness of an intervention to prevent oral disease in a highly vulnerable child population. Co-investigator (2016)
£78,000 (external). Wrigley Global Oral Health Fund. To deliver the “open wide and step inside” oral health education intervention using Immersive Vision Technology in Plymouth primary schools. Principal Investigator (2015)
£60,000 (internal). Plymouth University. Investigation into the relationship between dental caries and obesity in young children. Co-investigator (2014)
£109,000 (external). Wrigley Global Oral Health Fund. To develop an innovative pilot oral health education intervention for children aged 4-5 years using Immersive Vision Technology. Principal Investigator (2013)
£5,000 (external). NHS North Devon. To investigate referrals from primary care to specialist services for routine exodontia. Co-investigator (2012)
Social impact and community grants
£470,254 (external). NHS England. Devon supervised tooth brushing scheme and evaluation. Principal Investigator (2019)
£3,500 (external). North Yard Community Trust. “Creating Smiles” oral health resources box for distribution and training. Principal Investigator (2017)
£100,000 (external). Plymouth City Council. To deliver the oral health component of the Child Poverty Action Plan (2017)
£10,000 (external). Public Health England. To develop marketing campaign for children’s oral health in Plymouth. Principal Investigator (2017)
£9,200 (external). Active Plus. To co-deliver with ActivePlus “Talking Teeth” an oral health support network for veterans and isolated rural elderly in Cornwall. Principal Investigator (2017)
£3,000 (external). Drake Impact Fund. To train child care workers to become ‘dental buddies’ and to support delivery of supervised tooth brushing clubs. Principal Investigator (2016)
£10,000 (external). British Dental Health Foundation. To pilot supervised tooth brushing programmes in Surestart centres in deprived areas of Plymouth. Principal Investigator (2011)
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
JournalsOther academic activities
Shortlisted for a National Health Service (NHS) Equalities Award. Announced at the Palace of Westminster in July 2021 | TBC |
Winner of the South West Region Health Equalities Award. NHS Parliamentary Awards for providing dental care to vulnerable adults | 2020 |
Highly Commended in the “Best Outreach or Charity Initiative” (South) for the Community dental clinic. Dental Awards | 2020 |
Winer “Best Outreach or Charity Initiative” for the dental ambassador programme. Dental Awards | 2020 |
Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) Dean’s Medal for community engagement | 2020 |
Shortlisted in the NatwestSE100 Index for social enterprise leader of the year | 2020 |
NatwestSE100 Index. PDSE recognised as one of the top 100 social enterprises in the country | 2020 |
Winner “Best care of vulnerable patients” National Oral Health Awards | 2019 |
Children Global Oral Health Fund. Senior Dental Leadership Scholarship. Harvard University | 2019 |
Social Enterprise Quality Mark (Institutional – lead applicant) | 2019 |
Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE) dental scholarship award for “Advancement of dentistry in society” | 2018 |
Winner social enterprise category at the Plymouth Business Awards (Institutional – lead applicant) | 2018 |
Shortlisted for a National Teaching Award in Collaboration for the Higher Education Academy Awards | 2017 |
Winner Colgate Bright Smiles Brighter Future Professional Programme | 2016 |
Winner social enterprise category at the Plymouth Business Awards (Institutional – lead applicant) | 2016 |
Winner Guardian University Award for social impact in higher education (Institutional – lead applicant) | 2015 |
Winner EUAC Green Gown Award for enterprise in higher education (Institutional – lead applicant) | 2014 |
Social Enterprise Quality Mark (Institutional – lead applicant) | 2013 |
Additional information
Professional roles
Professional advice to Makelle Unversity dental school, Ethiopia
Professional advice to Healthservice Commisison, Somaliland
Chief Executive Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise CIC (2019 to present)
Trustee Well Connected Charity (2018 - 2019)
Chair Well Connected Charity (2017 – 2018)
Non-Executive Director, Smile Together CIC (2016 to 2019)
Non-Executive Director, PCH Dental CIC (2013 - 2016)
Executive Director, Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise CIC (2012 to present)