The Irish Dental Association has announced Dr Will Rymer as its new President at the Association’s AGM in Dublin.

A practicing dentist in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, Dr Rymer takes over from outgoing President Dr Rory Boyd who has completed his term.

At the Irish Dental Association’s AGM, Dr Rymer set out his priorities for the year ahead during his inaugural speech, while welcoming greater protections for patients which forces greater transparency on dentists who have been the subject of disciplinary measures outside Ireland.

Dr Rymer also indicated his commitment to continue to campaign for further reforms within dentistry including the requirement for statutory Continual Professional Development (CPD) to bring dentistry in line with all other healthcare professionals, and the introduction of a structured mentoring scheme, as is international best practice, where new dental graduates – and new practicing dentists arriving in Ireland – can gain critical experience in a mentored environment.

Commenting on his appointment, President Will Rymer said:

“For the first time in a long time, we’re seeing a genuine willingness from stakeholders - public and private, government and practitioners - to confront the cracks in the oral healthcare system. The recent efforts toward reimagining the relationship between the HSE dentists and private practice are encouraging and the opportunity for reform is real.

“Among my immediate priorities will be to carry the messages from this AGM to the Department of Health and Minister. We are happy to see that the Minister has signed a commencement order this week for the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2019 which brings into force a number of critical provisions to underpin patient safety.

“At the centre of this is legislating for enhanced powers for the Dental Council to tackle dentists arriving into Ireland who have had sanctions or limitations applied to their practice elsewhere in the EU and beyond.

“By signing this commencement order, the Minister has shown her commitment to promoting the highest standards of care and enhanced patient safety within our profession.”

In his inaugural address, Dr Rymer also acknowledged that there are other aspects of dental legislation that require attention as soon as possible.

“Right now, legislation does not require dentists and dental auxiliary workers to maintain a professional competency. This means that while dentists are ethically obliged to maintain an ongoing competence, this is not underpinned by legislation.

“In this way, dentistry is so clearly out-of-step with all other regulated healthcare professions in not having a statutory continued professional development (CPD) scheme, and patients may be unknowingly at risk of poor practice based on out-of-date knowledge or techniques.

“We are advocating for there to be a requirement on dentists and dental auxiliary workers to maintain professional competence on a statutory footing, which can be done without any additional financial cost to the state.”