Oral Health and Dental Management

Sustaining innovations in public dental health reform: Experiences from a two decades of advancing the agenda of equity in oral health Australia

4^th Asia Pacific Congress & Expo on Dental and Oral Health

July 27-29, 2015 Brisbane, Australia

Marc Tennant

Keynote: Oral Health Dent Manag

Abstract:

Marc, will share his nearly two-decade experience in developing, implementing and sustaining novel solutions in public dental health reform in Australia. Lesions from experiences, good and bad, success and failure will be shared. He will provide insights into the successes (and risks) associated with these ground-breaking developments. His story of innovation is littered with road-blocks that were overcome and lessons for the next generation. As part of the program he will share his experience in vertically and horizontally integrate cutting-edge service models across nearly a dozen of the world?s most remote locations. He will also share stories of the good, bad and plain terrifying in the development of a fairer, just and open dental system in Australia. His efforts in workforce and dental education will be a focus as well as the application of evidence and technology for the solutions to address the next phase of reform. Marc, as always, will lift rocks that no one else wants light to shine under. For sure a thought provoking insight into innovation and reform in Australian Oral Health.

Biography :

Marc is the Director (and founder) of the International Research Collaborative - Oral Health and Equity (formally the Centre for Rural and Remote Oral Health) at The University of Western Australia. This unique, decade old, Collaborative has given Western Australia leadership in understanding the issues associated with marginalised people and in particular rural, remote and Indigenous oral health in Australia. It has been recognised by WHO for its efforts and has a global reach stretching to all continents of the planet. Following completion of his Doctorate, in Anatomy, the early 1990?s Marc?s research focused for 5 years on cell biology for the last 20 Marc?s research is focused on dental public health and social equity. He has more than 200 peer?review publications to his name and over $US17million in research and development funding. Marc\?s efforts have made a significant impact on oral health in Australia and in particular groups who are disadvantaged. In 2009 Marc was recognized by the health consumers? council of Western Australia for services to the community and in 2010 with a meritorious service award from the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS) for services to dental education and Aboriginal people. Marc also was an inaugural dental fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Executives in 2010. In 2013 The University of Western Australia named a newly opened caf� at the dental school in honour of his services to dental education and the community. And in 2014 he became just the second Western Australian to be made a Fellow of the RACDS by acclaim again focused on his innovative education and service to the global society. In 2015 the University of Malaysia gave him academic icon status for his work on addressing marginalization. Marc, after relinquishing his role as Director of Operations and Deputy Head of School at the Dental School in Western Australia; went on to serve as Inaugural Head of School and Clinical Dean at Griffith University?s new dental school (the first new school in Australia for 60 years). Later, as Inaugural Head of Department at La Trobe University in Victoria, Marc led the start-up of the second new dental program in recent Australian history. Marc was also principal dental consultant to Charles Sturt University where he supported the development of a new regional-based dental school New South Wales. Marc?s innovation activities in oral health education are sought-after across Australia; he is currently an Adjunct Professor at James Cook University (Queensland) where he was part of the small team that facilitated the development of their new dental school (the fourth in Australia). Marc is Adjunct Professor at Bond University. Marc was a founding developer service linked education for dental students in Australia and is sort-after across the country to assist in the ongoing development of these programs. He continues to teach in various dental programs across Australia and beyond and is Chief Examiner (primaries) for the RACDS. His dental teaching material on YouTube has had over 250,000 viewers from 130 countries and he has one of Australia?s largest twitter followings in dentistry where he talks about dental public health and marginalization.