King's Birthday Honours for Dentists
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- Published: Monday, 17 June 2024 05:10
- Written by Peter Ingle
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This year in the King’s Birthday Honours list, there have been awards of MBE and OBE to dentists. Peter Dyer, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Oral Surgery has been awarded an OBE.
The University of Central Lancashire academic has received his OBE for his services to the dental and medical professions, as well as his local community. He has strong associations with the BDA, being a past President and current Chair of the Hospitals Committee. He has now been officially honoured for his services to Dentistry, to Medicine, and to the communities of Silverdale and Lancaster.
The proud Lancastrian, who has worked as a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University’s Preston Campus for six years, said: “A thick envelope came through the letterbox, and it had on my name, along with the words his Majesty the King’s Service and Cabinet Office. My hands were shaking when I opened it as I thought to myself, well it can’t be what I think it might be. When I read it, I was utterly gobsmacked and I couldn’t stop looking at it. The news hasn’t quite sunk in yet but I feel very humble to have received something so special.”
Peter’s role at the university includes lecturing on oral diseases and oral surgery to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Speaking of his role at the University, he said, “I’ve been very lucky to have wonderful colleagues during my long career and I’ve been privileged to come back home and work with the fantastic people in the dental and medical professions within the North West, and most recently at the University. I had retired from full-time clinical work but I then got a new career in the education world, working in a lovely department, with great colleagues who are dedicated to making the next generation of dentists.”
Peter’s career saw him move down from his home in Lancaster to study at the Royal Dental Hospital, graduating in 1979. In 1988, he gained his medicine qualification from University College Hospital. He then went on to complete his training in oral and maxillofacial surgery in Bristol, and at The Royal London Hospital.
He returned to North Lancashire in 1998 when he was appointed consultant in oral and maxillofacial surgery for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. As Medical Director there, he would manage the clinical response to the Grayrigg train derailment in 2007 and the swine flu pandemic in 2009.
Outside work he is a licenced lay minister in Silverdale, where he lives, and volunteers at Lancaster’s Medical Museum.
Dr Phillip Lewis has been awarded MBE for services to the detection of Oral Cancer. He is a Past President of the Mouth Cancer Foundation and has been involved with the Foundation since the charity’s inception 20 years ago. Through his work, he has been dedicated to raising awareness, educating and promoting the early detection of mouth cancer, as well as supporting those affected by it.
Dr Lewis said “We have come a long way since I very first started raising awareness of head and neck cancers. Dentists took some convincing to carry out checks on patients and often members of the public were unaware cancer existed in the mouth until someone close to them was diagnosed. When I used to lecture many years ago, I would be talking to a handful of people. Now my lectures are packed out with the profession wanting to learn as much as possible about oral cancer. So, progress is being made”.
Phillip continues to practice on the Isle of Wight.
Professor Callum Youngson has received an MBE for services to Dental Education. In a thirty five year academic and teaching career he worked at the Leeds Dental Institute and then Liverpool School of Dentistry.
At Liverpool he was head of the School of Dentistry from 2008 to 2017, and then Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education for the University of Liverpool until 2021. He is a current non executive director of the Medical Protection Society.
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