Raman Bedi was Chief Dental Officer – England from October 2002 to October 2005. He is Chairman of the Global Child Dental Fund. In 2005 he was asked to establish the Global Child Dental Health Taskforce. The mission of the taskforce was to support governments on how they can improve children’s oral health. In 2009 it was working in 13 countries. The Taskforce underwent a significant change in 2008 when it became a charity focused on the dental care of the most disadvantaged children around the world.
Professor Bedi is based at King’s College London and also holds an honorary chair at University College London where he was the co-director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre at the Eastman Dental Institute from 1998 to 2008. He also has an honorary “Extraordinary Professorship” in Paediatric Dentistry at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa (2007-2010). He has examined and lectured in over 40 countries.
He was past President of the British Society for Disability and Oral Health in 2002, President of the Education Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) from 2002 to 2004 and chair of the IADR Regional Development Programme Committee from 2002 to 2004. He has published over 190 scientific papers and five books.
1) What is your current position?
Since leaving the post of Chief Dental Officer for England, in 2005, I have been the director of the Global Child Dental Health Taskforce which is based at King's College London. A charity, the Global Child Dental Fund, was created in 2008 to take this project forward and I became its founding chairman.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
Family of course, and being married to Katie for almost 30 years, and having three boys.
As for work? Being appointed as the first BME professor in dentistry in the UK was an important step for the community and the profession. Of course becoming the 8th and youngest Chief Dental Officer for England in 2002 was a proud moment especially as it was the first time a BME person had been appointed as a Chief Officer in the Department of Health.
3) What inspires you?
As far as work goes it has been improving child oral health and especially for the most disadvantaged children. Since leaving Bristol University dental school, almost 35 years ago, I have been a paediatric dentist and have worked to improving the dental care for children. Now I can do this on a global stage and work with international health agencies such as the World Federation of Public Health Associations. In 2012 I became the founding chairman of the WFPHA oral health group and was, last year, elected for a second term. The first major activity was to get the general assembly to pass the declaration of the human rights of a child in terms of oral health. This declaration has been used around the world in promoting better child oral health
4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?
One might think being from a BME background during a period when very few minorities where in senior positions in the dental (or health) profession. However, I have found that being a dentist has been the biggest obstacle!! Strange but when I served, for four years as the co-chair of the community and race affairs committee of the Church of England, or as a trustee of the Children’s society or as a founding trustee of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation, the initial prejudice was not being from a BME background but being a dentist. Perceptions of dentists is different when working in larger social activities.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
My parents have been influential and great supporters. But like many Asian parents wanted their son to own and run their own dental practice. They never really understood the world of academia. I remember sharing with them the fact that I was appointed as the Chief Dental Officer for England – my mother’s response was “does that mean you will get your own practice”. Other than parents there have been many who have supported me and encouraged me to take bold steps
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
I love travelling to different countries and working with senior dentists on how they could improve child oral health. National policies and also practical training with local dentists.
It is humbling to work with so many creative and gifted people all working to help their child population.
I also enjoy the freedom to develop these programmes and for that I am grateful to King’s College London for giving me the flexibility and time
7) And the worst?
The most frustrating aspect of the international work is helping very talented people who work with very limited resources. Each year I help provide training to paediatric dentists who work in very limited resources especially those from low income countries. I am amazed how committed and resourceful these individuals are and most important persistent and driven they are to help children
8) What are your long term goals?
My immediate goals is to implement a successional strategy for the international child oral health improvement programme. Finding committed and able people to take this work forward and ensuring that they have the resources to implement programmes.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
NHS dentistry. We need an honest discussion about this and to stop the tinkering with budgets and policies.
The service needs more transparency – to become a core service and focus on children and vulnerable groups. Of course, prevention has to the cornerstone
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
It would be easy to name a great leader or an inspirational figure but that would frustrate, as on a desert island, I would not be able to implement any change. So maybe a world chess champion like Kasparov who could teach me how to improve my chess, keep my mind stimulated and maybe one day be able to beat them
