Suffolk University Dental School Gets FT Seal of Approval
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- Published: Tuesday, 17 June 2025 08:01
- Written by Peter Ingle
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It seems as if everyone wants their own Dental School. Politicians and university chiefs in Bangor and Norwich continue to make the case for theirs, and now Lincoln has joined the club.
They will take encouragement from a glowing report in the Financial Times about the University of Suffolk’s recently opened venture in Ipswich.
Their report starts with the story of 61 year old Neil, who had not been able to see a dentist for four years. In ‘absolute agony’ and already an experienced DIY dentist after a previous extraction, he was referred to the University of Suffolk’s Community Interest Company (CIC) operation.
As one of the CIC’s first patients, Neil has now had more than a dozen appointments under the PDS scheme. “I have been so impressed,” he said. “Everybody, including the students, they’ve been happy. I haven’t seen any bad vibes in this place.”
In an area where according to NHS data a quarter of patients tried and failed to see a dentist between January and March last year, Neil’s experience offers the hope of better times to come.
The FT explained to its readers some of the flaws in the current system and concluded that the access crisis is largely the result of the NHS dental contract. Lorraine Mattis, chief executive of University of Suffolk Dental CIC (pictured) is quoted, and speaks of “innovative commissioning” of dental services by the Integrated Care Board. The CIC is commissioned to deliver sessions and appointments as opposed to units of dental activity, and as Lorraine Mattis explained, “That allows us to see a patient, deal with the urgent issue and bring them back for ongoing care and support so anyone who leaves us is dentally fit.”
Suffolk University began enrolling students for its dental hygiene and dental therapy course in February 2024. They are trained within, and see patients in the same building, in which the CIC operates. The three-year course has proved very popular with 709 applications for the 24 places available in September 2025.
Professor Jenny Higham, university vice-chancellor, underlined the contribution that dental therapists can make, saying: “A lot of the work that dentists do doesn’t necessarily need to be done by them and dental therapists could have a bigger role. We’ve got a limited workforce, and so the desire is there for everybody to be working at the top of their licence.”
She added: “We are very proud of what we do but it’s amazing how constraints around the practice make it more difficult than it should be.”
This was a view supported by Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation. He explained some of the present problems in meeting demand, though also saw an opportunity: “But there is a way forward, as this innovative model shows.” He looked forward to seeing more in the government’s forthcoming NHS 10-year health plan.
Information from the CIC’s own website explains that it has been set-up to ensure that those most in need of dental care and who have no other means of accessing it, are able to be cared for. To this end, they are ‘treating people most in need of their services’ who will initially be triaged by NHS 111.
The schools’ Vision statement gives some idea of its wider ambition:
“We will be recognised as a revolutionary and industry-leading Dental Social Enterprise and be a blueprint in enabling oral health care for a modern world. Acknowledged for our contributions to improving oral health and growing a sustainable multi-skilled dental workforce through cutting-edge education & training.”
Appointments became available from Spring 2024, and as the £4.7 million facility reached its first anniversary it said it had seen more than 3,000 patients.
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