Lecturer Details: Proposal For The Use Of Exemptions In Medicines Legislation By Dental Hygienists And Dental Therapists

Lecturer nameMichaela O'Neill
Lecturer profileAfter qualifying from King’s College Hospital, London in 1991 Michaela took up a part time staff hygienist post in the hospital and worked in a variety of different practices in London before returning home to live in Belfast in 1997.

Here she attained a part time tutors post in the School of Dental Hygiene at Queen’s University Belfast which she undertook whilst also fulfilling a part time clinical role in practice, and providing consultancy services to a dental company.

Michaela has lectured throughout the UK and internationally on topics of interest to the practising dental hygienist and therapist. She has held a research dental hygienist role and currently works in a specialist restorative practice.
More recently Michaela held the position of President of The British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy. This two year tenure has seen Michaela represent the UK nationally and internationally being published in many countries on topics relating oral health
She was voted onto the board of the International Federation of Dental Hygiene in 2016 and has 25 years of experience both clinically and professionally as a dental hygienist.
Lecturer nameDr Fiona Sandom MBE Ph.D., MSc. DIP DT, Dip DH, FDTF RCS Ed, FCGDent
Lecturer profileDental Therapist
Fiona began her career in dentistry as a Dental Nurse in 1990, qualified as a Dental Hygienist from Manchester Dental Hospital in 1993 and as a Dental Therapist in 1999 from Liverpool University Dental Hospital, in 2013 gained her MSc in Medical Education from Cardiff University, and her Doctorate in Health Service Research from Bangor University in 2023. She currently works part-time in a busy NHS Practice, as DPSU Lead and North Wales Regional Lead for Health Education and Improvement Wales. She is an Education Associate for the GDC and a past President and Chair of the British Association of Dental Therapists, where she represented the Association on the change to the Human Medicines Regulations for Dental Therapists and Dental Hygienists the use of exemptions in medicines legislation by dental hygienists and dental therapists across the United Kingdom. She has been fortunate to work as a dental therapist in practice, in the hospital, the community dental service, and in personal dental service, and has an interest in treating anxious patients with Inhalation Sedation and at Bangor University where she was responsible for the developing, commissioning and implementation of the Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy Programmes. She has been awarded two Oral and Dental Research Trust DCP Awards.
Fiona is a Fellow of the Faculty of Dental Trainers of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and of the College of General Dentistry, sits on the “Dental Update” Editorial Board, Clinical Advisory Board Member for Agilio, Dental Lead for Festival Medical Services and a member of the Tubules Foundation.
Most recently, she was awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 for her outstanding services to dental therapy and the NHS in Wales.