Speakers

Professor Janet Wallace

Professor Janet Wallace is a registered oral health therapist and Professor of Oral Health at the Sydney Dental School, the University of Sydney, Australia. Janet has extensive experience in higher education and research, clinical dental practice, and oral health promotion. During her career she has held numerous leadership positions in Australia, in public sector dental services, on national regulatory committees, professional associations, and in academia. She has co-written two oral health programs at the University of Newcastle, Australia, the diploma of dental therapy and the bachelor of oral health therapy (the first program in NSW, Australia to offer adult scope of practice) Janet has a specific interest in oral health therapy education and oral health care of the frail and elderly and has a body of research in oral health student service-learning placements in residential aged care facilities; and translational research known as Senior Smiles, a preventive oral health program for older people living in RACF delivered by qualified oral health therapists/dental hygienists. This research has been presented nationally and internationally and constitutes over a decade of research, education and lobbying to change the way oral health is managed in RACF. She has also written and delivered numerous continuing education courses and has supervised a variety of HDR students.

Professor Wallace is an honorary fellow in the International College of Dentists, an honorary fellow in the Academy of Dentistry International, a life member of the Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapists Association (ADOHTA), an honorary member of the Dental Hygiene Association Australia (DHAA) and a 2021 was the recipient of the Australian Dental Association Value Service Award. Janet in the appointed Deputy Chair of the AHPRA National Registration and Compliance Committee and the appointed Senior Academic on the New Zealand Dental Council Accreditation Committee. Janet was an appointed member of the Dental Council, NSW, Australia from 2013 to 2021 where she served the maximum term of nine years. During this appointment she was also the Chair of the Education and Research committee, a member of the Infection Control Committee and a member of the Health Committee.

Janet has grants in excess of a million dollars, numerous publications and has she has recently collaborated with academics from around the world on a publication in the LANCET Healthy Longevity journal, entitled Oral health for healthy ageing – The Lancet Healthy Longevity