School of Dental Science

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Dublin Dental University Hospital
Trinity College Lincoln Place
Dublin 2
Ireland

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info@dental.tcd.ie
Dr. Caoimhin Mac Giolla Phadraig

Dr. Caoimhin Mac Giolla Phadraig

Assistant Prof in Public Dental Health V, Dental Science

www.projectsmileireland.com

Biography

Consultant clinical academic in Special Care Dentistry at Dublin Dental University Hospital (DDUH), leading research and education that improve access, safety, and outcomes for people requiring adapted dental care. Holds consultant equivalence in Special Care Dentistry with accredited completion of CAAC-recognised consultant training in Dublin (2017"2024). I integrate behavioural science, sedation and GA pathways, and implementation research to deliver scalable innovations in care and training across disability and hospital services. My research drives advances in behaviour support, oral-health promotion, and service design for people with disabilities. I lead national and international implementation projects (Keep My Teeth, Brush My Teeth) and pioneered inclusive research tools (OSST, MOSST). As Oral Health Lead with IDS-TILDA, Chair of the iADH Scientific Committee, and Founder of the IADR Dental Anaesthesiology & Special Care Research Group, I help set the global agenda for Special Care Dentistry research and policy. With over 15 years" experience training specialists, I have contributed to UK and Irish committees on specialist curriculum standards and lead education research for the BSSCD. I also direct global curriculum development in Behaviour Support in Dentistry (DBS) and postgraduate innovation in oral-health promotion and interprofessional learning. I teach across undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional programmes, aligning specialist competencies with behavioural science and inclusive practice to shape the next generation of clinicians and educators.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

  • MacGiolla Phadraig C., McCarron M. , Burke E., Cleary E., McGlinchey E., McCallion P., Nunn., J., Total tooth loss and complete denture use in older adults with intellectual disabilities in Ireland, Journal of Public Health Dentistry, , 75, (2), 2015, p101 - 108Journal Article, 2015, DOI , TARA - Full Text
  • Mac Giolla Phadraig, Caoimhin, Dougall, Alison, Stapleton, Siobhan, McGeown, Danielle, Nunn, June, Guerin, Suzanne, What should dental services for people with disabilities in Ireland be like? Agreed priorities from a focus group of people with learning disabilities, British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 2016, pDOI 10.1111/bld.12152Journal Article, 2016, DOI , URL
  • Mac Giolla, Phadraig C., El-Helaali, R., Nunn, J H., Burke, E., McCallion, P., McGlinchey, E., McCarron, M , National levels of reported difficulty in tooth and denture cleaning among an ageing population with intellectual disabilities., 15, (3), 2014, p48 - 53Journal Article, 2014, DOI
  • Caoimhin MacGiolla, Phadraig., McCarron, M, The relationship between diet, nutrition and dentate status among older adults with disabilities, 23rd iADH Congress in Conjuction with the SCDA 28th Annual Meeting, Chicago, 17th April, 2016Oral Presentation, 2016
  • Mac Giolla, Phadraig C., Burke, E., McCallion, P., McGlinchey, E., Nunn, J., McCarron, M, Dental attendance among older adults with intellectual disabilities in ireland, Faculty of Health Sciences Research Day, Trinity College, 16th September, 2015Poster, 2015
  • Mac Giolla Phadraig C, Nunn J, Guerin S, Normand C., Should we provide oral health training for staff caring for people with intellectual disabilities in community based residential care? A cost-effectiveness analysis, Evaluation and Programme Planning, 55, 2016, p46 - 54Journal Article, 2016
  • C Waldron · C MacGiolla Phadraig · C Comiskey · J Nunn, Oral health interventions for children and adolescents with disabilities; a scoping review, Journal of Disability and Oral Health, DOI:10.443/JDOH/Wald, (Dec), 2016Journal Article, 2016, DOI
  • Mac Giolla Phadraig C, Ho JD, Guerin S, Yeoh YL, Mohamed Medhat M, Doody K, Hwang S, Hania M, Boggs S, Nolan A, Nunn J., Neither Basic Life Support knowledge nor self-efficacy are predictive of skills among dental students., European Journal of Dental Education, 2016, pdoi: 10.1111/eje.12199.Journal Article, 2016
  • Mac Giolla, Phadraig C., McCallion, P., McGlinchey, E., Nunn, J., McCarron, M, Communication-based behavior support for adults with intellectual disabilities receiving dental care: A focus group study exploring dentists' decision-making and communication., Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 23, (4), 2019, p526 - 540Journal Article, 2019
  • Kahatab AF, Ho YB, O'Reilly D, Tan C, McTernan J, Ahmed T, O'Halloran A, Sagheri D, Abdollahi A, Mac Giolla Phadraig C, Evidence-based dentistry can effectively be taught to dental care professional students - A mixed methods study., European Journal of Dental Education, 2017, p10.1111/eje.12302Journal Article, 2017, DOI
  • Mac Giolla Phadraig C, Griffiths C, McCallion P, McCarron M. Donnelly-Swift E and Nunn J, Pharmacological behaviour support for adults with intellectual disabilities: Frequency and predictors in a national cross-sectional survey., Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 2018, p1-7Journal Article, 2018, DOI
  • Mac Giolla, Phadraig, C., McCallion, P., Nunn, J., McCarron, M., Total tooth loss without denture wear is a risk indicator for difficulty eating among older adults with intellectual disabilities., Journal of Oral Health, 46, (2), 2018, p170 - 178Journal Article, 2018, DOI
  • Important Physical Health Issues in, editor(s)V.P. Prasher, & M.P. Janicki , Physical Health of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities, London: Wiley, 2019, pp27 - 52, [Burke, E., O'Dwyer, M., McGlinchey, E., Foran, S., MacGiolla Phadraig, C., Carroll, R., McCallion, P & McCarron M.]Book Chapter, 2019, DOI
  • Byrne, K., MacGiolla Phadraig, C., Daly, B., McCarron, M. & McCallion, P., The Oral Health Status of Older People with Intellectual Disabilities in Ireland. Initial Findings., International association of disability and oral health (IADH) , Paris, France, 24th - 26th August, 2022Poster, 2022
  • Byrne, K., McCarron, M., McCallion, P., Daly, B. & MacGiolla Phadraig, K., The oral health status of older adults with an intellectual disability in Ireland, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, IASSIDD 17th World Congress 2024, Chicago, 5 - 8 August, 2024Oral Presentation, 2024, DOI
  • Byrne K., McCarron, M., McCallion, P., Daly, B. & MacGiolla Phadraig, C., The modified oral status survey tool: validity, feasibility and reliability of a disability-focused oral health assessment tool, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, IASSIDD 17th World Congress 2024, Chicago, 5 - 8 August, 2024Oral Presentation, 2024, DOI
  • Sviatlana Anishchuk, Caoimhin MacGiolla Phadraig, Cicely Roche, Angela Kubacki, Derek Sullivan, Yvonne Howell, ResiliDents: Development and Evaluation of Resilience Module in Dental Undergraduate Curriculum, European Journal of Dental Education, 2025Journal Article, 2025, DOI
  • Byrne, K., Lisiecka, D., Moran, G., Daly, B., Fleischmann, I., McCallion, P., McCarron, M., & MacGiolla Phadraig, C., Oral Health and Pneumonia in Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 2025Journal Article, 2025, DOI , TARA - Full Text
  • MacGiolla C, Cleary C, Dental project Uganda., Journal of the Irish Dental Association, 51, (4), 2005, p182-4Journal Article, 2005
  • Mac Giolla Phadraig C, Guerin S, Nunn J, Train the trainer? A randomized controlled trial of a multi-tiered oral health education programme in community-based residential services for adults with intellectual disability., Community dentistry and oral epidemiology, 41, 2013, p182 - 192Journal Article, 2013
  • Faulks D, Norderyd J, Molina G, Macgiolla Phadraig C, Scagnet G, Eschevins C, Hennequin M, Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to Describe Children Referred to Special Care or Paediatric Dental Services., PloS one, 8, (4), 2013, pe61993Journal Article, 2013, DOI , TARA - Full Text
  • Mac Giolla Phadraig C, Nunn JH, Tornsey O, Timms M, Does Special Care Dentistry undergraduate teaching improve dental student attitudes towards people with disabilities?, European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe, 2014Journal Article, 2014
  • Mac Giolla Phadraig C, McCallion P, Cleary E, McGlinchey E, Burke E, McCarron M, Nunn J, Total tooth loss and complete denture use in older adults with intellectual disabilities in Ireland., Journal of public health dentistry, 2014Journal Article, 2014
  • Mac Giolla Phadraig C, Nunn J, Dougall A, O'Neill E, McLoughlin J, Guerin S, What should dental services for people with disabilities be like? Results of an irish delphi panel survey., PloS one, 9, (11), 2014, pe113393Journal Article, 2014, DOI , TARA - Full Text
  • Phadraig C MG, Burke E, McCallion P, McGlinchey E, Nunn J, McCarron M, Dental attendance among older adults with intellectual disabilities in Ireland., Special care in dentistry : official publication of the American Association of Hospital Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry for the Handicapped, and the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry, 34, (6), 2014, p265-72Journal Article, 2014
  • Mac Giolla Phadraig, Caoimhin el Helaali, Ruaa Nunn, June Burke, Eilish Mccallion, Philip Mcglinchey, Emer McCarron, Mary, Reported difficulty tooth and denture cleaning among an ageing population with intellectual disabilities in Ireland, Journal of Disability and Oral Health, 15, (2), 2014, p48 - 53Journal Article, 2014, TARA - Full Text
  • Mac Giolla Phadraig C, Guerin S, Nunn J, Should we educate care staff to improve the oral health and oral hygiene of people with intellectual disability in residential care? Real world lessons from a randomized controlled trial., Special care in dentistry : official publication of the American Association of Hospital Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry for the Handicapped, and the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry, 2015Journal Article, 2015, DOI , URL
  • Mac Giolla Phadraig, C., Burke, E., McCallion, P., McGlinchey, E., McCarron, M., Nunn, J, Dental attendance among older adults with intellectual disabilities in Ireland., Special Care in Dentistry, 34, (6), 2014, p265 - 272Journal Article, 2014, DOI
  • Byrne, K., MacGiolla Phadraig, C., Daly, B., McCarron, M. & McCallion, P., The Oral Health Status of Older People with Intellectual Disabilities in Ireland. Initial Findings., Irish Society for Disability and Oral Health (ISDH) , The Lyrath Estate Hotel, Kilkenny, 23rd June, 2022Oral Presentation
  • Mel Swords, Dr. Caroline Jagoe, Dr. Caoimhín Mac Giolla Phádraig, Dr. Eimear Ní Sheachnasaigh, Dr. Frédérique Vallières, The Trauma-Informed Care Teaching Aid Toolkit (TICTAT), November, 2023Report, DOI , TARA - Full Text

Research Expertise

My research advances equitable, safe, and evidence-based oral healthcare for people with disabilities through the integration of behavioural science, sedation, and implementation research. As Principal Investigator on multi-site studies including Keep My Teeth and Brush My Teeth, and Oral Health Lead with IDS-TILDA, I lead national programmes that translate research into measurable service and policy change. I have developed innovations in research methods through the Oral Status Survey Tool (OSST) and Modified Oral Status Survey Tool (MOSST), positioning my work at the cutting edge of inclusive oral-health research. My research in Behaviour Support in Dentistry (DBS) is redefining the field of behaviour management, providing the theoretical and educational framework for global curricula, enhanced scientific rigour and clinical practice. I am internationally recognised as a leader in Special Care Dentistry research, serving as Chair of the iADH Scientific Committee, Founder and Past President of the IADR Dental Anaesthesiology & Special Care Research Group, and collaborator across major international research networks. My work spans oral-health promotion, ageing and intellectual disability, and service design, linking rigorous scholarship with measurable outcomes for clinical care, training, and public health.

Recognition

  • Basic Research Award, 20th World Congress on Disability and Oral Health (International Association of Disability and Oral Health) August 2010
  • Biannual Irish Society for Disability and Oral Health / Dental Health Foundation Bursary Award June 2010
  • Irish Society for Disability and Oral Health Research Bursary Award June 2016
  • Irish Society for Disability and Oral Health Research Bursary Award June 2014
  • Foundation Bursary Research Award, The Oral Health Promotion Research Group (Irish Link) Dental Health October 2010
  • Rodney Dockrell Bursary 2013, Dublin Dental University Hospital July 2013
  • Open Access Research in Primary Care Award, HSE Open Access Research Advisory Group December 2014
  • President Irish Society for Disability and Oral Health 2017
  • Member of the Irish Dental Association
  • Committee member of Irish Society for Disability and Oral Health
  • Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons
  • Membership of the International Association of Disability and Oral Health
  • Member of the Dental Sedation Teacher's Group, UK
  • President of the Irish Society for Disability and Oral Health 2016-2017
  • Representative of the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland on the Standing Advisory Committee for Special Care Dentistry for the Royal College of Surgeons, UK. 2014-2017