To: Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, Dean, Faculty of Dental Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons of England
Professor Grant McIntyre, Dean, Faculty of Dental Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Professor Christine Goodall, Dean, Faculty of Dental Surgery, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Dr Roshni Karia, President, College of General Dentistry

We, the undersigned UK dental professionals, raise our voices in response to the escalating humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. Tens of thousands of innocents have been killed, and nearly every child now faces starvation, trauma, and disease. Dental services have collapsed: most clinics have been destroyed or are non-functional, essential supplies are blocked, and children with maxillofacial injuries are left in pain, untreated, and at risk of lifelong disability. There are 384 documented cases of unlawful detention of healthcare workers by Israeli forces since October 2023 including six dentists with a further fifty dentists amongst those known to have been killed. These are not isolated incidents, but they reflect a systematic assault on healthcare provision and personnel.

We stand in solidarity with our Palestinian dental colleagues who are facing unimaginable conditions of trauma. We are particularly alarmed by the toll on children, suffering not only blunt traumatic injuries and untreated oral disease, but also the compounding effects of malnutrition, displacement, and emotional trauma.

We welcome and commend the leadership of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD), whose statement on 6 June 2025 acknowledged the scale and urgency of this crisis. We now urge all UK dental faculties, colleges, and professional organisations to follow suit.

We call upon the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and the College of General Dentistry to take the following actions:

• Speak out clearly in condemnation against the targeting of civilians, health workers, and healthcare infrastructure, and the use of starvation and siege as weapons of war, recognising these as violations of international law and fundamental healthcare ethics.
• Support and align with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2728 (March 2024), which demands an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, unimpeded humanitarian access, and the protection of civilians and health professionals.
• Express public solidarity with Palestinian dental professionals, including those killed or detained, and actively seek avenues to offer moral, educational, and material support to colleagues enduring crisis conditions. In doing so, we urge professional bodies to foster environments where members can speak out on humanitarian issues without fear of censure, marginalisation, or reputational risk.
• Assist in the urgent restoration of oral healthcare in Gaza, including emergency oral surgery, paediatric dental care, and outreach services, by working with international humanitarian and health bodies, and advocate to allow injured chlidren to leave Gaza to access treatment and support including in the UK.
• Mobilise UK dental professionals for advocacy through public statements, education, petitions, and policy engagement that centre oral health in humanitarian responses including supporting independent investigations into attacks on healthcare and potential violations of international law, ensuring accountability and justice.
• Convene and support national and international collaborative conferences—including an urgent summit and ongoing coordination, with UK dental colleges, international partners, humanitarian organisations, and Palestinian clinicians, to address the immediate crisis and develop sustainable recovery plans for oral health in Gaza.

Dentistry cannot remain neutral in the face of mass suffering and systemic health injustice.  A neutral stance is no longer an option as this worsening humanitarian crisis unfolds. We call for urgent and immediate action in line with the ethics and morals of our professional duty

Sincerely,

[The Undersigned] 

UK Dentistry Professionals