eGDC
Donald Burden
Donald Burden was born in Scotland and completed his undergraduate dental degree at Queen’s University Belfast. Following graduation he worked as a General Dental Practitioner in Northern Ireland for three years. He then undertook postgraduate clinical training in orthodontics at Belfast and Manchester Dental Schools as well as completing a MSc and a PhD.
For most of his professional career he has been a Consultant Orthodontist at Belfast Dental School and Professor of Orthodontics at Queen’s University with extensive experience as a clinical educator at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His clinical and research interests primarily focused on patients with severe dentofacial discrepancy. He is a dental Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and is a past-President of the British Orthodontic Society.
For 17 years he held the dual posts of Head of Queen’s University Dental School and Clinical Director for hospital and community dental services in Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. During this period the number of specialist dental consultants serving the people of Northern Ireland was significantly expanded. The undergraduate programme at Queen’s University was also enlarged to include more UK students as well as international students from a wide range of countries. Donald Burden is a strong advocate of the important role exercise and sport can play in enhancing well-being and resilience, particularly among health care professionals. He is President of Queen’s University Hockey Club and past Chair of the Queen’s University Blues Awards Committee.
For two months during 2023, Donald will act as a remunerated external reviewer for University College London to undertake a quality review of New Giza University Dental School, Cairo (the beneficiary). He will act as a subject expert in his role as an Emeritus Professor at Queen’s University Belfast. The work consists of a mock accreditation review of New Giza University Dental School including a pre-visit document review, a three-day review in-person and the production of a post-review summary report.
Donald Burden believes that Council membership offers him an exciting and unique opportunity to support the GDC in pursuing its vision of right touch regulation to assist the profession in continuing to deliver safe and effective dental care.
