Andrew Wallace has become the new representative for Northern Ireland on the College Council, succeeding Susan Nelson.
Dr Andrew Wallace AssocFCGDent (l) and Dr Susan Nelson MCGDent (r)
Dr Andrew Wallace AssocFCGDent is a dentist at Cranmore Dental and Marlborough Clinic, two private dental practices in Belfast. He qualified from Queen’s University Belfast in 1998, and during 25 years as a general dental practitioner, including six in NHS practice, he developed interests in more complex dentistry and undertook postgraduate training in the treatment of patients with missing teeth using implants and bridgework, as well as in cosmetic makeovers. He has been accepting referrals for over 10 years and now limits his practice to referrals in prosthodontics, endodontics and orthodontics. He was previously a partner at Bachelors Walk Dental, where he successfully took the practice through assessments including the British Dental Association’s Good Practice Scheme, Denplan Excel and Investors in People.
He holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Endodontics from the University of Chester, and has been awarded the Master of Clinical Dentistry in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics (MClinDent with Distinction) by King’s College London. He also completed the IAS Academy Advanced Course, which since 2021 has been the preparatory course for the CGDent Diploma in Primary Care Orthodontics.
Now a Director of the IAS Academy, he has been a lecturer, trainer and mentor for over 15 years, providing Inman Aligner training, teaching its minimally invasive ‘align, bleach and bond’ protocol, and delivering courses on clear aligners, fixed braces, ortho-restorative and restorative space closure. He has also been a trainer for Philips, ClearCorrect, Dentsply Sirona and Henry Schein, and was previously a postgraduate tutor and honorary clinical lecturer at King’s College London.
He gained full Membership of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice of the Royal College of Surgeons England (FGDP) in 2015, became a Foundation Member of CGDent in 2020, and was admitted to Associate Fellowship of the College in 2021. He is also an active member of the Irish Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry.
Dr Susan Nelson MCGDent is lead dentist and implant dentist in private practice in Holywood, County Down. Graduating with Honours in 1993 from the University of Edinburgh, where she won the McGregor Gold Medal for the most distinguished dental graduate, she completed Vocational Training in Fife before joining the practice as an associate in 1994. A Fellow of the International College of Dentists (FICD), she is a member and former Deputy Chair of the Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee and a former Northern Ireland Representative of the Association of Dental Implantology. She was Portman Healthcare’s Regional Clinical Lead for Northern Ireland from 2020-25, and for Scotland from 2024-25.
She joined the FGDP in 1998, examined and sat on the core group for the Membership of the FGDP(UK) and Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties (MJDF) qualifications for 16 years, and served as Director of the former Faculty’s Northern Ireland division. She was first elected to represent the region on the national FGDP Board in 2017, and following her re-election in 2020 chaired its Education and Qualifications Committee, was elected as a Vice Dean and was a contributor to the joint FGDP-CGDent guidance Implications of COVID-19 for the safe management of general dental practice.
She continued to represent Northern Ireland on the College Council when the FGDP transferred into CGDent in 2021. She also sat on the College’s Advisory Strategy Group, became a member of its Regional Funding Panel, served as Vice-Chair of its Careers and Training Committee, led the establishment of CGDent Northern Ireland and was a member of the working group which developed the College’s Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines. She was re-elected to Council in 2023 and demitted in June 2026 after completing the maximum permitted nine years’ service.
Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent, President of the College, said:
“Susan has been a wonderful colleague and incredible mentor, and will be sorely missed; it fills me with great sadness to lose such a motivated and selfless individual from the College Council. She has been a determined and committed member of both Council and the FGDP Board, has embodied collegiate leadership values and given tirelessly to both the College and former Faculty. I will always remember her support and wise counsel, and have been inspired by her contributions, humility and personality.
“Many congratulations indeed to Andrew on his now joining the Council; we very much look forward to working together with him in the further development of the College for the benefit of our members, the wider profession and the patients we serve.”