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Tooth regrowth drug developer appoints new chief executive
This week’s look across the dental sector includes leadership changes at Toregem BioPharma and Bupa Dental Care, new guidance on treating older adults and warnings about dental academic shortages.
Tooth regrowth drug developer appoints new chief executive
Toregem BioPharma has appointed Hiroki Wada as president and chief executive as the Japanese biotechnology company prepares to move its experimental tooth-regeneration drug into a Phase IIa trial.
Under the leadership changes, which took effect on 27 August, Muneaki Hashimoto became director and chief scientific officer, while Taku Murayama was appointed director and chief financial officer. Co-founders Honoka Kiso, Katsu Takahashi and Muneo Takatani stepped down as directors but will remain involved in newly defined roles.
TRG035 is an antibody treatment designed to block USAG-1, a protein that suppresses tooth development. Toregem hopes the drug will allow dormant tooth buds to develop, although it has not yet been shown to regenerate teeth in humans. Read Dentistry’s extended analysis of what is currently known about tooth regrowth in adults.
Bupa Dental Care appoints new general manager
Bupa has appointed Jesús Bonilla as general manager of Bupa Dental Care, succeeding Mark Allan. He will take up the role in October 2026 and report to Chris Carroll, chief executive officer for Bupa Global, India and UK, subject to regulatory approval.
Bonilla has worked for Bupa’s Sanitas business in Spain for 17 years and has been managing director of Sanitas Dental since 2020.
He was previously general manager of Sanitas Hospitals and Medical Centres. Allan, who has led Bupa Dental Care’s strategy and transformation since 2022, has decided to leave the company to pursue new opportunities.
Bupa also appointed Siobhan Moynihan as general manager of Bupa Global and Clare Binmore as chief financial officer for Bupa Global, India and UK.
They are also due to begin their roles in October, subject to regulatory approval, while Anthony Cabrelli will retire after a 40-year career in international private medical insurance.
MDDUS welcomes dental guidelines for treating older adults
MDDUS has welcomed new clinical guidelines published by the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) and the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) to support oral health care for older adults.
‘Caring for older patients can create unique ethical and legal challenges for dental teams to navigate,’ said Helen Kaney, Head of Dental at MDDUS. ‘For example, we often get calls from members looking for advice on capacity to consent.
‘These guidelines are comprehensive, recognising the complexities of treatment beyond oral health alone, and should support dentists in providing safe, patient-centred care.’
BDA warns dental academic shortages could derail training expansion
The British Dental Association (BDA) has warned MPs that shortages in dental academia could undermine plans to train more dentists.
It called for a dedicated workforce review, greater investment, protected funding and evidence-based guidance on safe staff-to-student ratios.
According to the BDA, the number of UK clinical teachers has fallen by 25% since 2024, while professor and lecturer numbers have dropped by 18% and 13% respectively.
It said there were twice as many dental academics aged over 55 as there were under 36, while 90% regularly worked beyond their contracted hours and 85% received neither payment nor time off in lieu.
The University of East Anglia and University of Portsmouth are each due to receive 25 new dental training places from 2027. Petros Mylonas, chair of the BDA’s Dental Academic Staff Committee, said: ‘If UK governments don’t value today’s dental academics, there is simply no way of training tomorrow’s dentists.’
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