Peter Dyer travelled to Windsor Castle to accept the honour
A University of Central Lancashire dental academic has received his OBE from His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.
Peter Dyer travelled to Windsor Castle to accept the prestigious award for his services to the dental and medical professions, as well as his local communities of Silverdale and Lancaster from Prince William.
The Clinical Senior Lecturer in Oral Surgery, who was granted the honour in the King's 2024 Birthday Honours’ list, said: “It was dreamlike but also felt so personal too. It still feels like it’s not sunk it yet.
“When a member of the household whispered it was Prince William on duty then I was really delighted as I can always say my investiture was done by the future King.
“He was very engaging and asked me about my time within the health service. I talked about my dental and medical roots but very quickly moved on to telling him I’m involved in teaching the next generation of dentists at the University of Central Lancashire.
“I spoke about North Lancashire and Cumbria being an area where people can struggle to access dental services and how dentistry should be available to all. He ended our conversation saying ‘we all need our teeth’.
"It was dreamlike but also felt so personal too. It still feels like it’s not sunk it yet"
— Peter Dyer OBE
“I was very impressed that he was meeting around 60 people on the day and he knew a little bit about each one.”
The proud Lancastrian, who has worked at the University’s Preston Campus for six years, was joined by his wife Vicky, and his grown-up children Katherine and Richard.
He commented: “They all had new outfits for the occasion while I hired a morning suit. It was the first time in my life that I’ve ever worn a waistcoat.
“The weather was very pleasant, so we walked through the Henry VIII gate, and made our way through paths and a courtyard to a grassy area. We could see the famous Windsor Park Long Walk through an archway and the autumnal colours were lovely.
“We were ushered through various rooms within the Castle and given an explanation of what each room involved. It was like getting a personal sightseeing tour and it was a fabulous day for my family. I’m delighted we could all share the experience.”
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was among the other award recipients on the day.
Peter is a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon with a special interest in facial trauma, orthognathic surgery and oral medicine. At the University of Central Lancashire, he lectures on oral diseases and oral surgery to undergraduates and postgraduates. He is also the delegate responsible officer overseeing the appraisal and revalidation of doctors in his NHS Trust.
"He was very engaging and asked me about my time within the health service. I talked about my dental and medical roots but very quickly moved on to telling him I’m involved in teaching the next generation of dentists at the University of Central Lancashire"
— Peter Dyer OBE, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Oral Surgery
The start of Peter’s career saw him move down from his home city of Lancaster to London, where he graduated from the Royal Dental Hospital in 1979 with his undergraduate degree in dentistry. In 1988, he then gained his medicine qualification from London’s University College Hospital. He completed his training in oral and maxillofacial surgery in Bristol and at The Royal London Hospital.
Peter then returned to north Lancashire in 1998 when he was appointed consultant in oral and maxillofacial surgery for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. He progressed to Medical Director of the Trust and managed the clinical response to the Grayrigg train derailment in 2007 and the swine flu pandemic in 2009.
He was named President of the British Dental Association between 2017 and 2018 and was made a Distinguished Life Member of the British Dental Association seven years ago. He was Chair of the Central Committee for Hospital Dental Services between 2015 and 2022 and was a Member of the National Advisory Board for Human Factors in Dentistry between 2019 to 2022.
Peter is a co-editor of The Handbook of Immediate Care and has published chapters on facial trauma in eight textbooks. He also has an interest in the history of medicine and dentistry.
Away from work, he is a licenced lay minister in Silverdale, where he now lives, and volunteers at Lancaster’s Health and Medical Museum Collection and is on the front of house at the city’s Grand Theatre.