Professional background
Over the last 20 years, Dr. Kumar has been committed to special care dentistry (SCD) and has acquired an extensive range of clinical, teaching and research experience in the area to ensure the delivery of high-quality oral care for people with an impairment or disability. She was appointed as a consultant in special care dentistry (SCD) at UCLH in 2007 and has since been actively expanding the service to build a unit which is known for excellence and commitment to training and development.
Dr. Kumar has considerable expertise in the clinical management of the medically compromised patient and the management of the oral complications of systemic diseases. Furthermore, she has an integral role in training others with an interest in SCD, including those undertaking the certificate, diploma and masters in SCD. She is actively involved in the promotion of SCD and the development of national and international oral care guidelines and protocols, including those focused on patients with cancer, thalassaemia, sickle cell disease, renal disease / transplantation and dementia. Furthermore, she has co-authored a textbook on SCD ('Special Care in Dentistry'), which provides practical guidance on the safe dental management of patients with special needs.
This has culminated her numerous additional roles over the years, including being an examiner for the ORE, MSc and DSCD (UCL and RCS), honorary senior lecturer UCL, chair of examiners DSCD (RCS Eng) and to her role as the president of the British Society for Disability and Oral Health (BSDH) in 2009. She is also a specialty advisor for the Royal College of Surgeons of England and a training programme director for SCD.
In 2020, Dr. Kumar assumed the additional responsibility of divisional clinical director of the Royal National ENT & Eastman Dental Hospitals.
Specialties
Research interests
Oral care for haematology patients, oral care for patients undergoing cancer therapy for head and neck cancer, management of patients with complex medical co-morbidities
Publications
Including articles, book, chapters, clinical guidelines, and computer assisted learning package:
Books
Chapter on Bleeding Disorders: Porter SR, Singh N (maiden name). Bleeding Disorders. In: Oral Health Care for Those with HIV Infection and Other Special Needs. Eds: Porter SR, Scully C. Science Reviews 1995 Pp93-109.
Contributed to chapter on Sikhism: Scully C, Wilson N. Culturally Sensitive Oral Healthcare; Quintessence Publishing Co Ltd. Number of pages: 183, Illustrations: 90 Date of publishing: 2006; ISBN: 1850971188
Co-author: Special Care in Dentistry, Scully, Diz Dios and Kumar (December 2006, ISBN: 0443071519, 512 pages, 52 illustrations, publisher: Elsevier)
Dental Chapter: Thalassaemia International Federation 2014 Publication
Computer Assisted Learning Package
Porter S, Kumar N, Davies R, Scully C. Special Needs Dentistry - computer assisted learning CDROM. Department of Health. 2000
Kumar N. Oral Care for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease / Renal Transplantation – EDTNA / ERCA Website Webinar. 2018
Clinical Guideline
Co-author of the following national guideline, produced in collaboration with the RCS (Eng): ‘Clinical Guidelines for the Oral Management of Oncology Patients requiring Radiotherapy, Chemotherapy or Bone Marrow Transplantation.’ – Lead of Guideline Development Group; 4th update completed 2018.
Co-author of the BSDH GA for Special Care Dentistry Professional Consensus Statement
Dental Chapters in the following guidelines:
- Thalassaemia International Federation Clinical Guideline 2015
- UK Thalassaemia Standards 3rd Edition 2016
- Standards for the Clinical Care of Adults with Sickle Cell Disease in the UK 2007 – update of 2008 guidance
Articles include:
FGDP Dementia Friendly Dentistry Good Clinical Guideline 2017 – Reviewer and member of the core group with acknowledgement for contribution in review process
Kumar N, Cho H, Tilbury K, Clohessy S. Development of an oral care protocol for inpatients – a Quality Improvement Project. Connect 2018: 3: 25-27
Kumar, N. Re-Launch of the Clinical Guidelines relating to the Oral Management of Oncology Patients Requiring Radiotherapy, Chemotherapy and / or Bone Marrow Transplantation. FDJ: 2019 - Volume 10; Issue 2
Christoforou J, Karasneh J, Manfredi M, Dave B, Walker JS, Diz Dios P, Epstein J, Kumar N, Glick M, Lockhart PB, Patton LL. Non-opioid pain management of head and neck chemo/radiation-induced mucositis: A systematic review. Oral Dis. 2019 Jun;25 Suppl 1:182-192.
Manfredi M, Dave B, Percudani D, Christoforou J, Karasneh J, Diz Dios P, Glick M, Kumar N, Lockhart PB, Patton LL. World workshop on oral medicine VII: Direct anticoagulant agents management for invasive oral procedures: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral Dis. 2019 Jun;25 Suppl 1:157-173.
Cho H, Kumar N. Cold agglutinin disease and its implications for dental treatment. Spec Care Dentist. 2019 Jul;39(4):435-440.
Cho H, Kumar N. Dental management of a patient with head and neck cancer: a case report. Br Dent J. 2019 Jul;227(1):25-29.
Patrick A, Saeed K, Kumar N. Multiple myeloma and pulmonary aspergillosis: dental treatment prior to chemotherapy and management of post extraction complications. BMJ Case Rep. 2020;13(4):e235038. Published 2020 Apr 15. doi:10.1136/bcr-2020-235038.