Mr Christopher Vinall

A surgeon trained in two professions

Chris qualified as a dentist at King's College London in 1997 and, after several years in practice and in hospital dentistry, went on to qualify in medicine at Trinity College Dublin in 2008. He completed his higher surgical training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the South West of England and holds the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, FRCS (OMFS).

That double training is what Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery asks of its Consultants, and it shapes how Chris works. He is as comfortable discussing a difficult wisdom tooth with your dentist as he is discussing a jaw condition with your GP, and he takes responsibility for the whole problem rather than one half of it.

NHS practice

Chris is a Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, based at Leicester Royal Infirmary. He is the clinical lead for orthognathic (facial deformity) surgery at Leicester. His other specialist interests include craniofacial trauma, benign head and neck pathology and dentoalveolar surgery. He has extensive experience of managing conditions of the face, mouth, jaws and neck and has published and presented nationally and internationally.

Teaching, examining and research

Chris believes that a good Consultant should help train the people who come after him. He is an examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons of England and a Member of the Academy of Medical Educators.

At University Hospitals of Leicester he is Education Lead for the Musculoskeletal and Specialist Surgery Clinical Management Group and Lead Educational Supervisor for the Foundation Doctor Training Programme, responsible for the newly qualified doctors in their first two years. He previously served as an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Leicester Medical School, where he led the assessment of final‑year students.

He has published and presented nationally and internationally, and he co‑authored the chapters on mandibular (lower jaw) and zygomatic (cheekbone) fractures in Bailey & Love's Essential Operations in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and in the third edition of Operative Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Away from work

Long‑distance running was a passion for many years and Chris has completed the New York City Marathon four times. These days he is more likely to be found on the golf course.