ABOUT TRUDY
Passionate advocate
Dr Trudy Lin sharing her experience completing her Doctor of Clinical Dentistry at the University of Adelaide.
Inspirational speaker
Dr Trudy Lin delivers her speech and calls to action as 2022 SA Young Australian of the Year.
Motivating leader
Trudy shares the positive and broad reaching impacts on patient care from facilitating leadership training and coaching for SA Health clinicians.
DR TRUDY LIN | Young Australian of the Year SA 2022
One of ten everyday Australians invited to represent Australia at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral due to her extraordinary contributions to the community, Dr Trudy Lin is one of only 25 Special Needs Dentistry specialists in Australia, providing oral healthcare to people with disability, psychiatric conditions, and complex medical conditions such as cancer. She also treats people experiencing homelessness, trauma, and domestic violence.
Trudy provides oral healthcare at her Special Needs Dental clinic in Mile End and mobile dental services in the comfort of people's homes and living facilities.
Trudy is involved in the education of oral healthcare professionals in Special Needs Dentistry through her honorary role as a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Adelaide, mentoring and coaching dentists, and as a member of the Board of Studies for Special Needs Dentistry through the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons.
Trudy is also a passionate advocate for equitable access to oral healthcare as President-Elect of the Australian New Zealand Academy of Specialists in Special Needs Dentistry (ANZASND), volunteering as an Associate Advocate for Citizen Advocacy SA, supporting people with intellectual disability, and through her role in the National Disability Oral Health Collaboration (NDOHC).
Her research thesis aimed to improve access to oral healthcare for people with disability has gained international acclaim, and her advocacy in the oral healthcare sector has been recognised with multiple accolades including the 2022 Young Australian of the Year for South Australia, 2021 Young Achiever of the Year for South Australia, a Fellowship to the Pierre Fauchard Academy in 2017 and a Fellowship to the International College of Dentists in 2022.
Trudy attained an Advanced Diploma in Nutrition to extend the scope of her holistic care, given the intricate connection between oral health, nutrition and its impact on general health, especially for patients with Head and Neck Cancer.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Trudy self-funded the establishment of a Supported Independent Living facility for people with disability to live in the community.
In this press conference with the Premier of South Australia, Dr Trudy Lin shares what it meant to represent South Australia and Australia at Queen Elizabeth the II's funeral.
Trudy spoke to the ABC regarding her invitation to the Queen's funeral and her passion behind oral healthcare.
Meet the dentist dedicating her career to special needs patients
In this SBS interview, Dr Trudy Lin speaks on inclusion, strength and resilience, and her inspiration to empower people to live a life where they can eat, speak and smile.
Special needs dentistry spotlight
A Special Needs Dentist with a passion for her patients and their wellbeing
Trudy speaks on the Inspirational Australians podcast about Special needs dentistry, her Supported Independent Living Facility construction and universal building design, and her various volunteering roles in the community.
Breaking barriers in dentistry
Anna speaks on the barriers to receiving oral healthcare for people like herself with physical disability and dental phobia, and shares her experience receiving care from Dr Trudy Lin at the Special Needs Unit
Oral health can be about life or death
Trudy shares on how she developed her passion for dentistry and how oral health affects not only a person's quality of life, but the length of their life.
General anaesthesia in Special needs dentistry
After winning the 2021 SA Young Achiever of the Year Dr Trudy Lin speaks on special needs dentistry and the use of general anaesthesia
Trudy was awarded the 2021 SA Young Achiever of the Year and the Career Achievement award for her contributions to Special Needs Dentistry and self-funding the establishment of a Supported Independent Living facility for people with disability to live in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic
Access to oral healthcare for people with disability
Dr Trudy Lin summarises her award-winning research thesis investigating a referral tool to increase access to oral healthcare for people with disability in South Australia.