Rate My Professor Finn Gilroy

Dr. Finn Gilroy serves as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation within the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Otago. A registered specialist endodontist with Ngāi Tahu iwi affiliations, he obtained his Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from the University of Otago in 2012. Following graduation, he practiced for two years in rural private general dentistry before returning to Dunedin in 2015, where he worked three years in the Faculty's Urgent Care Unit. In 2017, Gilroy earned his Fellowship in General Dental Practice (FRACDS GDP) from the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons. He then pursued postgraduate training, completing his Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (DClinDent) in Endodontics at the University of Otago in 2020. His doctoral thesis, titled “Perceptions of General Health and Root Canal Treatment in New Zealand General Practice,” utilized qualitative interviews with general dentists and patients from across New Zealand to explore health perceptions in endodontic contexts; the work awaits journal publication. Gilroy attained Membership in Endodontic Specialist Practice (MRACDS Endo) in 2021 and joined the Senior Lecturer position that year.

Gilroy's research specializations include dental pulp biology and qualitative interview-based research, with contributions to understanding inflammatory responses in human dental pulp cells and patient experiences with dental trauma such as avulsion injuries. He coordinates the 361 undergraduate paper and Endodontics module, while maintaining a clinical focus on high-quality endodontic treatment. Key publications feature his co-authorship on “A Critical Review of In Vitro Methodologies for Studying Inflammatory Responses in Human Dental Pulp Cell Cultures” (International Endodontic Journal, 2025, advance online publication) alongside Shelly Arora, Lara T. Friedlander, Haizal M. Hussaini, Henry F. Duncan, Peter Cathro, and Paul R. Cooper; and “'It Was Surprising in a Bad Way': The Experiences of Children/Adolescents with Dental Avulsion and Their Family in New Zealand” (Dental Traumatology, 2026, advance online publication) with A. Kovanur Kesava, Ben Kei Daniel Motidyang, Alison Meldrum, and Manikandan Ekambaram. He presented “Perforation Management in a Medically Compromised Patient” at the Combined Faculty of Dentistry's Annual Clinical Excellence Day & Sir John Walsh Research Institute Research Day in 2020. Affiliated with the Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Gilroy advances endodontic education, practice-based research, and community patient care.