Henry Percy Pickerill was the founding director of a dental school at the age of 28, only 18 months after completing his medical and dental studies. His research and writing on dental caries were internationally significant and laid the foundations for the School Dental Service in New Zealand. His work on facial and jaw reconstructions at Sidcup Hospital in England during the First World War established him as one of the pioneers of plastic surgery. Pickerill was the author of three significant dental textbooks and, as founding director, led the University of Otago Dental School from 1907 to 1927. He then embarked on independent practice as Australasia"s first plastic surgeon, and was known especially for his innovative work in cleft lip and cleft palate surgery. This first-ever biography illustrates the achievements during his highly productive life.