At the 2024 edition of the British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show (BDCDS24), the College will once again be the headline education partner for the Enhanced CPD Theatre.
The annual conference, which will take place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 May, is the UK’s largest dental event, bringing together the whole dental team with 9,000 dental professionals gathering under one roof.
Free to attend for all registered dental professionals, attendees can expect over 200 lectures across 11 CPD theatres in total, as well as the opportunity to meet over 400 exhibitors. Details of the College’s lectures will be announced in due course.
The College will also be hosting a stand throughout the conference where staff and senior members will be available to answer any queries you may have about the College and membership, or just to say hello.
Dental Therapist Sarah Murray MBE, Associate Member, Board member of the College’s Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy, and Senior Lecturer in Dental Public Health at Queen Mary University of London, discusses the role of dental practices in delivering preventative oral care advice.
As dental professionals, we are all aware of the challenges individuals are currently experiencing in accessing dental services. We are also very aware that tooth decay has a significant impact on children, their families and the wider society, with children experiencing pain, infections and difficulty in eating, the need to take time out of school to attend dental appointments, parents taking time off work to bring their children to the dental practices, and the high costs of general anaesthetic for extractions when preventive measures have not been adopted or failed. The latest guidance from Public Health England (2017) Health Matters: Child Dental Health, identified a staggering £7.8 million was spent on tooth extractions in 2015 to 2016 amongst children under the age of five, with the majority being a result of tooth decay.
As dental professionals we need to review whether we are utilising every opportunity to promote healthy oral health behaviours from early in a child’s life and through an individual’s life course, and it is the responsibility of all members of the dental team to provide this support. Utilising extended duties dental nurses who are appropriately trained and competent in oral health education and the application of fluoride varnish, dental hygienists, dental therapists and orthodontic therapists, in addition to dentists, is fundamental to this.
We have all experienced that getting our patients to change their unhealthy behaviours is a challenge, so we should be promoting this at every appointment and see it as a long-term commitment from the dental team. The advice we provide needs to be tailored and individualised, and to regularly reinforce key messages in line with contemporary evidence.
Foundation Dentists’ experiences
A recent article by Rutter et al (2023) made me consider whether we need to review what messages we are providing to our patients and how we are delivering these. The authors explored the challenges that newly qualified dentists experienced in delivering oral health advice to parents and caregivers of young children in the Yorkshire and Humber region; one of the five themes was around motivation for behaviour change and this linked well to another theme around parental receptivity to the messages being provided.
The study identified two aspects to motivation: the parents’ motivation to change, and the practitioners’ motivation to engage in a behaviour change conversation. As many experienced clinicians will have found, there are no surprises to the findings: the Foundation Dentists discovered that in general, parents did not return diet diaries and, if they were returned, there were questions about whether they were accurate. The lack of embracing positive oral health behaviours by patients created despondency in the practitioners; this is a sad outcome considering how Foundation Dentists are at the start of their career journeys and experiences such as these could hinder them in promoting behaviour change through the rest of their careers.
Supporting patients to take the next step
We remind ourselves that changing behaviour is part of a cycle; every time we promote healthy habits we are enabling patients to think about making a change (precontemplation and contemplation), and one day, they inform you that they are planning on making that change and have set a date for the change (planning for change) – how wonderful is that! We should be there to support them when they are ready to make that change (action) and guide them if, and when, they relapse.
Reviewing our practices
So, what are dental practices or clinics actively doing to encourage positive oral health behaviours particularly in children? These could include:
embracing Dental Check by One in our clinics, by using the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry posters as a promotion tool; this could encourage parents to book an appointment and begin considering healthy habits for their babies which may result in a change for their other children and themselves. BSPD has other useful resources on its website so is worth checking out further
utilising extended duty dental nurses to provide health promotion in dental practices, and in outreach, such as schools and the community
ensuring children have a toothbrush and are using the correct toothpaste for their needs, and reinforcing the ‘spit, don’t rinse’ message
considering undertaking clinical audits of patient records to establish whether the advice being provided is highlighting any gaps; look to see if the messaging is clear and consistent and explore ways this can be improved
reviewing the literature to ensure our skill set is maximised and for us to be open to making change and sharing new information with the whole of the dental team
How we work with the population who are experiencing common oral diseases and difficulties with access, and how we move to a future population free from dental caries, and other preventable oral diseases, is certainly food for thought.
Rutter L, Duara R, Vinall-Collier KA, Owen J, Haley I, Gray-Burrows KA, Hearnshaw S, Marshman Z and Day PF (2023). Experiences of newly qualified dentists in delivering oral health advice to parents/caregivers of young children —challenges and solutions. Front. Oral. Health 4. Available at https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/199925/1/froh-04-1079584.pdf
Join us for a webinar, in partnership with Haleon, to discover how we’re working together to enhance oral healthcare across the UK and to discuss the findings of our upcoming ‘Dental Health Barometer’ campaign. Join us on Thursday 30 November at 2pm (GMT) – more information and register.
Can you help us in the next phase of our research? We would like to hear from practices around the UK who are interested in hosting an evening focus group to explore preventative oral care advice given within practice – find out more.
A new process has been announced for the consideration of postgraduate qualifications awarded outside the UK in helping determine eligibility for Full Membership, Associate Fellowship and Fellowship of the College.
Map highlighting member states of the European Higher Education Area
To date, equivalence for qualifications awarded outside the UK has been determined on a case-by-case basis, with the requirements of each award submitted in support of applications examined individually. However, with an increasing number of applications from dental professionals around the world, a more straightforward and transparent process has now been developed.
In line with the principles of the Lisbon Recognition Convention and Bologna Process, relevant postgraduate awards from recognised Higher Education institutions in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) will now be accepted by default.
The EHEA sits apart from the European Union but includes all current EU member states as well as Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Russia, Serbia, San Marino, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the UK, almost 50 countries in all.
College membership marks a dental professional’s commitment to professional development and career progression, and the College accepts all qualified and licensed dental professionals around the world into Associate Membership.
Postgraduate qualifications are required to enter into substantive membership grades, and the College encourages members to upgrade their membership where eligible to reflect their professional standing.
Unless they hold the MJDF, MFDS, MFGDP(UK) or DGDP, applicants for Full Membership require a relevant and accredited Level 7[1] Postgraduate Certificate providing 60 UK credits or an international equivalent[2].
Holders of the MGDS, DPDS, a Specialty Membership of a UK Faculty or one of certain CGDent/FGDP(UK)/RCS Edinburgh-issued diplomas are automatically eligible for Associate Fellowship, however applicants otherwise require a relevant and accredited Level 7 Postgraduate Diploma providing 120 UK credits, or a Master’s-level qualification providing 180 credits, or a Doctorate.
Most suitable and relevant Postgraduate Diplomas, Master’s degrees and Doctorates are also likely to satisfy one or more of the domains of the ‘by experience’ route to Fellowship, and one or two specific Postgraduate Certificates also contribute.
However, anyone holding the FFGDP(UK), FDS, FFD, FRACDS, FRCDC, FCD(SA), Board Certification from the American Board of General Dentistry, or who holds FCGDent(Hon.) or FFGDP(UK)(Hon.) and meets the standard requirements for admission, is automatically eligible for Fellowship by means of equivalence and need not apply by the ‘experience’ route.
Members who practise wholly overseas and are not registered with the UK’s General Dental Council pay a concessionary membership fee.
Full details of eligibility for each type of membership are available here. To upgrade, click the button below to select the membership you wish to apply for and to provide evidence of your relevant qualifications and experience.
CGDent is working with Haleon (formerly GSK), to explore the opportunities for enhancing oral healthcare advice through dental practices, and supporting those members of the team on the front line for advising patients and your communities.
We are inviting interest from practices and teams around the UK that might be interested in hosting a focus group for an evening, early in 2024. It’s a great chance to spotlight the valuable work of team members and for them to contribute to a national project.
We aim for our focus groups to comprise 6-9 people, drawn from the host practice and others in your local area, that you might like to invite.
Sessions are expected to run in the evening for 1.5-2 hours, facilitated by our team. We only require a comfortable space for ten people, in a relaxed setting such as a reception room. We will bring the biscuits!
If you would like to contribute, please get in touch at [email protected] by Friday 17 November 2023. We cannot promise to take up every opportunity, but look forward to joining practices up and down the UK in developing this project.
The College and Haleon are hosting a live webinar on Tuesday 30 November at 2pm (GMT) where we will share insights from our recent study on preventative oral care and provide information about the full research programme – register your place.
The College has published Sustainability in dentistry: Leading for change, a scoping review to inform and engage the dental profession, industry, and wider oral health and dental care infrastructure on the environmental sustainability of practicing dentistry.
With the sub-title Environmentally sustainable dentistry to address the climate crisis, the review is organised thematically to provide an in-depth exploration of a wide range of factors such as legislation, health service emissions targets, prescribing, procurement, education and regulation, and makes recommendations for change that can be undertaken by each part of the system. It also presents case studies of exemplar efforts made to address the environmental impact of dental care and oral health services, and includes suggestions for further reading.
The review was written by a team of eight Clinical Fellows working at national dental organisations as part of the Chief Dental Officer for England’s Clinical Leadership Scheme, with input from expert contributors from academia, dental practice and government organisations.
Produced with the support of the Office of the Chief Dental Officer for England and the College of General Dentistry, it aims to inspire positive change by all those involved in the provision of oral healthcare related products, services and policy.
On behalf of the authors, Amarantha Fennell-Wells, Senior Clinical Policy Manager at the Office of the Chief Dental Officer England, said:
“Dental care creates a significant carbon footprint, and we owe it to current and future generations to contribute to emissions reduction by making our dental practice as environmentally sustainable as possible. Each practice and all staffcan play their part in delivering sustainability in dentistry, and our review synthesises information which we hope will be educational and inspiring of collaboration to achieve a more sustainable future for the profession and dental patients.”
The document is freely available to download via a new College webpage which signposts a selection of free e-learning resources, guidelines and other tools which dental practitioners and practices can use to understand and reduce their environmental impact.
Both in the fourth year of the BDS at the University of Plymouth, Dilan Patel and Alan Al-Zahawi share their advice on effective teamwork during clinics.
A guide to effective teamwork in clinics
What is the importance of working as an effective team?
The importance of effective teamwork is not limited to qualified dental practitioners. As students it is important to remember that we have a duty of care towards our patients and without an effective team, we may jeopardise the quality of treatment that we provide. Successful teamwork enhances patient care, safety, satisfaction, promotes efficiency, and allows dentists to provide comprehensive services while adhering to professional standards and regulations.
Steps to take in clinic to ensure effective teamwork
Plan. At the beginning of the day, have a 5 minute brief with your partner outlining the day ahead. This will give you a good opportunity to plan for each appointment, prepare your station, and familiarise yourself with each other’s patients. This will greatly aid your time management and therefore ensure a more efficient use of the limited time you have with your patients.
Mistakes get made. Your partner may be late, may forget certain instruments or be a bit slow with assisting during the appointment, but you must remember that they are not a trained nurse and are learning at the same time as you. By setting unrealistic expectations you will hinder the efficacy of your team. Both you and your partner must take ownership of your mistakes, learn from them and support each other to ensure they do not happen again.
Maintain confidence. Your partner may be struggling or having difficulties with the treatment they are providing for the patient. It is imperative that you do not undermine them or say something that could affect the patient’s confidence in their abilities. If you feel like there is something important they have missed, then it would be better to have the discussion in a discrete manner or in private.
Be encouraging. At dental school we are often faced with procedures that are new to us which can sometimes be nerve-wracking. Encouraging your partner and keeping their morale high can be of great help in boosting their confidence and keeping a positive mindset going in to the appointment. A confident and motivated clinical partner is more likely to provide high-quality patient care. This, in turn, leads to increased patient satisfaction and engagement.
Reflect. At the end of the day it can be extremely valuable to have a debrief regarding the positives and negatives of the day. This is a good time to reflect on what went well and what can be improved upon in the future. Reflection is a powerful tool which when done regularly can help you develop your skills, improve your patient care and maintain a high standard of practice. This is achieved through identifying weaknesses and setting SMART goals.
Conclusion
The steps outlined above are not exclusive to dental school. They are transferrable to practice and even to every day life. Dentistry is an ever-changing field of study which inevitably comes with its many challenges. Effective teamwork guided by the principles of planning, support, confidence, encouragement and reflection, can be pivotal in ensuring the well-being of our patients and our success as current students and future dental practitioners.
Author bio
Dilan Patel
“I am currently in my fourth year at Peninsula Dental School. Since we began seeing patients in our first year I have had the opportunity to see a variety of cases and learnt a great deal throughout this time. I thoroughly enjoy seeing the patient satisfaction that can be achieved through treatment and have developed a great interest in Oral Surgery and Regenerative Dentistry which I would like to pursue in the future.
“Outside of dental school I spend my time travelling, playing golf and playing the saxophone which helps me find a balance between university and my own time.”
Alan Al-Zahawi
“I am currently in my fourth year at Peninsula Dental School based in Plymouth and the southwest region. In fourth year, we all live in Truro (the only city in Cornwall), where we see patients three times a week at a dental educational facility based at The Royal Cornwall Hospital. I have really enjoyed the increase in clinical time this year, especially the higher volume of prosthodontic work we are carrying out.
“My hobbies outside of dental school include exploring the beaches around Cornwall and playing golf if the weather permits.”
Friday 12 July 2024, 9am-4.30pm (registration from 8am)
Conference Aston, Birmingham, B4 7ET
Tooth wear in modern general dental practice
Mr Kushal Gadhia, Consultant and Honorary Lecturer in Restorative Dentistry Eastman Dental Hospital
Key learning points:
Does every case need to be restored in Centric Relation?
Material selection in managing tooth wear
Costings, Consent and Communication involving tooth wear cases
Speaker:
Mr Kushal Gadhia is a Consultant and Honorary Lecturer in Restorative Dentistry at the Eastman Dental Hospital and a Specialist in Periodontics, Prosthodontics, Endodontics and Restorative Dentistry.
He qualified as a dentist from the University of Bristol in 2005. He was appointed as a Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the Eastman Dental Hospital in 2014. He has a particularly keen interest in treatment planning of the failing dentition, managing complex restorative and implant cases and in Dental Implant Surgery.
Since graduating, Kushal has won over 13 national and international awards for his commitment to dentistry. He was the Chair of the Young Practitioners Group for British Society of Prosthodontics (BSSPD) between 2014-2018 and has held various positions within national dental societies including the British Society of Periodontology (BSP), British Society of Prosthodontics (BSSPD) and Specialist Registrar in Restorative Dentistry Group (SRRDG).
He has organised various national and international study days and conferences, as well as being actively engaged in lecturing, teaching and research. He has published in over 20 peer-reviewed journals. In 2017, Kushal co-founded the Advanced Centre Of Excellence (ACE) to teach and provide post graduate dental education to dentists.
Event information:
Verifiable CPD: 4 hours
Delegates received a three course lunch and morning and afternoon tea and coffee was provided.
Full venue details including facilities and how to get there, are available here.
A car park is available and you must book and pay for your place in advance – pre-book your space here.
Fee:
Current member of the College of General Dentistry – £85
Non-member – £105
Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.
Membership of the College of General Dentistry is open to all registered dental professionals. Membership is available from £130 for dentists, £44 for dental nurses and £87 for other registered dental professionals. The full list of CGDent membership rates is here
The session has been postponed and will be rescheduled soon.
CGDent Midlands Peer Review & Pizza
This peer review session on endodontics is part of the CGDent Midlands Peer Review & Pizza series, which aims to share expertise, experience and knowledge as well as encouraging discussion on a diverse range of topics within dentistry. Sessions take place every two months and free pizza is provided.
The session will cover common issues with endodontics and how some of these can be avoided, the standard of care expected by a primary care GDP and when to refer, and tips and tricks to make your Endo go smoothly and your post-op PA’s look beautiful!
The case-based discussion is limited to 12 people so sign up to avoid missing out! This is an opportunity to bring your most difficult cases and learn tips and tricks on how to better manage them in the future.
The guest moderator is Dr Joanna Batt. Dr Batt graduated in 2007 and worked in NHS and private practices following qualification, and has been working at Birmingham Dental Hospital since 2011. She was awarded a PhD in 2017, and has been completing specialty training in Endodontics since 2020.
This peer review series is open to students, Dental Therapists, Dental Hygienists and Dentists.
Date/Time:
Thursday 4 July 2024, 6.30pm
Venue:
Solihull Dental Centre & Implant Clinic Doubleday House 29 High Street Solihull B91 3SJ
Fee:
Current member of the College: FREE
Non-member: £20
2 CPD hours per session
If you have any questions or queries, please contact [email protected]
Once you have submitted the registration form by clicking on the button above, please also email [email protected] with the following details:
Dr Pouya Zohrabpour, GDP and co-creator of the Two Dentists YouTube Channel, describes his journey towards becoming a fully private associate dentist, and the support he has received from the College’s Certified Membership Scheme.
Many young dentists struggle with imposter syndrome, often hesitant to engage in private dental practice or transition to a fully private setting. I graduated in 2020 and have recently embarked on the journey to become a fully private associate dentist. The experiences I’ve gathered over the past few years have been instrumental in easing this transition, helping me overcome imposter syndrome, and instilling confidence in the quality of dental care I provide.
Shortly after graduating, my colleague and friend, Dr. Ali Gowie, and I made the decision to launch a YouTube channel named “Two Dentists.” This initiative was born out of our shared frustration during the lockdown, as we grew tired of lengthy hour-long webinars. Our mission was simple: to create informative, polished, and easily digestible educational videos within the field of dentistry. We aimed to make these videos accessible to both dental newcomers and students.
As time progressed, our content portfolio expanded to include diverse video series, such as our comprehensive exploration of dental photography and Loupes, which resonated strongly with our audience. Running our YouTube channel has opened doors for valuable collaborations with fellow dental professionals, nurturing our ongoing journey of learning and personal development. The channel has provided me with constant motivation to seek further knowledge, which I can then share through our videos.
During my foundation training year, I faced a pivotal decision regarding whether to pursue Dental Core Training (DCT). This choice weighed heavily on my mind as I sought advice from friends and colleagues. However, the diversity of opinions and my own uncertainty about the ideal career path left me in a state of indecision. Ultimately, I chose the associate route to focus on improving my general dentistry skills.
I’m certain that many others have found themselves in a similar situation, which is precisely where the new CGDent Certified Membership Scheme and Career Pathways can make a significant difference. As a young dentist, having a clearly defined career pathway, carefully mapped out by a professional body, offers me a sense of assurance that I’m on the right trajectory to expand my knowledge and evolve into a more proficient practitioner. Knowing that my progress will be acknowledged by the College and that I can work my way towards becoming an accomplished practitioner is incredibly motivating.
The Career Pathway provides a structured ladder to guide one’s professional growth, with clear steps leading to the achievement of the “accomplished practitioner” status. Currently classified as a “capable practitioner” “within the program, I am actively working towards the next milestone of becoming an “experienced practitioner”. One of the requirements for this advancement is completing a postgraduate diploma. To meet this requirement, I have enrolled in a PGDip program in Aesthetic & Restorative Dentistry offered by the Advanced Centre of Excellence (ACE). This further education has significantly boosted my confidence in treating a diverse range of patients, particularly in the private dental sector.
The Career Pathway is underpinned by the College’s Professional Framework, which delineates five domains encompassing 22 capabilities expected of dental professionals. My discussions with my assigned Facilitator while navigating these domains have been enlightening. They have encouraged me to pursue self-development not only in technical skills but also in the soft skills integral to dentistry. For instance, I’ve focused on honing my technical knowledge through courses in my PGDip program and ensuring I apply this knowledge in practice. Emphasizing the reflective domain, especially behaviours and well-being capabilities, has motivated me to foster a friendly, supportive, and collaborative environment among my colleagues at the dental practice. I firmly believe that without the framework and pathway in place, many of these actions may not have occurred or could have been delayed. The YouTube channel, Career Pathway, and Professional Framework have all played pivotal roles in shaping my career, enabling me to evolve and find fulfilment in dentistry.
As I near completion of my PGDip, I’m keen to identify the dental procedures that resonate with me most and potentially niche down in those treatments. To me, a successful dental career entails working in a capacity that allows you to practice the dentistry you enjoy, on a schedule that suits your preferences. This journey is neither swift nor easy; it demands patience and thoughtful planning. However, with the right guidance and strategy in place, it can become a more seamless and rewarding experience.
General dental practitioners are being sought to support research towards the development of a clinical risk assessment tool, and the College would like to encourage members to participate.
The research is part of the RADIANT project being conducted by a team at Peninsula Dental School at the University of Plymouth, and aims to create and develop a practical, evidenced-based restorative dental risk assessment tool informed by input from clinical practitioners, rather than the classical single speciality approach.
The concept behind the new index is to objectively assess the risk of dental complications for the patient’s whole mouth, focussing on improving the accuracy and consensus between clinicians regarding diagnostic and prognostic decision-making. It is hoped that the availability of a robust risk assessment tool will then help clinicians to develop treatment plans, and will provide a common reference point to improve risk communication between clinical dentists, primarily general dental practitioners, and their patients.
The Principal Investigator, Dr Mark-Steven Howe FCGDent, is a general dental practitioner in Broadway, Worcestershire. He would like to interview about 12 general dental practitioners of varying experience over the coming months in order to incorporate their views and opinions on how they make clinical decisions into the development of the new tool.
Interviews will take place virtually and should take only 30-60 minutes.
If you would like to participate, or to request further information, please send an email with the subject line ‘RADIANT’ to[email protected]
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