College of General Dentistry News

Study programme 2022-23: events in all four nations, and webinars for all

The College has announced its programme of events between now and Spring 2023, with twenty CPD webinars anticipated as well as study days and conferences in all four nations of the UK.

Study days and conferences

In its first year, the College hosted major study days in Birmingham, Gateshead and Glasgow, and four more, including an international conference, will take place throughout the UK over the next six months:

Masterclass on aesthetic and restorative dentistry with Dr Walter Devoto

Friday/Saturday 14-15 October, Waterfront Hall, Belfast

Justin Durham on TMD, Finlay Sutton on prosthodontics, and The Caldwell Memorial Lecture delivered by Prof Jeremy Bagg on volunteering opportunities in dentistry

Friday 2 December 2022, Glasgow Science Centre

Mike Lloyd Hughes and Karun Dewan

Friday 17 February 2023, Stride Dental Academy, Bangor

Avijit Banerjee, Krzysztof Chmielewski, Vincent Fehmer, Guillaume Jouanny, Bertrand Khayat, Stefen Koubi, Amit Patel, Shanon Patel, Bjarni Pjetursson, Ana Poveda, Tif Qureshi, Irena Sailer, Werner Schupp, Wendy Thompson, Ulrike Uhlmann, Istvan Urban and Otto Zuhr

Friday/Saturday 24-25 March 2023, QEII Centre, London

All these events are open for registration via our events page, with significant discounts offered to College members.

The College is also hosting nine CPD sessions at Dentistry Show London on Friday/Saturday 7-8 October 2022, which are free to all.

CPD webinars

The College has hosted over 25 live webinars to date, and upcoming events include:

Kaushik Paul; Tuesday 4 October 2022, 7pm

Jashme Patel; Thursday 6 October 2022, 7pm

Pat Langley; Tuesday 11 October 2022, 7pm

Preetee Hylton, Alison Gregory; Tuesday 1 November 2022, 7pm

Derek Richards, Mark-Steven Howe; Wednesday 2 November 2022, 1pm

Mick Horton, Tuesday 15 November 2022, 7pm

Fiona Ellwood, Thursday 17 November 2022, 7pm

Derek Richards, Mark-Steven Howe; Wednesday 7 December 2022, 1pm

Abhi Pal; Monday 12 December 2022, 7pm

Jason Wong; Tuesday 10 January 2023, 7pm

Ross Hobson, Tuesday 17 January 2023 (7pm tbc)

Ross Hobson, Tuesday 24 January 2023 (7pm tbc)

Iain Chapple; Thursday 26 January 2023, 7pm

Ross Hobson, Tuesday 31 January 2023 (7pm tbc)

George Wright; Tuesday 7 February 2023, 7pm

Jacqui Elsden; Thursday 16 February 2023, 7pm

Abhi Pal, Pynadath George; Thursday 16 March 2023, 7pm

Dates for a series of webinars on Restorative and aesthetic dentistry, once confirmed, will also be published on our events page

All dental professionals are able to watch our webinars live. CPD certificates and on-demand access to the recordings are provided free of charge to College members, and are available to non-members on a chargeable basis.

College members can also access an online library of 1,000 hours of GDC-compliant e-learning, and an online personal development planning tool to identify and log areas for future learning tailored to their job role and aspirations.

Postgraduate qualifications

The College is also currently accepting expressions of interest for the next cohorts of its Postgraduate Certificate in Non-Surgical Facial Aesthetics, Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Care Orthodontics and Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma in Restorative & Aesthetic Dentistry

College of General Dentistry News

College to host major international conference with Quintessence Publishing

Registration has opened for a major international dental conference to be hosted in the UK next year. Taking place in London and co-hosted by the College of General Dentistry (CGDent) and Quintessence Publishing, all dental professionals are eligible to attend, with significant discounts for College members.

The conference, which will take place at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre on Friday and Saturday 24-25 March 2023, is on the theme of Excellence for the dental team.

Some of the biggest names in the international dental community will join forces with experts from across the UK to offer a unique dental conference at London’s largest dedicated conference and exhibition space, right in the historic heart of the city next to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.

Encompassing areas from implantology to endodontics, the conference will support the whole dental team to deliver the most up-to-date and effective procedures and patient outcomes, with 17 speakers confirmed to date:

  • Prof Dr Avijit Banerjee FCGDent, Professor of Cariology & Operative Dentistry at King’s College London, and Chair of the CGDent Career Pathways Programme Board
  • Dr Krzysztof Chmielewski, Specialist in implantology and aesthetic dentistry, Gdansk
  • ZTM Vincent Fehmer, Dental Technician, Geneva; Editor-in-Chief for the International Journal of Esthetic Dentistry
  • Dr Guillaume Jouanny, Endodontist, and Clinical Instructor at the University of Paris Descartes
  • Dr Bertrand Khayat, Endodontist and author of Microsurgical Endodontics
  • Dr Stefen Koubi, Associate Professor in Restorative Dentistry, Marseille University
  • Dr Amit Patel FCGDent, Associate Specialist in Periodontics and Honorary Clinical Lecturer, University of Birmingham Dental School
  • Dr Shanon Patel, Consultant/Honorary Senior Lecturer in Endodontics, King’s College London
  • Prof Dr Bjarni Pjetursson, Professor and Chairman, Department of Reconstructive Dentistry, University of Iceland; Titular Professor, Division of Fixed Prosthodontics and Biomaterials, University of Geneva
  • Dr Ana Poveda, Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Oral Medicine, University of Birmingham Dental School
  • Dr Tif Qureshi, Founder and Clinical Director of IAS Academy; special interest in orthodontics and minimally invasive dentistry
  • Prof Dr Irena Sailer, Chair, Division of Fixed Prosthodontics and Biomaterials, University of Geneva; Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Preventive and Restorative Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
  • Dr Werner Schupp, Specialist in orthodontics, Cologne; past President of the German Board of Orthodontics and Orofacial Orthopedics
  • Dr Wendy Thompson FCGDent, Chair of the FDI-World Dental Federation working group on antibiotics; CGDent lead on antimicrobial stewardship
  • Dr Ulrike Uhlmann, Dentist with a special interest in paediatric dentistry, Leipzig; author of Dentistry for Kids: Rethinking Your Daily Practice
  • Dr Istvan Urban, Lecturer in implant dentistry, Loma Linda University, California; Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Periodontology and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan
  • Dr Otto Zuhr, Specialist in periodontology, Munich; Associate Professor, Department of Periodontology, Goethe University, Frankfurt

Further speakers, and a complete conference schedule, will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the two-day event are now available, with reduced rates for dental hygienists, therapists, nurses, technicians and students. Discounts of up to 40% are available to College members, including any who join immediately prior to booking, until the conference is sold out. Non-member delegates in all categories receive £150 off their applicable rate if they book by 31 October 2022.

Delegates will soon also be able to book onto a drinks reception and formal dinner with the speakers, fellow College members and other participants on the Friday evening.

Quintessence Publishing provides the latest scientific and clinical information to meet the needs of the whole dental profession. Renowned for the clarity of its writing and illustration, and for the quality of its congresses and symposia, it operates in 21 countries, and has published 61 professional journals and 1,500 book titles by more than 3,000 authors and in over 15 languages.

TO SECURE YOUR PLACE, CLICK HERE

College of General Dentistry Blog

Shaping Faculties for the whole dental team

It has long been a vision for the College to form distinct Faculties for the different professions within the dental team. Faculty Chairs, Louise Belfield, Bill Sharpling and John Stanfield, update us on the progress they have made so far.

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Louise Belfield
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Bill Sharpling
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John Stanfield
Louise Belfield, Chair of the Faculty of Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy

I am delighted to announce the formation of the inaugural board for the Faculty of Dental Nursing and Orthodontic Therapy.  Combined, Dental Nurses plus Orthodontic Therapists make up around 50% of the dental workforce, and it is our privilege to represent our registrant communities at the College of General Dentistry.

Our Board brings together a wealth of knowledge and expertise, along with a broad range of experience in general dental practice and beyond, including practice management, NHS and private practice, civilian and military, workforce, postgraduate education, academia, and research, as well as representation from the United Kingdom nations.

Our Board members are:

  • Louise Belfield (Chair and member of the College Council)
  • Debbie Reed (Vice-Chair)
  • Jane Dalgarno
  • Angie Heilmann
  • Amanda Knight
  • Kathryn Marshall
  • Sharon Morrow

All of our Board members are passionate volunteers, dedicated to the advancement of career opportunities, recognition of achievement, and parity of esteem for our Dental Nurses and Orthodontic Therapists.

Developing our new Faculty board presents some unique challenges, and with those come unique opportunities. Perhaps more than other registrant categories, Dental Nurse training is varied and diverse; there are multiple qualifications that can lead to GDC registration, and they are typically delivered outside of Higher Education Institutions, which can funnel graduates into well-established career pipelines. Combined with the lack of an obvious direction for career development once qualified, these factors can make the waters of career advancement rather muddy. Therefore, a key objective for our inaugural Faculty board is to implement the newly developed Career Pathways framework, led by our Vice-Chair Debbie Reed.

We have also prioritised development of the Faculty membership pathways for Dental Nurses and Orthodontic Therapists. Our newly developing Faculty membership criteria uphold the highest clinical standards and are relevant and accessible to our community of professionals. It is also important to note that for the first time, all levels of membership and fellowship of the College are open to all dental professionals, and we encourage our eligible members to consider application. Our Career Pathways framework can support our members to meet the different levels of Faculty and College criteria.

However, our Faculty is only as strong as its membership. It is imperative that we work together with our members at all stages of their careers, including trainees and newly qualified members, to develop the Faculty in a direction that serves our community. We are determined that both registrant categories within the Faculty have equivalent voice, and as such we are especially keen to engage with our community of Orthodontic Therapists.  We know that amongst our Dental Nurses and Orthodontic Therapists there are many experienced, talented, highly achieving professionals who have made significant impact on patient and public health, and the dental profession. Our ultimate aim as a board is to provide means to fully recognise those contributions, in parity with other registrant categories, and to provide support and guidance for our members to realise their career ambitions to their fullest potential.

Louise Belfield AssocFCGDent is a dental nurse, research scientist, lecturer, Health Education England Dental Clinical Fellow, and National Examination Board for Dental Nurses Trustee. Louise is a member of the College Council, the Professional Affairs Committee and the Membership Admissions Panel.

Bill Sharpling, Chair of the Faculty of Clinical Dental Technology & Dental Technology

It has been a pleasure to be involved in the College of General Dentistry since its very early days, after registering as a supporter in 2018. In 2020, I was invited to join the College Advisory Strategy Group and I built a team of Clinical Dental Technicians (CDTs) and Dental Technicians (DTs) who were keen to work together for the greater good of the College and the profession. I Chair the CDT and DT Working Group that has contributed to the development of the Career Pathway and Professional Framework and am a member of the College Council.

As soon as the opportunity arose to progress the creation of the four College Faculties, work began on assembling what would become the Board of our own Faculty, the Faculty of Clinical Dental Technology and Dental Technology (FCDTDT). It is worth noting that the actual final title of the Faculty is still under discussion by the Board and has not yet been finalised.

The Faculty Board members are:

  • Bill Sharpling (Chair and member of the College Council)
  • Steve Taylor (Vice Chair)
  • Mike Brindle
  • Lee Butler
  • Tony Laurie
  • Jiri Matl
  • Caroline Persaud
  • Emily Pittard
  • David Reay

The Board are a great bunch with a real mix of experience and huge amounts of enthusiasm to see real progression for our CDT and DT professions. Each member has shown such dedication to their role and have all taken on specific positions to enable progress. With such a small group it is not possible to replicate the structure and member roles of the full College Council but we have hopefully been able to cover most elements with this select group.

Each of the devolved nations has representation should it be needed. Mike, Jiri and Caroline have made themselves available to consider issues relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland respectively. Tony and Steve are overseeing the faculty’s CPD activities and Emily is the Early Careers representative. Membership admissions will be managed by Lee and David with Caroline and Mike having the extra responsibility for Career Pathways activity.

The Board has met a couple of times and is scheduled to meet at least three times each year just ahead of Council meetings. Each meeting will have a principal theme. So far, the schedule has included CPD, membership levels and Career Pathway work. During the CPD meeting, Board members were joined by Robert Dyas from ProDental CPD and good progress was made regarding arranging a CPD programme for both DTs and CDTs.

DTs and CDTs are encouraged to join CGDent and once they have done so, will automatically also become a member of the Faculty. Members will be able to apply to join the Faculty at a certain level which is dependent on qualifications and/or experience. The level that one can join then determines the post nominals that a Faculty member is entitled to use. Members will also be able to join a Certified Membership Scheme which will enable them to be supported and mentored at the same time as progressing through the Career Pathway, mapped against certain criteria.

These are very early days for the Faculty, but with the continued support from the Board and the guidance and direction from the College, progress will continue to be made and the profession will see significant benefits for the long term.

Bill Sharpling FCGDent is Associate Dean (CPD) and Director of the London Dental Education Centre (LonDEC) at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London and Honorary Professor at RAK College of Dental Sciences, UAE. Bill is a member of the College Council and the Careers and Training Committee.

John Stanfield, Chair of the Faculty of Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy

Throughout the formation of the College of General Dentistry, the creation of Faculties supporting each of the dental team groups, with membership levels that are attained by progression through the Career Pathway, has been a key vision.

The work that has been ongoing in a multi-threaded stream, has now allowed us to start to form the faculties.  To this end, we have appointed an inaugural board to the Faculty of Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy which will guide the Faculty until we have enough members to have elections.

The Board members are:

  • John Stanfield (Chair and member of the College Council)
  • Frances Robinson (Vice Chair)
  • Sarah Hill
  • Laura McClune
  • Sarah Murray
  • Fiona Sandom
  • Miranda Steeples
  • Deborah Stratford
  • Kirstie Thwaites

The Board, as you can see, brings together a huge amount of experience and qualifications to lead us forward in this historic and bold move for the profession.  Our tasks, as we go forward, enthuse each of us, knowing this can only improve our standing both within the dental profession and that of the general public.

Our Faculty has to grow, we require members to become part of our community, to set and raise standards, and to have input into how the Faculty and the College are run.  We have our voice on the College Council, with full voting rights, this task has been appointed to me until we vote for a chair of the Faculty who will then join the Council. 

Previously I had been involved with FGDP, both as a member and vice-chair of the DCP committee and as the editor of ‘Team in Practice’.  However, we couldn’t be full Members, nor did we have any voting rights.  I took on this role to support the vision of a College that would represent the whole dental team with an opportunity for all to be full Members.  We all have the same chance to be admitted to the community as Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows of the Faculty and the College.  Many have already been admitted as Associate Fellows of the College and we have just had our first Faculty member admitted as a Fellow of the College – my congratulations go to Fiona Sandom.

Currently, the Board is working on adapting the Career Pathways in Dentistry Professional  Framework to meet the needs of our constituents, mapping this against the expected career stages.

The Faculty will be expected to contribute to College publications, standards and guidance, to any of the press releases which involve our members and to this end we will be bringing on board those of you with particular experience and expertise.  We are very aware of the increasing academic achievements of our constituents and the research they are carrying out and want to make the most of this.

Joining the faculty and the college brings with it certain benefits:                                              

  • Recognition of postgraduate training and experience, your pathway from Safe Practitioner to Accomplished Practitioner
  • CPD via ProDental CPD (over 1000 hours)
  • Primary Dental Journal
  • Certified Membership Scheme
  • Belonging to a community of like-minded professionals

John Stanfield AssocFCGDent has over 40 years’ experience as a dental hygienist, and works in private dental practice in Cheshire. He was Editor of the FGDP’s Team in Practice journal and Vice-Chair of its DCP Committee, and now serves on the College’s Membership Affairs Committee. John is also a member of the College Council.

College of General Dentistry Student Advice

Tips for a successful first year at dental school

Sana Hussain, second year BDS student at King’s College London, describes how she made the most of her first year at dental school.

Starting the first year of dental school comes with a mixture of emotions – excitement, anticipation, enthusiasm – and it is completely normal to also feel slightly overwhelmed. I have recently finished my first year and have learned many tips about enjoying life at dental school, that I wish I had known earlier.

Time management at dental school will be the biggest determinator of both your success and how much fun you have. It can be very easy to fall into the trap of allowing studying to take over your day-to-day life, so it’s important to balance this. Despite what other people may tell you, dental school isn’t only about lectures and studying.

Schedule down time

My first piece of advice would be to schedule down time. This can look different for everyone; it could be a few hours a week for sports, or any activity that relaxes you. Ensuring you have a few hours a week to do this activity means you feel ready for the next week of learning. I joined a netball team where I have made many great friendships and met so many new people. I found it was a great way for me to unwind and do something I really enjoyed.

Keep a to-do list

Having a to-do list can be extremely helpful as it allows you to stay on top of lectures. It can become so easy to end up with a never-ending list of lectures if you leave them to the last minute, so make sure you do them as you go along the academic year. Consistency is the goal. Doing a little often means you are less likely to feel overwhelmed. By having a to-do list, you have a clear idea of how many lectures need to be done and how long they will take. By the time your end of year examinations come around, you hopefully won’t feel the stress of cramming and can avoid any unnecessary panic.

Join a society

During dental school, you will meet so many new people and have lots of new experiences. A great way to meet new people is through societies. Universities offer a wide range of societies that focus on all sorts of areas such as sports, world food, or the creative arts, so try to join the societies that interest you. There is probably a society for any hobby you already have, no matter how unique. And of course, societies are a fantastic way to pursue new interests, in things you might have not even heard of before.

Experiment with study techniques

The last thing I’d like to mention is studying techniques. It might be a while until you truly figure out what works best for you, whether that’s flashcards or mind maps. There’s no specific way to revise and you might find that a mixture of different ways of revising works best for you. It might also be the case that the way you have previously revised no longer works for you anymore and that’s completely okay. It took me a few months to find what worked best for me and even now, I still try to change some aspects of my revision. Don’t feel pressured into thinking there is a set time by which you have to know what works well for you.

Consider joining a study group

Study groups are another good way to revise. I found learning and going over content with others consolidated what I knew and highlighted the topics I didn’t. This way I was able to target my revision more effectively.

Many people forget that although part of life at dental school is revision and studying, it is not the entirety of your experience. If you only take away one piece of advice from this blog, please remember to enjoy dental school and make time to do the things you love the most.

Author bio

“I am currently in my second year of dentistry at Kings College London. Since I have only just finished my first year, I am keen to learn more about all the different specialities that dentistry offers. Outside of dental school, I enjoy playing netball and tennis in my spare time. I am also a huge fan of trying new foods and cuisines, always searching for the best new restaurant.”

Sana Hussain

This student advice blog was published in September 2022.

College of General Dentistry News

New PDJ online: Oral surgery

The new edition of the Primary Dental Journal, Oral Surgery, is now online.

Guest edited by Dr Aneesha Shah of King’s College London, this issue highlights the pertinent themes relevant to common oral surgery problems, covering a wide array of topics facing the primary dental care team.

It clearly presents many of the latest oral surgery approaches, techniques, and philosophies, featuring papers on predicting dental extractions, considerations for the medically complex patient, temporomandibular disorder, and managing complications.

The issue also features the first of five domains from the College’s Career Pathways in Dentistry: Professional Framework, which describes the knowledge, skills and other attributes expected of primary care dental professionals at different career stages – from safe practitioner through to accomplished practitioner. The ‘Clinical & Technical’ domain published in this issue will be followed by ‘Professionalism’, ‘Reflection’, ‘Development’, and ‘Agency’ domains in future issues of the Primary Dental Journal.

Full access to the majority of articles is reserved for College of General Dentistry members and Primary Dental Journal subscribers. For non-members / non-subscribers, individual print issues are available to purchase from £37. An annual print subscription, normally costing £114, is included with membership of the College. Membership is available from £94 for dentists and £33 for all other registered dental professionals, and also includes online access to the PDJ Archive of over 1,300 articles, and a range of other benefits.

CGDent members and PDJ subscribers should expect their printed copies to arrive in the next 2–3 weeks.

On behalf of the College, the PDJ editorial team would like to express its gratitude to all the authors and peer reviewers who have contributed to the publication of this issue.

A full list of papers is below.

CGDent members can view full articles via the links below by first visiting the PDJ Member Access page and clicking ‘Access the PDJ Archive’.

PDJ online

PDJ Autumn 2022 oral surgery issue contents

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College of General Dentistry News

Vacancy for independent Trustee

Help us in our historic mission to build a future Royal College for dentistry

Closing date extended to Friday 7 October 2022 in response to feedback from members.

An independent Trustee is being sought for the College of General Dentistry, as we bring the dental team together, to advance oral healthcare in the UK and beyond. Our independent Trustees, who come from outside dentistry, are central role to the effective delivery of our mission.

The Board of Trustees has identified a particular need to supplement their skills in the following areas:

  • legal matters as they pertain to a Charity
  • matters relating to the College’s objectives as a professional body and member organisation.

Our mission has never appeared so critical. At a time when dentistry faces immense challenges, we are developing a vital role. We are building a strong and trusted professional community of practice, serving patients and public. Our ground-breaking career pathways and Certified Membership provide new support needed by all dental professionals, and our Guidance and Standards underpin high quality in the practice of dentistry in every part of the country.

We aim to pursue a Royal Charter, elevating the standing of general dentistry alongside its medical professional peers. Dentistry deserves that recognition.

So this is an exciting time to join the Trustee Board of the College. You will help us to establish and shape its development – after one year of operation.

You will be expected to contribute to effective custodianship of the organisation, with a thorough appreciation of the role of a Trustee in a modern Charity and professional membership body.

The Trustee Board, chaired by Dr Janet Clarke FCGDent, works alongside the elected Council of the College, which oversees the professional affairs of the organisation and is chaired by the President of the College, Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent.

You will have an appreciation of business imperatives that underpin a growing organisation, reconciling financial viability with delivery of our overall mission in the patient and public interest.

Profile for the role of independent Trustee.

Applications (by CV and covering letter, which should address the requirements described in the role profile, citing two references) must be received by 7 October 2022, addressed to [email protected]. Prospective candidates are advised that interviews are planned to be held in mid October in London.

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College of General Dentistry Blog

Career pathways in general dental practice – filling the big void

In this article, originally published in the British Dental Journal, members of the College’s Career Pathways programme explore the need for defined career structures in the oral healthcare team and explain how CGDent’s Career Pathways aims to fill the big void. 

Abhi Pal
Janet Clarke
Roshni Karia
Avi Banerjee
Shamir Mehta
Simon Thornton-Wood

Those who carve out a career in primary dental care have been almost unique amongst healthcare professionals in not having defined career structures to support their professional development, notwithstanding the multitude of training opportunities open to them.

There are many causes for this: the high level of autonomy in general dental practice; the limited overall regulation of post-qualification training in primary dental care; and the limited support for both career enhancement and resulting reward from the NHS. Yet the vast majority of NHS dentistry takes place in general dental practice. Existing structured career pathways in dentistry have been successfully and comprehensively created under the auspices of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of each UK Royal College of Surgeons. However, these have been designed almost entirely for supporting dentists undergoing Specialist Training.

There has been a pressing need to create some form of structure that is fit for modern careers in general dental practice for the following reasons:

  • Providing recognition of professional development and training for all dental professionals working both in NHS and private practice, and salaried services;
  • Promoting job satisfaction and workforce retention;
  • Inspiring public confidence in the post-qualification professional development of dental professionals;
  • Complementing NHS workforce development plans;
  • Engaging the oral healthcare team holistically – not just individuals in isolation.

However, a delicate balance also needs to be struck between a structure for career development, minimising regulatory burden, and allowing for the flexibility and independence that have been an attraction for many in general dental practice.

The College of General Dentistry, the successor organisation of FGDP(UK) since July 2021, has been working for the last two years to create pathways for dental professionals which will allow for such a balance. Furthermore, since oral healthcare provision requires the involvement of the whole team, the pathways have been designed with all members of the team in mind.

Our starting point has been the definition of career “inflection points” for an individual’s professional journey. We have purposely not adopted terminology which might have currency today, but might well change as trends and policies evolve. In other words, we have gone back to first principles: what might we expect or wish a person to be able to do, as their skills evolve over a career?

Our next step has been to design a Professional Framework of capabilities that would be expected for each of those career stages. We convened Working Groups for each dental professional group: dental hygienists; dental therapists; dental nurses; dentists; dental technicians. Each group has drawn together these capabilities under five domains, which has resulted in a total of 22 skills. The five domains have been identified as:

  • Clinical and Technical
  • Professionalism
  • Reflection
  • Development
  • Agency

The result: our recently published College of General Dentistry Professional Framework. This publication lays out a blueprint, addressing a gaping void that has been present in primary care dentistry. Individuals are encouraged to use it in reflecting on their own progress, and organisations to adopt it in support of their teams, and their workforce planning and development.

Our own next step will be the introduction of our Certified Membership Scheme, soon to be rolled out. This will be the means by which an individual demonstrates they are practising with the capabilities defined for each career stage, and achieve recognition through College post-nominals. Unlike assessments of the past, this will not be based on examination. It will be a journey over two years along an individualised reflective personal development plan, where support from a Facilitator is provided. Gateway qualifications from a range of accredited providers will form part of this journey and our Scheme will enhance the value of these qualifications. The components of Certified Full Membership for dentists, demonstrating capabilities of an Experienced Practitioner, is illustrated below – allowing awarding of the post-nominal Cert MCGDent. This will typically, but not exclusively, appeal to those who have recently completed Foundation Training. Parallel pathways are being developed for each stage of the pathway and, most importantly, for all oral healthcare team members.

We think this is a fresh and unique approach to career progression, and we believe it is consistent with the needs and aspirations of the next generation of dental professionals. The time has now come for the profession to seriously consider the future of careers in primary care, and this College is mapping a bright future for the whole team.

Authors:

  • Abhijit Pal, President – College of General Dentistry
  • Janet Clarke MBE, Chair of Trustees – College of General Dentistry
  • Roshni Karia, Chair of Certified Membership Scheme Working Group – College of General Dentistry
  • Avijit Banerjee, Chair of Careers Pathway Programme Board – College of General Dentistry
  • Shamir Mehta, Chair of Careers Pathway Reference Group – College of General Dentistry
  • Simon Thornton-wood, Chief Executive of the College of General Dentistry

The Version of Record of this article is published in the British Dental Journal, and is available online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-022-4907-1

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College of General Dentistry News

College seeks new Dental Trustee

Help us in our historic mission to build a future Royal College for dentistry

Closing date extended to Friday 7 October 2022 in response to feedback from members.

A Trustee is being sought for the College of General Dentistry, as we bring the dental team together, to advance oral healthcare in the UK and beyond.

Our mission has never appeared so critical. At a time when dentistry faces immense challenges, we are developing a vital role. We are building a strong and trusted professional community of practice, serving patients and public. Our ground-breaking career pathways and Certified Membership provide new support needed by all dental professionals, and our Guidance and Standards underpin high quality in the practice of dentistry in every part of the country.

We aim to pursue a Royal Charter, elevating the standing of general dentistry alongside its medical professional peers. Dentistry deserves that recognition.

So this is an exciting time to join the Trustee Board of the College. You will help us to establish and shape the development of the College – after one year of operation – reflecting the interests of a diverse and dynamic profession. This is a significant role at a critical moment in our own development, and for the wider profession.

We have a vacancy for a dental professional to contribute as a Trustee to the development of the values of the organisation, demonstrating high standards of behaviour and attitude, reflecting the inclusive professionalism that we seek to embody and our status as a Registered Charity. You will be expected to contribute to effective custodianship of the organisation, with a thorough appreciation of the role of a Trustee.

The Trustee Board, chaired by Dr Janet Clarke FCGDent, works alongside the elected Council of the College, which oversees the professional affairs of the organisation and is chaired by the President of the College, Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent.

You will have an appreciation of business imperatives that underpin a growing organisation, reconciling financial viability with delivery of our overall mission in the patient and public interest. A particular interest in, and understanding of issues related to the professional indemnity of dental practitioners would be an advantage, as they affect the work of the College.

We are particularly interested in attracting people who can help us to engage widely across the dental team, as we seek to reflect their wide range of backgrounds and aspirations. The proportion of women and dental professionals from different backgrounds on the Register is growing, and we want our Trustee Board to be truly inclusive and reflective of our community.

Profile for the role of Dental Trustee.

Applications (by CV and covering letter, which should address the requirements described in the role profile, citing two references) must be received by 7 October 2022, addressed to [email protected]. Prospective candidates are advised that interviews are planned to be held in mid October in London. To be eligible, you must be a Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of CGDent at the time of appointment.

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