College of General Dentistry Student Advice

Getting your first job as an Associate Dentist: essential questions you need to ask

A 2023 graduate from the University of Manchester, Choudhury Rahman is an Associate Member of the College and CGDent Ambassador. Here is his advice about choosing your first Associate Dentist position.

Finishing your Dental Foundation Training (DFT) can be an exciting and challenging time with lots of opportunities to grow and develop. One of the first challenges you will face is finding the right Associate Dentist position for you.

I was fortunate enough to stay on part time at the practice where I did my DFT, and this gave me the opportunity to explore how different practices worked and operated as I looked for other positions to fill my week. In my first year post FD, I have worked for two of the major corporates in the UK along with a variety of different independent practices and have learnt a lot along the way.

There are many things to look out for and think about when finding a job. Here’s a list of some important factors to consider so you don’t make the same mistakes that I did!

  • Independent practice vs corporate practice

In many (but not all) independent practices you may have more freedom to ask for materials and equipment, within reason, and you can set fees as you wish rather than charging fixed private rates. The management set-up is usually clearer too, so you know who to speak to if you have an issue.

However, many corporates have generous discounts on courses as well as co-funding options for more expensive courses, which can be beneficial especially straight out of DFT (watch out for the tie-in lengths).

Some corporates run networking events to help with meeting other people in the dental profession which is nice!

  • How many days are available and what are the hours?

It’s worth considering whether you want to work full time in one practice or divide your working week between different practices.

  • What is the Unit of Dental Activity (UDA) rate?

Is it a reasonable rate for the area you’re going to be in?

  • How many UDAs are available?

Are there enough UDAs for you, considering how fast you work?

  • Why is the job available?

Is there a new surgery? Is someone leaving or reducing days? Ensure the start date is very clear.

  • What system do they use?

Is it SOE, R4 or Dentally? They’re all quite different, and if the practice uses a different system to the one you’re used to, are you willing to learn? I didn’t like R4 so quit a practice because of this. I much preferred SOE and Dentally.

  • Is there potential for private work and what is the split?

It’s not always 50/50! Many practices advertise that they do more private work than they actually do so try and gauge what the balance of work is in reality!

  • What is the split for lab bills?

In my experience it is usually 50/50 but it’s worth checking.

  • Are you taking over an established list of patients, or are you going to develop your own list?

Some practices may be opening a new surgery and expect you to start a new list. If you are starting a new list with new patients, expect a lot of stabilisation treatment. Are you willing to do this?

  • How busy is the practice?

When going to visit, check how busy the diary looks for everyone, especially if you are taking over from another practitioner. Check at least three months in the past, and three months in the future. If it’s looking empty, or not busy enough for you, it really won’t magically fill-up once you join!

  • What kind of X-ray system do they have?

Most practices should be digital. Do they have a scanner? Is there a camera for everyone to use? Do they have an OPG machine (a panoramic X-ray machine)? Do they have a CBCT machine (a Cone Beam Computed Tomography machine)? Are these things you would like access to?

  • Is there a dedicated practice manager or treatment co-ordinator (TCO)?

Some practices don’t have one, and from my experience they don’t run as well. A TCO can be very useful especially if you are wanting to do more private work.

  • How will you be paid?

It may be based on activity, which means how many UDAs you do in the payment schedules. Or it may be in twelfths, which is when your total number of UDAs x UDA rate is divided by 12 months, and you receive payment more like a salary. Some people prefer one or the other.

  • What decontamination system do they use?

It’s a good idea to gain a basic understanding of how decontamination should work in a practice and check how it runs in your potential practice.

  • Ensure you check your contract very carefully before signing

DDU and DP offer contract checking services, but also get it checked out by other experienced dentists you may have around you. Things to really look out for include notice periods and retention fees.

Finding your first job as an Associate Dentist can be daunting, but if you find the right practice, it will really help you develop and upskill so that you can do the dentistry you want to do. And if you end up in a practice you don’t like, it is not the end of the world, you can always leave and start the search again, as I have done more than once already. Ultimately you need to make sure you’re in a practice you are happy at, with a team you enjoy working with, doing the thing that makes you want to get out of bed every day!

Read my blog Getting your first job as an Associate Dentist: preparing a successful application for tips on applying for dental jobs.

Author bio

“I Graduated from University of Manchester in 2023, completed my FD Training in the Greater Manchester North Scheme and am now an Associate Dentist in Greater Manchester. I’m also a NextGen Ambassador for the College of General Dentistry. I am currently undertaking a Masters in Prosthodontics at UCLAN and have interests in Implants and also dental education. Outside of work, I enjoy running and 5-a-side football.”

Dr Choudhury Rahman

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The formation of the FGDP: the problematic ‘UK’ suffix

Stephen Rear MBE FCGDent (Founding Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners) and Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent (Founding President Emeritus of the College of General Dentistry) recall the problematic issue of the adoption by the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners of a ‘UK’ suffix while being hosted by the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Stephen Rear MBE FCGDent (left) and Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent (right)

Background

From the outset FGDP was conceived to be a UK-wide body, with the intention to become an independent college within a few years of formation. It was proposed, as an interim arrangement en route to becoming an independent college, that the Faculty, while hosted by the Royal College of Surgeons of England, be an intercollegiate faculty of the three Royal Surgical Colleges – the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians of Glasgow, each having equal representation on the Board of the Faculty, i.e., the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners of the Royal Surgical Colleges of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Royal Surgical Colleges were, however, opposed to the concept of an intercollegiate faculty at the time, both for legal reasons and not wishing to invite a flood of proposals for intercollegiate faculties in every surgical specialty, which could threaten the fiercely defended independence of the three Royal Surgical Colleges. This posed a problem for FGDP, which wished to be identified as a UK-wide organisation, providing a collegiate home for all general dental practitioners (GDPs), including GDPs in Scotland who may have had some affiliation, loyalty or simply affection for one of the Royal Surgical Colleges based in Scotland. The solution was to accede to the demand of the Independent College – proposed College of General Dental Practitioners, Group1 to  add a ‘UK’ suffix to the name of the Faculty – Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (UK), and, in addition, to plan to hold educational and diploma ceremony events across the UK, specifically in Scotland. As explained in this historic note, the decision to adopt a ‘UK’ suffix proved problematical.

Problems

When approached, the Royal Surgical Colleges in Scotland objected vehemently to FGDP, as a part of the Royal College of Surgeons of England adopting, a ‘UK’ suffix – both the Royal Surgical Colleges in Scotland considering themselves to have UK-wide roles and responsibilities extending to primary care dentistry. The Privy Council declined to take a position on the matter, suggesting faults on both sides of the argument for and against the adoption of the suffix. And the General Dental Council (GDC), in granting general recognition to the Faculty’s Diploma in General Dental Practice (DGDP) determined, in accordance with the GDC’s standard usage, that the abbreviation to designate the diploma would be ‘DGDP RCS Eng’, i.e., with no reference to the Faculty, let alone the use of a ‘UK’ suffix.

Diplomacy

Voluminous correspondence then ensued through last quarter of 1992 and first quarter of 1993, involving, amongst others, Stephen Rear, the founding Dean of FGDP and driving force behind the initiative, the Presidents and then Deans of the Faculties of Dental Surgery of the three Royal Surgical Colleges, and Sir David Mason CBE, the then President of the GDC. This correspondence and concurrent discussions culminated in the matter being discussed at a meeting of Joint Surgical Colleges in Dublin in April 1994. At this meeting, the Royal Surgical Colleges agreed not to oppose the adoption of the ‘UK’ suffix by FGDP, but grudgingly, given the view of the Royal Surgical Colleges based in Scotland that the use of the suffix would cause irritation until either the FGDP realised its ambition to become a free-standing College, or the use of the suffix was discontinued. If the Royal Surgical Colleges in Scotland had known that FGDP(UK) would continue to exist until 2021, rather than become a free-standing college within a matter of a few years, they may have been less inclined to agree to the adoption of the suffix by the Faculty.

Subsequent developments

Despite the Royal Surgical Colleges in Scotland nursing their irritation over the adoption of the ‘UK’ suffix by FGDP, they agreed to provide observers to serve on the Board of the Faculty, made their facilities available to FGDP(UK) for educational purposes – examinations, courses and, in the case of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh a FGDP(UK) diploma ceremony. Also, the Dental Deans of the Royal Surgical Colleges invited the Dean of FGDP(UK) to join meetings of the Joint Meeting of Dental Faculties (JMDF).

Over time, whatever irritation was caused by FGDP adopting the ‘UK’ suffix, subsided and faded away.  And when, FGDP(UK) finally separated from the Royal College of Surgeons of England to meld into the newly formed College, intended Royal College of General Dentistry, the use of the ‘UK’ suffix, together with the Faculty, became a matter of history.

Concluding remarks

The hard won, albeit begrudged acceptance of the adoption of the ‘UK’ suffix by FGDP was important to the Faculty in promoting and maintaining a UK-wide presence and influence during its extended relationship with the Royal College of Surgeons of England. This extended relationship included a failed attempt to combine FGDP(UK) with the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and restructuring arrangements by the host Royal College of Surgeons of England, which eroded the independence of FGDP(UK). This erosion of independence made the eventual separation of the Faculty from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and the formation of the College of General Dentistry all the more difficult – a matter for a subsequent paper.

    This article was originally published in the Dental Historian, the journal of the Lindsay Society, a membership organisation which promotes interest, study and research into the history of dentistry and brings together people who share these interests. It is re-published here with the kind permission of the Editor. The version of record (‘Formation of the Faculty of General Dental Practice: the problematic ‘UK’ suffix’) is available in the Dental Historian, volume 70 (2025), issue 2.

    The authors are most grateful to Dr Edgar Gordon FCGDent for reviewing this note to confirm the accuracy of its contents.

    The most recent account of the formation of the Faculty of General Dental Practice, originally the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (‘The history of the College of General Dentistry: The formation of the Faculty of General Dental Practice’), was written by Dr Ario Santini FCGDent, Dr Edgar Gordon FCGDent and Prof Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent and was published in the Dental Historian in 2024 (volume 69, issue 2).

    ,

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    College of General Dentistry Blog

    Our Coat of Arms: an encapsulation of the College’s ethos and aspirations

    Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent, President Emeritus of the College, describes the symbolism and meaning behind each of the heraldic elements in the College’s newly-granted Coat of Arms.

    Sir Nairn with the Grant of Arms presented to the College on 19 May 2025

    A Grant of Arms is a formal recognition bestowed by the official heraldic authority, the College of Arms, and symbolises legitimacy and identity. Dating back centuries, grants of arms are typically conferred upon those organisations and individuals which meet established criteria of permanence, achievement, and contribution in their respective fields, and the College (intended Royal College) of General Dentistry has recently been so honoured.

    The process leading up to the Grant of Arms involved the design of an ‘Armorial Achievement’ – colloquially known as a Coat of Arms – which includes various heraldic elements such as a shield, crest and motto, each imbued with symbolic meaning. These elements collectively encapsulate the ethos and aspirations of the organisation.

    The Armorial Achievement (Coat of Arms) of the College of General Dentistry

    The shield – the centrepiece of the heraldic achievement – has a blue background (field). The central feature of the shield is a golden pelican ‘in her piety’ – feeding a brood of three chicks in a nest, with the chicks pecking and wounding their mother’s breast, anxious to be fed. The principal meaning evoked by the pelican is caring: first and foremost for patients, secondly for early career oral healthcare professionals and students, and thirdly for the moral compass of the profession – hence the three chicks.

    The pelican is surmounted by a golden band (‘chief’) displaying three snakes, each knotted (‘nowy’). The knotted snakes symbolise unity within the profession, unity with other health professions and unity of purpose in healthcare, emphasising the importance of oral health to general health and wellbeing. Together the pelican and snakes symbolise trust and reliance.

    The crest on top of the helm features the upper half of an ‘opinicus’, resting its right (‘dexter’) foreleg on a giant pearl. The traditional opinicus, derived from the crest of the Company of Barber Surgeons, which was incorporated in 1462, is a symbol of influence, and of strength in diversity and inclusivity within the College. The pearl signifies wisdom in the art and science of dentistry. The opinicus, rarely included in heraldic achievements, resembles a dragon in the forepart and in the wings, with a beaked head and ears similar to those of a griffin. The hind part and the legs resemble those of a lion. The tail is similar to that of a bear.

    The mantling around the shield and helm displays the livery colours of the College – azure blue and gold.

    Below the shield sits the College motto: Sanitate oris venit fortitudo – Strength through oral health – strength for patients and strength for the profession.

    The College of General Dentistry badge

    The badge of the College is a proud and bold opinicus in College blue and rampant posture (standing on one hind foot in profile, with raised wings and tail), holding the giant pearl of wisdom, as featured in the crest of the Arms, between its clawed forepaws.

    The Grant of Arms adds to the legitimacy of the College, which is now firmly part of the healthcare establishment, and is considered to be an important step towards eligibility for the granting of a Royal Charter – a priority for the College in its further growth and development. The College is only the ninth dental organisation in the UK, Australia or New Zealand to have receive a Grant of Arms, and will now start making use of its Arms and badge in, for example, a re-design of diploma certificates and the introduction of College regalia.

    The full text of the Grant of Arms can be read here.

    This abridged article is presented with the kind permission of the Dental Historian, the journal of the Lindsay Society, a membership organisation which promotes interest, study and research into the history of dentistry and brings together people who share these interests.

    The version of record (‘Making history: The grant of arms to the College of General Dentistry’) is available in the Dental Historian, volume 70 (2025), issue 2.

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    College of General Dentistry News

    Education partnership with Dentistry Show London 2025

    The College will once again be an education partner at Dentistry Show London this year.

    CGDent speakers at Dentistry Show London 2025: Preetee Hylton RDN (left) and Helen Kaney FCGDent (right). Centre: College representatives at the CGDent stand

    The College will be a partner in two CPD theatres, delivering one lecture in each; the Dental Care Professionals Hub, which has a programme created specifically with dental hygienists, therapists, nurses and the wider team in mind; and the new Keynote Theatre, which brings together the latest policy updates with advances in technology and technique. Both lectures will be free of charge for members and non-members of the College alike:

    AI in dentistry – an indemnity perspective*

    Friday 3 October 2025, 9.15am-10.00am

    Helen Kaney FCGDent, Senior Dento-legal Advisor with the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, will deliver this lecture in the Keynote Theatre. A dually qualified dentist and solicitor, Helen graduated BDS from Glasgow University in 1987 and spent many years in general dental practice as well as working as a clinical assistant in conservative dentistry and prosthodontics at Glasgow Dental Hospital and at Guy’s Hospital in London. She developed an interest in law and ethics early in her career and studied law, obtaining an LLB, and then trained and worked as a solicitor for several years, acting for doctors and dentists in clinical negligence claims, regulatory matters and Fatal Accident Inquiries (Coroner’s Inquests) on the instructions of UK indemnity providers. She has significant experience in advising and assisting dentists in the UK and Ireland and in several international jurisdictions, and spent 14 years at Dental Protection as a Dentolegal and Senior Dentolegal Adviser and latterly as Medico and Dentolegal Services Team Lead and Head of Dental Services, Scotland. She completed an MBA at Strathclyde Business School, is a Fellow of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians, and served as an elected National Representative on the College Council from 2019-2025.

    From disclosure to action: domestic abuse and the dental professional’s duty

    Saturday 4 October 2025, 3.15pm-4.00pm

    Preetee Hylton RDN, President of the British Association of Dental Nurses, will deliver this lecture in the Dental Care Professionals Hub. A full-time dental nurse and safeguarding lead at a private dental practice in London, Preetee is an Associate Examiner for the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses and delivers the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Principles and Practice in Dental Nursing. A former receptionist, practice manager, lead dental nurse and clinical mentor to student dental nurses, she holds the NEBDN National Certificate in Dental Nursing, BDA Education Certificates in Oral Health and in Dental Radiography, a Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector qualification and a Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement, and in 2021 completed the DDS Treatment Coordinator Programme. A founding member and the former Study Club Co-Director of the ITI UK & Ireland Dental Nurses community, she is an honorary ambassador for the Mouth Cancer Foundation, a member of the editorial board of Dental Nursing, an Associate Member of the College and a past contributor to the Primary Dental Journal.

    College representatives will also be available throughout the show at the College’s exhibition stand (B29) to talk to attendees about all aspects of membership, fellowship and the College’s vision for the profession.

    It is not possible to register for any specific lecture in advance, however those wishing to attend will need to register for Dentistry Show London 2025, which is free for all dental professionals. Conference attendees will have access to up to 100 CPD lectures, as well as 180 exhibiting suppliers, and the opportunity to network with 4,000 dentists, practice managers, hygienists and therapists, dental nurses, technicians and laboratory owners.

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE

    *This title was updated on 22 August 2025; it was originally titled ‘AI and social media in dentistry – an indemnity perspective’

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    MoU signed with RCS Edinburgh

    The College has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

    Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent (l) and Professor Grant McIntyre (r) signing the MoU

    With the signing ceremony taking place on 1 July, the fourth anniversary of CGDent’s launch, Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent, its President, and Simon Thornton-Wood PhD, its Chief Executive, met RCS Edinburgh colleagues to discuss future collaboration on education and examinations.

    The MoU sets out an aspiration by the two Colleges to work together to provide practical ways for dental professionals to advance their careers, and among these it is expected that RCS Edinburgh’s diploma examinations will be recognised within the CGDent’s Career Pathways framework, including the Certified Practitioner credentialling scheme which will soon be launched.

    Several RCS Edinburgh awards are already recognised towards CGDent membership:

    Founded in 1505, RCS Edinburgh is the world’s oldest surgical college, and its Faculty of Dental Surgery was established in 1982.

    The MoU was signed by Dr Karia on behalf of the College of General Dentistry and by Professor Grant McIntyre, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, on behalf of RCS Edinburgh. Dr Karia and Professor McIntyre said:

    “We are delighted to enter into this important partnership between our two organisations and look forward to working together to support general dental professionals.”

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    Booking opens for Perio-Occlusion Symposium

    Dental professionals are invited to book their place at the Perio-Occlusion Symposium, which has been organised by the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation in conjunction with the College. Members of the College are urged to share the details of the symposium with early career colleagues.

    Lecture by Prof Paul Tipton at the Introduction to Occlusion Symposium, April 2025

    The symposium will take place on Saturday 20 September 2025 at the Kensington Conference and Events Centre in London and will focus on two aspects of aesthetic dentistry: ‘pink aesthetics’ and the role of occlusion in clear aligner therapy. In a change to previous announcements, lectures will be delivered by Dr Reena Wadia MCGDent and Dr Andy Toy FCGDent. Click for full speaker profiles.

    Dr Reena Wadia

    Dr Andy Toy

    Dr Reena Wadia will present a range of clinical cases and examine the indications and steps of crown lengthening and gum recession surgery, reviewing the procedures currently available. Dr Andy Toy will focus on the steps involved in carrying out an occlusal examination and assessment to arrive at a suitable orthodontic treatment plan using aligner therapy, so as to ensure a healthy, functional occlusion and long-term stability of the treatment provided.

    The symposium is designed for early career dental professionals and all dental professionals are welcome to attend. An accessible fee of £70 is available for those who qualified between 2020 to 2025*. For other dental professionals, the fee is £90. Delegates will receive 6 hours of verifiable CPD.

    To increase awareness of this educational opportunity, members of the College are encouraged to pass on the details of the symposium to early career members in their team.

    Further information & register

    Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent, Founder of the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation, said:

    “Our new symposium in September highlights two aspects of aesthetic dentistry which are both equally fundamental in the provision of successful treatment but which tend to be less understood by early career dental professionals, due to lack of training or experience.“

    “An increasing number of younger colleagues are becoming involved in digital smile design and the provision of relevant restorations and the aesthetics and positioning of a patient’s gingival tissues are a vital part of that delivery. The provision of clear aligner therapy has also become very popular with early career dentists but less well understood is that to ensure successful delivery of treatment, an initial occlusal examination should be carried out. For long-term stability of the desired aesthetics, the occlusion on completion should be refined – if this is not carried out, retention such as splinting is likely to fail, followed by relapse. The symposium programme is designed to address these issues and support the ongoing professional development of early career colleagues.“

    The Perio-Occlusion Symposium is the second in a series of symposia organised by the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation, in collaboration with the College. The Introduction to Occlusion Symposium took place in April this year, and received positive feedback from those who attended. One delegate described the day as “brilliant” and explained it covered treatments that “weren’t taught in university”.  Another said, “All the speakers spoke about occlusion in a comprehensive manner that I understood.”

    Following the success of the Introduction to Occlusion Symposium, plans have been made to repeat the event in another part of the country to allow a greater number of early career colleagues to attend. The symposium will take place in Edinburgh and registration will be open soon.

    The College is also delighted to collaborate with the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation to host the CGDent-GC Award for Foundation Trainees, and the Tom Bereznicki Award for Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry, which provide successful candidates with fully-funded clinical training. Anyone wishing to keep up-to-date with these opportunities and other College activities, are encouraged to create a free online account to become a College Subscriber.

    *dental professionals who qualify in 2025 but are not yet registered with the GDC may book a place at the symposium and provide their registration details once they have them.

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    College of General Dentistry News

    Ian Dunn and Jim McCaul to lead study day

    The College has announced Dr Ian Dunn FCGDent and Professor Jim McCaul as the speakers at its next annual study day in Glasgow.

    l-r: Dr Ian Dunn FCGDent and Professor Jim McCaul

    Dr Dunn will deliver Passionate Perio for the Dental Team, a series of sessions covering all aspects of contemporary periodontal management from the latest concepts of aetiology to assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning, including the S3 Treatment Guidelines and minimally invasive periodontics such as non-surgical regeneration and MINST.

    Professor McCaul will then deliver the annual Caldwell Memorial Lecture, entitled Oral Cancer: What you need to know, what you need to do!

    The annual study day, organised by CGDent Scotland, takes place at Glasgow Science Centre on the first Friday in December – 5 December this year. With six hours of CPD, the day is attended by up to 400 dental professionals from across the UK, and finishes with a drinks reception which marks the start of the festive season for its many regular attendees.

    Ian Dunn is a specialist periodontist working in private practice in the North West of England, taking referrals for all aspects of periodontology. A Fellow of the College, he qualified BDS from the University of Leeds in 1998, was awarded Membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK in 2001, gained an MSc in Periodontology in 2010 and completed specialty training in 2013. He runs the Short Course in Periodontics of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and has recently been appointed Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in Periodontics at the University of Central Lancashire.

    He was on the teaching staff in the Periodontology Department at Liverpool Dental Hospital for sixteen years, including as Undergraduate Teaching Lead and five years as a Senior Clinical Teacher. He was elected to the Faculty of the British Society of Periodontology in 2014, serves on the organisation’s Council as Honorary Treasurer and is its regional representative for Merseyside and Cheshire. He was the Deputy of the European Federation of Periodontology Communications Committee and is on the editorial board of Dental Update.

    Jim McCaul is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Professor Emeritus at the University of Bradford Institute for Cancer Therapeutics and Assistant Editor of the International Journal of Surgery and IJS Case Reports. Dual-qualified in medicine and dentistry, he was previously a Consultant Surgeon in Yorkshire and at the Royal Marsden and Northwick Park hospitals in London, and completed a PhD in Cancer Science at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute. His private practice encompasses all aspects of facial surgery including removal of facial lesions, skin cancer surgery, facial plastic surgery, salivary gland surgery and dentoalveolar surgery. He is a former Associate Editor of the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, reviews for 14 other international medical research journals, and is author of the book Face to Face as well as five book chapters, 105 peer-reviewed research papers and over 160 abstracts.

    With 13 national and international awards for research, he is currently Chief Investigator of the Lugol’s iodine in head and neck cancer surgery and Lugol’s Iodine in Surgical Treatment of Epithelial Dysplasia in the Oral Cavity and Oropharynx trials with the aim of minimising impacts and optimising outcomes from head and neck cancer surgery and effectively treating after-effects such as osteoradionecrosis. He is also investigating dysbiosis in the microbiota in the gut, circulation and oral cavity in oral cancer patients. He is a past winner of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons’ President’s Award, Surgery Prize and Norman Rowe Clinical Research Prize.

    The Caldwell Memorial Lecture is held in memory of Robert Craig Caldwell, who graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1950 and became a much-loved Dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, before he died of leukaemia at the age of just 44.

    The study day is open to all dental professionals, and can be attended in person or virtually.

    Fee discounts are available to College members as follows: College dentist members can buy their tickets for just £149 (£249 once ‘early bird’ places are sold out), compared to the full rate for non-member dentists of £349. The concessionary rate for dental technicians, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental nurses, practice managers and retired practitioners is £149, but for College members in these categories it is just £129.

    Breakfast rolls, a two-course lunch, refreshments throughout the day and evening drinks are all included in the attendance fee, and there is an accompanying trade exhibition to visit.

    Attendees at the CGDent Scotland Study Day 2024

    Other discounts to the full rate are available to Foundation Dentists / Vocational Trainees and their trainers, as well as members of the Glasgow Odontological Society and the Royal Odonto-Chirurgical Society of Scotland.

    For further information, visit our events pages.

    SECURE YOUR PLACE HERE

    A review of the CGDent Scotland 2024 Study Day is available here

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    Kevin Lewis awarded College Medal

    Kevin Lewis FCGDent has been awarded the College Medal, the College’s most prestigious honour. 

    Reserved for no more than one recipient per year, the College Medal is awarded for exceptional service to the dental profession and its patients in a manner aligned with the values and mission of the College. Dr Lewis has received the award in recognition of his consistent championing of general dental practice during a career spanning more than half a century, and for his contributions to the establishment and development of the College of General Dentistry from its formative stages.

    After qualifying from The London Hospital in 1971, he worked full-time as a general dental practitioner for 20 years, then part-time for another ten years while he developed his interests in the dento-legal field. In 1989 he began a 27 year career at Dental Protection, initially as a member of the Board of Directors, then as a dento-legal adviser, and as Dental Director between 1998 and 2016, serving on the Council and Executive of the Medical Protection Society.

    In 2017 he was a founder member of the Transition Board, which was tasked with creating what became the College of General Dentistry following the decision of the national board of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) to build an independent college for general dental practitioners and the whole dental team. He subsequently served as a Trustee of the College until 2022, and thereafter as a College Ambassador. He is a Founder and Donor of the College, has written for the Primary Dental Journal and has presented College webinars and lectures on Duty of candour: the legal and regulatory risk, Professionalism in dentistry and Preventing wrong tooth extraction.

    A long-serving Associate Editor of Dental Practice, and Consultant Editor of Dentistry since 2006, he has provided the profession with contemporary, insightful political commentaries and editorials for over forty years and writes extensively on dento-legal topics. He has also lectured all over the world, provides consultancy and advisory services to a variety of organisations in dentistry and wider healthcare, and is a Special Consultant to BDA Indemnity and a Trustee of the Oral & Dental Research Trust.

    He is a Fellow of both the College of General Dentistry and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, achieved the Diploma of Fellowship of the former FGDP, and has been awarded Honorary Membership of the British, Irish and New Zealand Dental Associations and of the British Society for Restorative Dentistry.

    The College will soon cast its medals following the recent receipt of a Grant of Arms by Letters Patent, and Dr Lewis will be presented with his College Medal in due course. Previous winners (including of the preceding Faculty Medal) were Shelagh Farrell, Mike Mulcahy, Nikolaus Palmer, Professor Ken Eaton, Ian Mills, Andrew Hadden and Ario Santini.

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    College of General Dentistry News

    College Vice-Presidents 2025-26

    Nicola Gore and Matthew Collins have been elected as the College’s Vice-Presidents for 2025-26.

    Vice Presidents of the College: Matthew Collins FCGDent (l) and Nicola Gore FCGDent (r)

    Nicola Gore FCGDent is Principal of a dental practice in north London. Since qualifying as a dentist from the University of London in 1993, she has held various general practice and hospital maxillofacial posts within the UK and Australia, has taught undergraduate and graduate dental students and has trained over 25 Foundation Dentists. She holds the MJDF, a Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Education from the University of Bedfordshire and an MClinDent in Fixed & Removable Prosthodontics from the Royal London, and has also undertaken postgraduate training in orthodontics. Co-founder and President of the British Iranian Dental Association, she is a past committee member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and a member of the British Society of Prosthodontics. She is co-author of Dentistry in a Nutshell, and among the authors of the third edition of the College’s Standards in Dentistry publication, which is in the process of being published. She has represented the North Thames region on the College Council since 2024.

    Matthew Collins FCGDent is a general dental practitioner in Batley with a particular clinical interest in dental rehabilitations for patients with worn and missing teeth. He graduated from Leeds University in 1998 and has undertaken extensive postgraduate training in composite techniques, aesthetic dentistry and dental implantology, holding both a Master’s degree in Clinical Dentistry from the University of London and the Diploma in Implant Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He joined the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) in 2001, achieved Fellowship in 2010, and was later a Facilitator for the Faculty’s ‘Preparing for Fellowship’ programme and a member of the Faculty Academy. He was elected as a National Representative in 2021; has served as a member of the College’s Membership Admissions Panel, Regional Funding Panel, and as a Vice President in 2023-24; and has been the elected representative of the College’s Faculty of Dentists since 2024. He is also Chair of Calderdale and Kirklees Local Dental Committee and a member of the International Team for Implantology.

    The College’s Vice-Presidents are elected annually by, and from within, the College Council, and support the President of the College in the delivery of the Council’s strategy and policy.

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    College of General Dentistry News

    National honours for College Fellows

    The College offers its congratulations to the following Fellows who have been recognised in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours list for their outstanding contributions to their community and the profession.

    l-r): Sara Hurley CBE FCGDent, Peter Cranfield MBE FCGDent, Linda Greenwall MBE BEM FCGDent, Fiona Sandom MBE FCGDent

    Dr Sara Hurley FCGDent has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to dentistry. Dr Hurley served in the Royal Army Dental Corps, becoming Chief Dental Officer of the British Army before being appointed as Chief Dental Officer for England at NHS England in 2015. After stepping down in 2023, she was involved in the development of the University of Suffolk Dental School, which began teaching the first students on its BSc Dental Hygiene and Therapy course last year.

    Dr Peter Cranfield FCGDent has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to dental education. A general dental practitioner in Hitchin (Hertfordshire) for over 50 years, Dr Cranfield is also Training Programme Director for the Bedfordshire and Luton Dental Foundation Training Scheme and Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean for Multiprofessional Programmes and Innovation at NHS East of England.

    Dr Linda Greenwall BEM FCGDent has been appointed MBE for services to dentistry and to charity. A specialist in both restorative dentistry and prosthodontics and Chair of the British Dental Bleaching Society, Dr Greenwall runs a private dental practice in Hampstead, north London. In 2011 she founded the Dental Wellness Trust, a charity which delivers supervised toothbrushing programme in South Africa, Kenya and the UK. She was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2017.

    Dr Fiona Sandom FCGDent has been appointed MBE for services to dental therapy and to the NHS in Wales. A dental therapist in Pwllheli, north Wales, she is a Past President and Past Chair of the British Association of Dental Therapists, a lecturer at Bangor University, an Education Quality Assurance Inspector for the General Dental Council, and serves as the Dental Professional Support Unit lead, PLVE Chair and North Wales Regional Lead for Health Education and Improvement Wales.

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