Friday 6 December 2024, 9am-5.30pm (registration from 8am, drinks reception until 7pm)
SAVE THE DATE – details to follow
Glasgow Science Centre, 50 Pacific Quay, Glasgow G51 1EA
The CGDent Scotland study day takes place at the Glasgow Science Centre on the first Friday in December each year. A diary fixture for many of its 400 participants, it is open to both members and non-members of the College from across the UK and elsewhere, and can be attended in person or virtually.
For in-person attendees, there is free parking and a light breakfast available. The day provides six hours of CPD including the Caldwell Memorial Lecture, with two coffee breaks, a three-course lunch and a drinks reception afterwards, with delegates also encouraged to visit the accompanying trade exhibition.
Dental nurse, Dr Debbie Reed FCGDent, is Chair of the inaugural board of the College’s Faculty of Dental Nursing and Orthodontic Therapy and a Reader and Director of Advanced and Specialist Healthcare in Global and Lifelong Learning at the University of Kent. In this blog, Debbie reflects on the results of her recent research into dental nurse retention in the UK.
There are currently over 61,6631dental nurses (DNs) on the General Dental Council (GDC) register, making dental nurses the largest occupational group of dental registrants. However, in recent years there has been a perceived drop in the numbers of dental nurses, to the extent that this has been termed a ‘recruitment crisis’. In my capacity as Reader (associate professor) in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare, I conducted the Dental Nurse Retention Survey, in February – March 20232, which aimed to explore the current state of the registered Dental Nurse workforce within the United Kingdom (UK).
The main conclusions of the subsequent report3 provide valuable insights into the reasons dental nurses want to remain in the profession, as well as some of the factors that may lead them to consider leaving.
There are three top factors that encouraged 50% of dental nurse respondents to remain registered with the GDC and working within the dental sector. These were, in order:
Meaning and growth, focusing on reasons associated with job satisfaction, including meaningful work, career structure and opportunities for professional progression and growth.
Extrinsic rewards, including contracts of employment, financial remuneration and pay, as well as additional rewards and incentives provided by employers.
Workplace culture and environment, which was defined as a set of values, beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions common to those working together, which influences behaviours and interactions amongst colleagues within the dental team. Workplace environment also means the setting and physical conditions, such as the building structure, equipment, and material, in addition to the culture.
This indicates the potential importance to dental nurses, of having career pathway routes, such as the College of General Dentistry’s Career Pathway for Dental Nurse and Orthodontic Therapists (OTs)4. CGDent’s Career Pathway offers a progressive and flexible structure through which dental nurses can be enabled in equality of opportunity for career development and progression, alongside a route-map for the achievements of DNs and OTs to be recognised within a prestigious multi-professional, sector wide, recognition framework. CGDent’s progressive career framework, is an accessible and achievable route to job satisfaction and professional longevity.
Uniquely, CGDent provides a transparent, progressive series of gateways that encourages DNs and OTs to maximise their development opportunities, with means to track their development throughout their career progression. The gateways offer much-needed commonality of approach to career progression across all registered dental professions, with parity of occupational esteem, unparalleled elsewhere in dentistry, nationally or internationally.
Instinctively, the CGDent Career Pathway, launched in 2022, may go some way to responding to some of the reasons dental nurses not only become uncertain about remaining but the reasons that dental nurses go on to declare an intention to leave.
The Survey Report detailed, with regards to the other 50% of respondents, that 34% who declared having become ‘uncertain about remaining in dental nursing’. The top three reasons for this, in order, were:
First –Dissatisfaction with pay.
Joint second – Employers not valuing, recognising, or showing appreciation for the dental nurses’ contribution or no longer enjoying working as dental nurse.
Joint third – Dental nurses not getting a sense of meaning and reward from their role or feeling that they were unable to progress in their career.
The remaining 16% of dental nurse respondents declared ‘an intention to leave dental nursing’. Surprisingly, when requested to be specific, pay was not amongst the top three reasons why dental nurses were making the decision to leave, although it did feature. The three top reasons, in order, why dental nurses intended to leave dental nursing were:
Employers not valuing, recognising or showing appreciation for their contribution.
Feeling they were unable to progress in their careers.
No longer enjoying working as a dental nurse.
Reassuringly, the study also revealed that even within the group who were ‘intending to leave’, that 46% could be tempted by employers, with suitable progression routes, offers, rewards and incentives, to remain or return to dental nursing. So, it is not too late for employers, there are steps that can be taken to retain this group of dental nurses, and the report offers ideas to be used as a starting point for such discussions and negotiations. The Dental Nurse UK Retention Survey 2023 Report offers hope in the form of possibilities which might be explored to retain or re-engage that group and tempt them to consider re-registering to work in the dental sector.
The Dental Nurse Retention Survey UK Report published the results in Autumn 2023: Reed, D.P. (2023) The Dental Nurse UK Retention Survey 2023: An Internet Mediated Survey Of Members Of The British Association of Dental Nurses And Wider Dental Nurse Workforce Regarding What Encourages Them To Remain Within The Dental Sector.
Over the course of the year, look out for the associated blogs (such as the GDC January 2024 Blog5), papers, journal articles and speaker events, including part of the CDO Lounge events in March 2024 at BDIA Showcase in Excel London, which will provide further detailed analysis of the survey results.
Reed, D.P. (2023) The Dental Nurse UK Retention Survey 2023: An Internet Mediated Survey Of Members Of The British Association of Dental Nurses And Wider Dental Nurse Workforce Regarding What Encourages Them To Remain Within The Dental Sector. Available online via ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374919034_Dental_Nurse_UK_Retention_Survey_2023
Patricia Thomson FCGDent, Vice President of the College and Council representative for West and North Scotland, reviews the College’s third annual study day in Scotland, which took place on Friday 1 December 2023.
On 1 December 2023, the dental community of Scotland, and beyond, convened at Glasgow Science Centre for our third Annual Study Day as CGDent Scotland. This was the continuation of a tradition of annual high-quality CPD conferences in Glasgow, initiated by the highly esteemed John Craig, the man charged with setting up the West of Scotland division of FGDP (UK) when it was established in 1992. He was a man of great vision, and supported by a group of other altruistic like-minded GDPs, nurtured the community of dental practice in Scotland, an initiative which has been continued to this day.
Many distinguished speakers from around the world have addressed our conference over the years. Memorably, several years ago Professor Van Haywood travelled from Georgia with his wife to headline our study day. On being transported from Glasgow Airport by one of Glasgow’s finest taxi drivers, after asking where they had come from and receiving the reply Georgia USA, the taxi driver spluttered: “What the **** are you doing in Glasgow in December?!!!”. The warmth of this reply was much to Van Haywood’s amusement and he recounted the conversation to the delegates, delivered in his version of a broad Glasgow accent.
This year’s speakers, the mild mannered Professors Subir Banerji FCGDent and Shamir Mehta FCGDent may have been asking themselves the same question in less fruity language when they experienced the sub-zero temperatures during their stay in Glasgow, and woke up to a blanket of thick snow on the day of their departure. Finally, after spending Saturday’s daylight hours in Glasgow Airport, they managed to board a flight back to Heathrow that evening.
We were very honoured to welcome Subir and Shamir to spend the study day with us addressing the problem of toothwear.
The 400 delegates present comprised dental professionals of all levels of experience, over 130 Vocational Dental Practitioners, the final year students at Glasgow Dental School, and a number of dental students from Dundee University. Most delegates attended in person, but a small number participated online.
In step with our evolution from FGDP West of Scotland to CGDent Scotland, we were delighted to welcome VDPs from all parts of our country, and are grateful to National Health Service Education Scotland (NES) for continuing to engage with this event, which welcomes the most recent recruits to our profession into the community of general practice and demonstrates to them the fellowship and support that we offer.
The day was very generously supported by various dental organisations and members of the dental trade who have enabled the event to grow to the ambitious scale that we now enjoy.
Proceedings kicked off at 8.15am with hot beverages and breakfast rolls, before a prompt start to the lecture programme at 9am.
Our speakers held the delegates’ attention for two lectures in the morning and one lecture after lunch, during which they discussed the need to record and categorise tooth wear, and moved on to the aetiology and treatment. The lectures were titled “The How and The What and The Wear”.
Subir and Shamir have a unique style of delivery which consists of them sharing the stage and running through their presentation in a conversational manner, in which they discuss various points and anecdotes, bouncing ideas and, occasionally, challenging each other. They have an excellent interpersonal chemistry, and their discussion appeared to flow effortlessly throughout the sessions. Proposed treatment techniques were backed by evidence. The feedback revealed that this format was warmly received by the delegates, and is a presentation formula that works very well for them.
There was a separate breakout session for the students during the second lecture of the day, and they convened in another lecture theatre for several “TED”-style talks presented by multiple stakeholders. This started with an introduction to the College of General Dentistry, its aims and ambitions, the Career Pathway, and the study clubs and activities that we offer in Scotland, together with an encouragement to engage. This was followed by talks on entering the Vocational Training Scheme and ultimately embarking on general practice as an independent practitioner. There was a very enlightening presentation by one of our main sponsors, Martin Aitken, a Scottish accountancy firm with an in depth knowledge of the business of Dentistry, in which they were introduced to the concept of keeping financial records and paying tax!
It was a bit of an undertaking to feed almost 400 delegates at lunchtime, but this was ably achieved by the staff of the Science Centre, and there was even time for delegates to visit the exhibition hall and interact with our trade sponsors.
All delegates reconvened in the IMAX auditorium for the afternoon with Subir and Shamir’s final lecture, and after another coffee break, the final lecture, The Caldwell Memorial Lecture, was presented by Professor Jason Leitch, the National Clinical Director for NHS services in Scotland. Jason graduated as a dentist from Glasgow University, became an oral surgeon, and then attended Harvard to undertake his Masters in Public Health. He then returned to Scotland, but not to dentistry, climbed the ladder of promotion in Public Health, and found himself in the unenviable position of Clinical Director of Scotland when the Covid pandemic arrived. He became the main media persona in Scotland during the pandemic, and was praised for the clarity of his Public Health messaging. He spoke eloquently on the demands that governments faced throughout the pandemic, balancing the four challenges of the harm to health of the virus, economic harm, impact on health and social care service, and social isolation. He then moved on to the challenges that we face in the future as a nation with the provision of health and social care, discussing the implications for both manpower and finance.
Although very sobering, Jason’s talk was delivered in an entertaining and thought provoking manner.
Just after 5pm, it was time for the delegates to return to the upper floor of the Science Centre for the post-conference drinks reception, and to admire the night-time panoramic view of the banks of the Clyde stretching to the spires of Glasgow University. This part of the day facilitates the mingling of the varied members of our community, the chance for delegates to meet the speakers, networking, and catching up with old friends and colleagues.
The success of the day is down to cooperation and engagement of the entire dental community, and was capably orchestrated by our events coordinator Patricia de Vries. As a result of Patricia’s expert and meticulous planning, we filled our sponsor and delegate places by early October. Patricia also liaised with the Science Centre to ensure the smooth running of the day. We are hugely indebted and grateful to her for the service that she provides.
The Study day in Glasgow is a well oiled machine that has been staged over the last three decades, but it does not happen without much planning and effort by the events planners and members of the CGDent Scotland Committee. However, it is very rewarding for all involved, and we believe it displays the essence of what it means to belong to the “community of practice”.
Any speaker or delegate who comes to Glasgow in future, even though in December, can be assured of a warm welcome from everyone…even the taxi drivers.
We look forward to seeing you at the 2024 Scotland Study Day on Friday 6 December!
On 13 December 2023, the President of the College, Dr Abhi Pal, participated in a roundtable meeting with the newly appointed Minister for Primary Care, Andrea Leadsom MP.
Held at the Department of Health and Social Care, the meeting had been called by the newly-appointed Minister to outline her priorities for NHS dentistry in England – ensuring access for urgent dental care and increasing preventative activities such as perinatal advice and supervised toothbrushing schemes – and to hear the profession’s suggested solutions to the problems facing patients and NHS providers.
A wide range of stakeholders were present and discussed the critical need for contract reform as well as the delayed Dental Recovery Plan amongst other issues. On behalf of the College, Dr Pal made the case that the NHS needs to focus on arresting the exodus of the existing dental workforce and on increasing its appeal to newly-qualified professionals and those from overseas, and that to do this it needs to offer more attractive prospects by supporting a formal career progression framework for all those delivering NHS primary dental care.
The College would like to encourage research-interested colleagues based in the West Midlands to get involved with an active regional dental research network.
The West Midlands Dental Research Network, part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Clinical Research Network, is looking for dental practices to join.
Yann Maidment, CGDent Research Lead and Kanwar Ratra, CGDent Council Member for the West Midlands, said:
“If you live or work in the region and are interested in research, have already thought about making your practice research-active or are considering involvement as a means of professional development, we encourage you to join the West Midlands Dental Research Network.”
Further details are below.
NIHR Clinical Research Network West Midlands Dental Research Network
Have you thought about becoming a research active dental practice? We are here to offer you that opportunity.
Who Are We?
The Clinical Research Network West Midlands, part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). We are here to help provide advice, support and assistance to allow your dental practice to take part in high-quality dental research in the clinical setting where the care is provided.
The benefits for Dental Practices and personnel taking part in research:
Research Career Development
Contributing to NICE Evidence Base
Patients given opportunity of research involvement (per NHS Constitution)
Quality Mark for CQC Inspection
Staff Learning and Development with CPD opportunities
NIHR accredited certificate
Updates on research findings to contribute to policy and practice
Expressions of Interest:
We seek expressions of interest from forward-thinking dental practices who would like to join our Dental Research Network. This will provide the opportunity to be the first to find out about high profile dental research studies taking place in your area.
Joining the Dental Research Network does not commit you to taking part in a particular study and is free.
To express your interest please contact: Anesha Chauhan, the Clinical Research Practitioner coordinating the Dental Research Network in W Midlands. Email: [email protected] or by mobile: 07823 362148.
College members can now download a copy of their Certificate of Membership from their online account.
The Certificate of Membership is available as a PDF for Student Members, Affiliate Members, Associate Members, Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows to save, print and display.
The certificate includes the member’s membership number and grade of membership as well as the expiry date of their current annual membership term. It will update automatically after their next renewal payment has been successfully processed, and the updated certificate showing their new term of membership can then be downloaded.
To download your Certificate of Membership:
Sign in to your online account at https://cgdent.uk using the email address you have registered with the College
If you need to use the ‘Forgot Password’ option, please check your junk/spam folder in case the password reset email is directed there
Go to the Membership tab, follow the drop-down menu to My account and click on My dashboard
College Fellows should note that their annual membership certificate is separate from their Fellowship certificate, which they should have received by post (unless they joined or upgraded very recently).
Marie Parker and Jane Clarke have been appointed as Trustees of the College. They are the third and fourth new Trustees appointed since the College opened its doors to members in 2021, with Fred Thomson and Onkar Dhanoya having been appointed in 2022.
(l-r) Marie Parker, Onkar Dhanoya, Jane Clarke and Fred Thomson, Trustees of the College of General Dentistry
Marie ParkerFCGDent is the Deputy Programme Director of Hygiene and Therapy at University College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London. Since qualifying as a dental nurse, she has worked in various areas of dentistry and completed a number of leadership and management qualifications, as well as a Master’s in Education. An advocate and promoter of dental nursing careers, and of improving the accessibility of education and training for all registered dental care professionals, she has been involved in the training and education of dental nurses and other members of the dental team throughout most of her career. She is a past Chair and Trustee of the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses, and Co-chair of the Dental Trailblazers group.
Dr Onkar DhanoyaFCGDent has been Principal Dentist at Honour Health, a mixed NHS-and-private dental group, since 1986, providing treatments including dental implants, facial aesthetics and orthodontics at its three practices across the North East of England. He graduated from Newcastle University in 1985, is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists and represented the Yorkshire and Northern region on the FGDP National Board, and later on the CGDent Council, from 2014-22. Chair of North Tyne LDC, and past President of the BDA’s Northern Counties branch, he has been a clinical teacher at Newcastle Dental Hospital since 1995 and a Director of Dental Protection since 2019. He served two terms as Vice Dean of the FGDP, was an MJDF examiner for ten years, and chaired the FGDP’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Programme Board.
Jane Clarke is a governance specialist in the professional body and not-for-profit sectors, and since retiring in 2020 has been appointed a Director of Landscape Services, Trustee of the Landscape Institute, and an Independent Person for a group of borough councils in Surrey. Previously she was Director of Governance Support and Group Secretary at the Royal College of Nursing; Company Secretary of its commercial subsidiary, RCNi; and a Founder of the RCN Foundation. From 1995-2006 she worked for the National Trust as Assistant Director for Committee Services and Administration, Deputy Secretary then Secretary, and prior to that she enjoyed a seventeen-year career at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, where her posts included Head of the Executive Office and Director of Policy Coordination.
Fred Thomson is a solicitor specialising in procurement law. After graduating in computing, he became an IT systems engineer and consultant and programme manager, later completing a Bachelor’s in Law and Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice. He also holds an MSc in Engineering and Management, an LLM and a Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management, and is a Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Fellow of both the Institution of Analysts and Programmers and the Institute of Leadership, and a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. An officer in the Royal Naval Reserve for over 20 years, he holds the rank of Commander. He was also a mentor for the charity IntoUniversity, which helps young people achieve the best results they can in accessing higher education.
Members of the Board of Trustees, who serve three-year terms of office, are accountable for the fulfilment of the College’s legal and regulatory duties as a charity, and for ensuring the proper running of the organisation.
The other members of the Trustee Board are Dr Mick Horton FCGDent, former Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK, who has served since 2017 and became Chair earlier this year; Dr Janet Clarke MBE FCGDent, former Deputy Chief Dental Officer for England, who joined the Board in 2019 and served as Chair from 2020-23; and Neil Sawbridge, an experienced banking and leasing Chief Financial Officer who has been an independent Trustee since 2017.
The new appointees have succeeded Dr Kevin Lewis FCGDent, former Dental Director at Dental Protection, who served on the Board from 2017-22 and is now a College Ambassador; fellow former dental Trustee Professor Liz Kay MBE FCGDent, Foundation Dean and Emeritus Professor at Peninsula Dental School (2019-22); Kate Gregory, a legal consultant and qualified litigator (2019-22); and fellow former independent Trustee Lesley Pan, who specialises in building and developing charitable enterprises (2019-23).
Other former members of the Board include Professor Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent, Past President of the British Dental Association and Honorary Founding President of the College, who served as Chair from 2017-20; Dr Ian Mills FCGDent, former Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK, who was a Trustee from 2018-21; and Duncan Rudkin, Chief Executive and Registrar of the General Pharmaceutical Council, who served from 2017-19.
If you are planning to discontinue your GDC registration at the end of the year, you can maintain a link with dentistry by staying a member of the College.
Retired members enjoy the same benefits, rights and privileges of the College as practising members, but enjoy a fee discount of up to 66% from their next renewal.
If you retire as an Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College, or are eligible to upgrade to one of these statuses, you will be eligible to attend our biannual Fellows’ Receptions.
If a Fellow and 65 years of age or older, you will also be eligible to become a Life Fellow of the College for a one-off payment, which the College can treat as a donation (and, with your approval, add to it with Gift Aid).
It is also anticipated that retired members will provide a rich resource of mentors for early career colleagues through the College’s Certified Membership programme.
Retired Fellows of CGDent or the former FGDP are also eligible to join the 1992 Circle, which is named to commemorate the formation of the FGDP and gathers informally twice a year before Fellows’ Receptions, at no further cost. This provides the opportunity to maintain some professional standing and status throughout your retirement, and to support the further growth and development of the College – for example, Circle members are working to record the history of the FGDP and have spearheaded fundraising to support the College’s application for a Coat of Arms. Circle members also receive information on the events and activities of the Lindsay Society for the history of dentistry.
Retiring and retired members are invited to contact Sir Nairn Wilson CBE at [email protected], for further information.
World leading consumer health company Haleon, in conjunction with the College, has launched the ‘Dental Health Barometer’ to provide insights into the role of preventative oral healthcare in the UK.
Preventative care is defined as proactive dental care and advice that helps a patient to take action to maintain a healthy mouth, protecting against tooth decay, gum disease and more serious issues such as tooth loss and negative impacts on general health.
However, the survey of UK consumers and dental health professionals reveals that preventative oral care advice is not being offered consistently to patients. That’s despite a high incidence of tooth decay – with 70,000 people treated in UK emergency departments for the disease last year alone[1]. Just one third (34%) of oral health professionals said they always offer preventative care advice to patients, while one in four (25%) patients said they weren’t given preventative advice during their last dental appointment.
Over half (59%) of oral health professionals said that they are more likely to offer preventative advice for private patients than NHS patients, and over a third (37%) of NHS oral health professionals cited time constraints as the top reason for not being able to routinely offer preventative care advice, as opposed to just 15% of private oral health professionals. Though we know oral health professionals are working hard during a time of unprecedented pressure on the UK dental landscape, these figures come as little surprise given the widely reported ‘dental deserts’ where some areas of the UK have over 3,000 patients for every NHS dentist[2].
Additionally, oral health professionals differed on the preventative advice they would recommend to patients. While half (50%) said advice on additional oral hygiene products and brushing techniques were key, only 2 in 5 (41%) pointed to advice on diet as preventative care and just over a third (34%) would consider advice on caring for gums to be preventative advice.
Bas Vorsteveld, General Manager GBI, Haleon, said: “We know that oral health professionals are facing huge pressures, and we want to help support them to be able to provide better preventative advice – not just during routine dental appointments, but outside of appointments too. Our findings revealed preventative care advice is not always offered consistently, despite patients and dentists understanding its importance. We remain committed to addressing these issues and will look to develop new initiatives to support dental professionals.
“These will form alongside our existing initiatives which include providing educational materials to healthcare professionals, continuing to innovate and provide therapeutic oral care for patient issues at home and through campaigns like Shine Bright which raises awareness in children of the prevention of oral health conditions.”
The importance of preventative care
Nearly half (49%) of the UK public think preventative care for oral health is very important with over half (54%) of consumers saying they would prefer to receive preventative care advice for their oral health from their dentist. Meanwhile, the majority (87%) of oral health professionals think that preventative action is beneficial and aim to provide it proactively.
Confusion over the availability of preventative care on the NHS
However, there is a lack of understanding across consumers and oral health professionals over whether preventative care is routinely available on the NHS. Almost half (48%) of consumers said preventative oral healthcare advice is offered on the NHS, and over a third (34%) were unsure. Oral health professionals were more aware, with 74% saying preventative oral healthcare advice is offered on the NHS. Once again, younger dentists are more aware that preventative care advice should be routinely available on the NHS.
The importance of preventative care has already been acknowledged by the Department of Health, through the roll out of the Delivering Better Oral Health toolkit, which was updated in 2021. This aims to provide best practice guidance on routine preventative care. It is encouraging that over a quarter (76%) of oral health professionals surveyed were aware of this toolkit. Younger dentists are more likely to be aware of it, with 82% aged 23-34 were aware compared to 58% of dental health professionals aged 45 – 54.
Dr. Kate Fabrikant, Medical Affairs Director, Northern Europe, Haleon, further supports this: “Working in the industry, we must find ways to support the availability and accessibility of preventative oral care for all. We will continue to support dental professionals in facilitating behavioural change towards better oral health in their patients, whilst improving health literacy of the patients to seek out and engage in preventative care, to help them practice better everyday self-care and avoid longer term dental issues. There is a long road to travel to normalise healthy smiles in society, and it will take professionals, industry and policy makers coming together to get to this end goal.”
Consumers are open to preventative advice, but guidance is needed
The study found patients have a strong level of trust in advice given by their dentist. Where it is offered, 9 in 10 (88%) found the advice helpful. The study found that NHS patients, younger people and men were less likely to proactively ask for preventative care advice.
Dr Abhi Pal, President at the College of General Dentistry said: “We are committed to quality and standards of excellence in general practice dentistry – helping professionals to do the best for their patients. The research revealed some fascinating insights into the role that preventative care plays in the UK. It’s quite properly a mainstay of both private and NHS appointments, and we support any initiative that promotes prevention.”
Regional split
The Barometer also found that there were regional discrepancies between both patients and oral health professionals. It was found that:
Only 40% of consumer respondents from Greater London think that preventative care is very important for oral health compared to over half (55%) in Northern Ireland and South West England.
Respondents from Greater London also were less likely to have received advice, with only 37% having encountered preventative care advice compared to over half of respondents (55%) in the South East and nearly half (47%) in the North East.
Over half (55%) of respondents in Wales said thinking back to their most recent trip to an oral health professional, they received preventative care advice verbally from them,
compared to 50% of those in Scotland,
48% of those in England,
And under 2 in 5 (37%) in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland have recalled a particularly low level of preventative care during dentist visits – with only slightly over a third of respondents (37%) having received advise at their last appointment. Despite this, the respondents from the region were some of the most interested in learning about preventative advice (53%) compared to (36%) of East England, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber who were less interested.
The East of England saw the lowest level of detail from their oral health professional on preventative care advice, with only 30% feeling their dentist provided a lot of detail.
A poster depicting the key findings of the research is available to download here.
In order to unlock insights from the study, the College and Haleon hosted a live webinar on 30 November 2023. A recording of the webinar is available to view below.
As part of a new initiative to raise awareness of its mission to dental students and early career professionals, the College held its first ‘NextGen’ event on Saturday 25 November 2023.
The CGDent NextGen Leadership Workshop, which took place in Manchester, was open to students on the Bachelor of Dental Surgery, BSc or DipHE Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy, BSc Clinical Dental Technology and BSc Dental Studies courses at the University of Manchester, the University of Liverpool, the University of Birmingham and the University of Central Lancashire, as well as Foundation Dentists and Foundation Dental Therapists in the North West region.
Successful applicants were awarded a fully funded place at the one-day workshop, which explored the skills required for effective leadership in dentistry, through a series of talks, workshops and discussion. The day focused on the five competencies in the Agency Domain of the College’s Professional Framework for Career Pathways in Dentistry: autonomy, decision-making, influence, leadership and management.
Supported by five College facilitators, the delegates were encouraged to examine the key leadership skills and consider how they could develop them through short-term, medium-term and long-term goals.
Christy, a BDS student at the University of Birmingham who took part in the day, said: “…it was great to meet the facilitators and other students there. Everyone was so welcoming, and the talks and activities were easily accessible – no matter what stage or area of dentistry we were in. I’ve learnt multiple ways to develop my skill set, information about the College of General Dentistry and thoroughly look forward to future events!”
Many of those who attended the workshop have become NextGen Ambassadors for the College, with the aim of raising awareness within their communities of CGDent’s mission and of the career support it offers to dental professionals.
The College wishes to thank the students and Foundation Trainees who enthusiastically took part in the day; the workshop facilitators who generously gave their time and expertise (Phillip Brown, Poppy Dunton, Roshni Karia, Abhi Pal and Sir Nairn Wilson); and the University of Manchester, University of Liverpool, University of Birmingham, University of Central Lancashire and Health Education North West for their support.
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