This content is restricted.
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.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
We are saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We give thanks for her extraordinary life of service to our nation; our thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family at this sad time.
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 Autumn 2022 oral surgery issue contents
- Oral surgery for primary dental care by Igor R. Blum, Editor-in-Chief
- Oral surgery by Aneesha Shah, Guest Editor
- President’s update by Abhi Pal, CGDent President
- Research abstracts: oral surgery by Ario Santini
- Preventing wrong tooth extraction in primary care oral surgery: developing local safety standards for invasive procedures (LocSSIPs) by Harjit Kaur Tagar
- Making dental extractions predictable: a methodological approach by Jashme Patel, Aneesha Shah
- Safe intravenous sedation for oral surgery in a primary care setting by Samina Nayani-Low, Jashme Patel
- Record-keeping in intravenous sedation: are we meeting the standards? by Rebecca Ball, Richa Arya, Jashme Patel
- Oral surgery: considerations for the younger patient by Cathy Bryant
- Oral surgery: considerations for the medically complex patient by Cathy Bryant
- The evolving role of the dental nurse in oral surgery and implant surgery by Sheila McDonagh
- Obstructive salivary gland disease by Kiran Beneng
- When dental extractions go wrong: an overview of common complications and management by Olamide Obisesan, Cathy Bryant, Aneesha Shah
- An evaluation of patient informed consent for dental extractions by Richa Arya, Sarah Jadun, Aneesha Shah
- An audit of dental nurses’ confidence with intravenous sedation within an oral surgery department at a UK dental hospital by Elizabeth Barry, Aneesha Shah
- Osteonecrosis of the jaw in primary dental care: recognition and referral by Megan Burns, Vinod Patel
- Temporomandibular disorder: a guide for general dental practitioners by Aneesha Shah, Ambareen Naqvi
- An overview of assessment and management of acute dental pain by Sarah Jadun, Aneesha Shah
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.
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.
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
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.
Education partnership with Dentistry Show London
The College will be the headline education partner for the Clinical Excellence Theatre at Dentistry Show London 2022, hosting nine seminars in three CPD theatres over the two-day conference.
CGDent speakers: top row: Jalpesh Patel, Kevin Lewis, Jason Wong, Wendy Thompson; bottom row: Tim Newton, Jacqui Elsden, Pynadath George, Abhi Pal
The College will be welcoming members and non-members alike to its sessions, with eight experts in their fields sharing their knowledge and giving advice on an array of subjects encompassing clinical dentistry, professionalism and career support:
- Introduction to facial aesthetics and the current educational pathways
- Duty of Candour: the legal and regulatory risk
- Professionalism – a medico-legal perspective
- Creating a positive patient safety culture in dentistry
- Antimicrobial prescribing in dentistry
- Mental health wellness in dentistry
- Supporting staff through menopause (co-hosted with the BADN)
- Mentoring in implant dentistry: good practice guidelines
- Record-keeping in the real world of general dental practice
College representatives will also be available throughout the conference at Stand F58 to talk to delegates about the College, its vision for the profession and the benefits of membership, and to answer questions.
Conference registration is free, and delegates will have access to over 100 seminars in all across 6 lecture theatres, as well as over 180 exhibiting suppliers, and the opportunity to network with thousands of dentists, practice managers, hygienists and therapists, dental nurses, technicians and laboratory owners.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Eugene Chan appointed first overseas College Ambassador
The College of General Dentistry has announced the appointment of Dr Eugene Chan SBS BBS JP as an ambassador.
Drawn from a variety of backgrounds, College Ambassadors have a remit to advocate for the College’s mission and vision, and Dr Chan’s appointment further expands the range of expertise and scope of influence within its ambassadorial team.
Eugene Kin Keung Chan is the principal of a multi-disciplinary dental group practice in Hong Kong, where he was born and raised, and the Chief Dental Officer & Chief Public Affairs officer of EC Healthcare, a listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. He graduated BDS from the University of Adelaide in 1988, and later attained the certificate of the National Dental Examining Board of Canada, memberships of the FGDP(UK), Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) and the Hong Kong College of Dental Surgeons, and the FGDP(UK) Diploma and Advanced Certificate in Implant Dentistry.
With over 20 years of teaching experience, Dr Chan is a visiting professor at Jinan University, Guangzhou, and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and was previously a part-time Clinical Lecturer in the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Dentistry. For ten years he was also an Examiner for the FGDP and RCS.
A past President of both the Australian Doctors & Dentists Association of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Dental Association, he has also served as Co-Chairman of the 26th Asia-Pacific Dental Congress, Vice President of the Asia Pacific Dental Federation, a member of the Dental Council of Hong Kong, and a Governor of Prince Philip Dental Hospital.
In 2006, he was awarded Honorary Fellowship of the FGDP for his contribution to continuing dental education, and he also holds honorary fellowships of the International College of Dentists, American College of Dentists, Pierre Fauchard Academy and the Academy of Dentistry International.
Outside of dentistry, he has been a member of the Advisory Committee of the School of Chinese Medicine of Hong Kong Baptist University, the Quality Education Fund Steering Committee and the Council of City University of Hong Kong, as well as both Chairman and President of the Association of Hong Kong Professionals, and an independent non-executive director of Hong Kong listed companies PuraPharm Corporation and Classified Group. He has also served on over 15 government committees and was made a Justice of the Peace in 2011, awarded a Bronze Bauhinia Star Medal (equivalent to MBE) for meritorious public service in 2016 and a Silver Bauhinia Star Medal (equivalent to OBE) in 2021.
Co-author of eleven books, host of a health awareness television show and anchor of an English language current affairs television programme for TVB Limited, he also publishes news articles about Hong Kong and is a past Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Radio Television Hong Kong.
Dr Chan is the College’s sixteenth ambassador to be appointed, and the first based outside the UK. Previously appointed College Ambassadors include:
- Dr Louise Belfield, Associate Professor of Biomedical and Oral Health Sciences, Peninsula Dental School
- Professor Jonathan Cowpe, former Director of Postgraduate Dental Education in Wales
- Dr Shelagh Farrell, Founder Member of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK
- Dr Marina Harris, Senior Lecturer and Periodontology Lead, University of Portsmouth Dental Academy
- Professor Jacky Hayden CBE, President, Academy of Medical Educators
- Professor Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet
- Dame Parveen Kumar DBE, Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Education, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London
- Professor Jason Leitch CBE, National Clinical Director, Scottish Government
- Dr Ian Mills,Past Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK
- Dr Govin Murugachandran, Founder, Flynotes
- Dr Yewande Oduwole, Associate Dentist
- Marie Parker,Deputy Programme Director of Hygiene and Therapy at University College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London
- Rt Hon Sir Mike Penning, Member of Parliament
- Dr Wendy Thompson, Lecturer in Primary Dental Care, University of Manchester
- Dr Pouya Zohrabpour, Associate Dentist
Details of all College ambassadors are available here
Non-voting Council members 2022-23
Maria Clark and Igor Blum have been re-appointed as non-voting members of the College Council for 2022-23.
Professor Igor R. Blum FCGDent has been Editor-in-Chief and Clinical Editor of the Primary Dental Journal since 2017, and is a Foundation Fellow of the College and a member of its Professional Affairs Committee.
After qualifying DDS (Hons) from Semmelweis University, Budapest, in 1995, he completed an MSc in Oral Surgery and a PhD in Restorative Dentistry at the University of Manchester, and a Doctor of Medical Dentistry degree at the University of Frankfurt, Germany. Following several years in general dental practice and working as part time clinical assistant at the Manchester Dental Hospital, he became a Clinical Lecturer/Honorary Specialist Registrar in Restorative Dentistry at Bristol Dental School.
With clinical interests encompassing all aspects of advanced restorative dentistry, Prof Blum is a GDC-registered specialist in prosthodontics, periodontics, endodontics and restorative dentistry, and has lectured widely both nationally and internationally. A Fellow in Restorative Dentistry at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and a member of the European Prosthodontic Association and the British Society for Dental Research, he has also been appointed to the Specialist Training Committee for Restorative Dentistry. He has authored six book chapters and over 80 peer-reviewed journal papers, holds several visiting professorships in Europe and the US, and is on the editorial board of several dental journals, including the Journal of Dentistry and the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.
A member and examiner at both the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, he has also been an external examiner at the University of Kent. Holding a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, an MA in Education and an LLM (Medico-Legal), he is a member of the Association for Dental Education in Europe, which last year awarded him its Mature Career Educator Award in recognition of his excellence in dental education. He is also a Fellow of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, of the International College Dentists and of the Higher Education Academy.
He is currently Clinical Lead and Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at King’s College Hospital, and Head of the Departments of Restorative Dentistry and Primary Dental Care at King’s College Hospital Dental Institute, as well as Maurice Wohl Professor in Primary Care Dentistry and Advanced General Dental Practice at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences at King’s College London, and the university’s Director for Dental Outreach Education.
Maria Clark FFGDP(UK)(Hon.) is the College’s Patient Representative, and was previously a member of the Faculty of General Dental Practice’s Lay and Patient Panel (2016-17) and its Patient Representative (2017-21).
Her interest in health services began in 2006 when going through genetic counselling for a rare genetic condition, and she has been involved ever since both as a service user in maternity and gynaecological services and as a supporter for various family members across a range of NHS departments.
As a solicitor, she spent 10 years supporting people disabled as a result of the negligence of clinicians, employers and others, and she has worked for disability organisations and those aiming to redress the balance in health inequalities.
Driven to ensure patient views are incorporated into healthcare policies and research, Maria holds a range of public involvement and engagement positions, including being a Patient Safety Partner at NHS England, Vice-Chair of the British Medical Association’s Patient Liaison Group and Patient Champion at her local GP practice. She is also a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Women’s Network (and lay examiner for their part 3 MRCOG examination), and external research ethics reviewer (and member of the Research Ethics Committee) at the University of Sheffield.
She acted as Patient Representative during the development of both Antimicrobial Prescribing in Dentistry – Good Practice Guidelines and Implications of COVID-19 for the safe management of general dental practice: a practical guide, and was awarded Honorary Fellowship of the FGDP in 2020.
