College of General Dentistry Recent event

Professionalism in dentistry

Recorded webinar. Monday 6 December 2021, 7pm.

This webinar is part of our ‘PDJ Live’ series, which examines topics covered in contemporary issues of the Primary Dental Journal, the College of General Dentistry’s quarterly peer-reviewed member journal for the whole dental team. It is one of three events which convene a range of voices from across the profession, including some of the authors, to explore the subjects of the papers in the June 2021 issue on leadership and professionalism.

Inspired by the article Professionalism – a medico-legal perspective, this webinar provides an overview of professionalism in a healthcare context, and explores some of the characteristics that different parties would associate with it. We examine the issue of professionalism in relation to dental colleagues, and how it impacts upon the range of medico-legal challenges they might face. And we ask whether a mismatch of perspectives, and the relative importance that each party attaches to different aspects of professionalism, can often sit at the heart of complaints and litigation, and whether traditional professional values and behaviours are still relevant in a modern healthcare environment that is increasingly digital, consumerist and competitive.

CGDent members interested in reading the article ahead of watching the webinar will find it on page 51 of their print copy, or can read it online by logging in to the CGDent website, visiting https://cgdent.uk/primary-dental-journal-member-only/ and following the links to the June issue. Non-members can rent or purchase the article via the title link above, or can take out an annual subscription to the PDJ.

Chair:

Mick Horton, Guest Editor of the June 2021 issue of the Primary Dental Journal

Speakers:

  • Abhi Pal, President of the College of General Dentistry
  • Kevin Lewis, Consultant Editor of Dentistry, Trustee of the College of General Dentistry & Author of Professionalism – a medico-legal perspective
  • Louisa Sherlock, Dentist and Barrister, specialising in business and property law and clinical negligence
  • George Wright, Senior Dental Educator and Dento-Legal Consultant
  • Nishma Sharma, Clinical Advisor to NHS England and Clinical Leadership Manager for the Office of the Chief Dental Officer for England
  • Keerut Oberai, General Dental Practitioner, currently completing a Master’s in Medical Law and Ethics at King’s College London

CGDent members and ProDental subscribers can claim CPD hours for free and have access to the recording after the event.  A £20 fee will apply for non-members/non-subscribers who wish to claim CPD.

watch webinar

This webinar is a co-production of the College of General Dentistry (CGDent) and ProDental CPD.

Membership of the College of General Dentistry is open to all registered dental professionals. Membership for dentists is available from £94, and for other registered dental professionals from £33. The full list of CGDent membership rates is at https://cgdent.uk/membership-fees/. 

College of General Dentistry News

Notice to members and subscribers in European Union countries

Print issues of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ) being sent to members subscribers in European Union (EU) countries are now subject to import VAT at the domestic rate of the country in which you are located.

This is a result of recent EU legislation on cross-border e-commerce, which has removed the import VAT exemption threshold and changed the point of taxation from the supplier to the location of the consumer receiving the goods.

Our publisher, SAGE, will now be transporting your print issues of the PDJ into the EU and clearing them through customs.

CGDent will pay any VAT due, and no charge will be made to members/subscribers.

However, short term disruption is a possibility as postal services and customs authorities are reported to have had difficulty in understanding and applying the new rules.

If you receive a payment notice to release your copy of PDJ from your local postal service, do not pay it – instead, please contact [email protected] for resolution/resupply.

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College of General Dentistry News

Avijit Banerjee and Shamir Mehta to lead CGDent career pathways programme

Professor Avijit Banerjee and Dr Shamir Mehta have been appointed to key positions leading the College of General Dentistry’s career pathways programme.


Professor Avijit Banerjee (l), Chair of the CGDent Career Pathways Programme Board, and Dr Shamir Mehta (r), Chair of the CGDent Career Pathways Reference Group

Professor Banerjee is Professor of Cariology & Operative Dentistry and Clinical Lead in Restorative Dentistry at King’s College London, and has been appointed Chair of the Career Pathways Programme Board, which also includes the College’s Vice President, Roshni Karia, and CEO Simon Thornton-Wood.

Dr Mehta is a partner in two dental practices in Harrow, Senior Clinical Teacher at King’s College London and Senior Clinical Advisor to the General Dental Council, and has been appointed Chair of the Career Pathways Reference Group, which provides advice and guidance and also includes Andrew Dickinson, Sharon Hill, Andrea Johnson, Kirstie Moons, Fiona Sandom and Bill Sharpling.

The career pathways programme, which is supported by Colgate, is building structures to provide purpose and direction for careers across the oral health team, to enhance professional standing, and to help retain and nurture a motivated workforce in dentistry.

Career pathways with clear progressive steps are being mapped for each dental team role, underpinned by a professional framework which describes the breadth of capabilities of practitioners at each stage of their career.

These are being developed, together with the programme board and reference group, by four working groups reflecting the key roles in general dentistry:

Dentist Group

  • Phil Dawson (Chair)
  • Sefa Ahiaku
  • Bilal Arshad
  • Ian Dunn
  • James Hamilton
  • Nyree Whitley

Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy Group

  • Emma Pacey (Chair)
  • Leon Bassi
  • Liam Ferguson
  • Shaun Howe
  • Sarah Murray
  • Kath Reynolds
  • Frances Robinson
  • Miranda Steeples
  • Kirstie Thwaites

Dental Nursing and Orthodontic Therapy Group

  • Debbie Reed (Chair)
  • Ken Binnah
  • Jane Dalgarno
  • Amanda Knight
  • Sharon Morrow
  • Marie Parker
  • Tracey Rodgers
  • Tracey Taylor
  • Tracey Young

Dental Technology and Clinical Dental Technology Group

  • Michael Brindle (Co-Chair)
  • Darren Ware (Co-Chair)
  • Stephan Avetoom
  • Mark Gilbert
  • Mark Maley
  • Steven Martin
  • James Neilson
  • Caroline Persaud
  • Stephen Wears

Further announcements are expected in the first half of 2022, and more information about the programme is available at: https://cgdent.uk/career-pathways/.

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College of General Dentistry News

Survey of CGDent members on the prescription, manufacture and fitting of flexible dentures

A study supported by the University of Kent is looking at the prescription, manufacture and fitting of flexible dentures by dentists and clinical dental technicians who practise in the UK and are members of the College of General Dentistry.

We encourage College members to support this research, which is led by Ali Al Bayati AssocFCGDent, by sparing a few minutes of their time to complete this short survey.

College of General Dentistry Recent event

Scotland Study Day 2021

Friday 3 December 2021, Glasgow.

Informative updates on treatments for perio and endodontics

This study day presented an opportunity for you to keep your practice up-to-date, in order to give your patients the most suitable and relevant treatment. Networking with colleagues and peers also provided the means to discuss dental issues with others and share experiences and recommendations to enhance your approach to practice afterwards. 

Continue reading “Scotland Study Day 2021” →
College of General Dentistry Recent event

Antimicrobial prescribing in dentistry

Recorded webinar. Thursday 25 November 2021.

In the first of our Talking Standards webinar series, which sets out to examine areas covered by our evidence-based standards and guidance, we shone the spotlight on global efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance locally.

We explore the ways in which dental teams can help keep patients safe from untreatable infections, consider why dental practitioners might overprescribe antibiotics and discuss the impact of COVID-19, referring to the Antimicrobial Prescribing in Dentistry Good Practice Guidelines.

Speakers:

  • Dr Wendy Thompson, general dental practitioner and academic
  • Vanessa Carter, ePatient and hcsm Consultant

CGDent members and ProDental subscribers can claim CPD hours for free and have access to the recording after the event.  A £20 fee will apply for non-members/non-subscribers who wish to claim CPD.

Watch webinar

This webinar is part of the new partnership between the College of General Dentistry (CGDent) and ProDental CPD.

Membership of the College of General Dentistry is open to all registered dental professionals. Membership for dentists is available from £94, and for other registered dental professionals from £33. The full list of CGDent membership rates is at https://cgdent.uk/membership-fees/. 

College of General Dentistry Recent event

Northern Study Day: No more nails – The ultimate guide to complete dentures

Friday 19 November 2021, Gateshead

CGDent Northern (formerly FGDP Northern) presented a full, in-person Study Day, including 6 hours of CPD, catering, trade show and networking with peers. 

‘No more nails’, presented by Dr James Field, focussed on all things prosthodontic, including planning, prognosis, impression taking, jaw relationships, stabilisation, partial dentures and implant-supported dentures.

Continue reading “Northern Study Day: No more nails – The ultimate guide to complete dentures” →
College of General Dentistry News

College of General Dentistry launches facial aesthetics qualification

The College of General Dentistry (CGDent), the UK’s only professional body dedicated to primary dental care, has formally launched its Postgraduate Certificate in Non-Surgical Facial Aesthetics.

Serving those who are considering entering this growing area of practice but have little or no prior experience, the course is designed to be flexible to suit the needs of those working in general dental practice, while equipping them with the theoretical understanding and practical skills they need to offer cosmetic injectables to their patients.

The college is represented on the Education and Training Committee of the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP), the body which sets standards for cosmetic practice and maintains registers of appropriately trained cosmetic practitioners, and CGDent’s comprehensive programme has been carefully designed to align with the JCCP’s competency framework, with a syllabus covering:

  • Facial anatomy, morphology, physiology and the principles behind the use of botulinum toxin and dermal fillers
  • Assessment and treatment planning for non-surgical aesthetic interventions
  • Administration of botulinum toxin and dermal fillers and the management of complications

Participants can enrol at any time and may take between 6 months and 2 years to complete the programme, which combines online learning with face-to-face teaching and practice available in four locations. The modules include observation and performance of at least 40 cases, all of which are provided and 20 of which are mentored on a 1:1 basis, with participants given a choice of dates and clinical sites.

The programme is delivered by RASA Academy and led by Dr Jalpesh Patel, a dental practitioner, advanced facial aesthetic practitioner and member of the JCCP’s Practitioner Register Committee. Dr Patel holds a Master’s in Aesthetic Dentistry from King’s College London, in which he graduated with distinction, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Skin Ageing and Aesthetic Medicine from the University of Manchester.

Dr Patel recently delivered a series of online seminars for the College of General Dentistry, entitled Introduction to Non-Surgical Facial Aesthetics, Facial Aesthetics: Clinical Cases and Applied Anatomy, and Non-Surgical Facial Aesthetics: Complications. All three are available to watch on ProDental CPD via the above links.

He has also posted a blog about his journey into facial aesthetics, and how his own experience of the available training options inspired him to develop the new programme with CGDent.

The launch of the new Level 7 qualification builds on the heritage of the Faculty of General Dental Practice, which ran a Masterclass in Facial Aesthetics programme from 2009-16.

Dental professionals interested in applying should visit https://cgdent.uk/our-dentistry-qualifications.

Members of the College of General Dentistry, and subscribers to ProDental CPD, have free access to the recordings of the webinars listed above – and all other live and recorded ProDental and CGDent-ProDental events – and can also claim free CPD certificates. A £20 fee will apply per webinar for non-members/non-subscribers who wish to access the recordings. 

To receive information on upcoming CGDent webinars and events, sign up to the CGDent newsletter.

College of General Dentistry News

College endorses updated prevention guidance

The College of General Dentistry has endorsed the newly-published fourth edition of Delivering Better Oral Health: an evidence based toolkit for prevention.

With chapters covering behaviour change, dental caries, periodontal diseases, oral cancer, tooth wear, oral hygiene, fluoride, healthier eating, alcohol, smoking and tobacco use, the revised document gives dental teams access to the best evidence of what works for oral health improvement, all in one place, to help them provide high quality preventative care and advice to patients.

The summary guidance tables remain an invaluable resource for general dental professionals, and new content has been added on infant feeding and early detection of oral cancer, further detail given on tobacco cessation and alcohol reduction, and a new table included which focusses on accelerated tooth wear.

The fourth edition also offers case studies in supporting behaviour change, as well as greater consideration of the oral health of older people and other vulnerable groups, and a new digital format provides better accessibility on mobile devices.

Issued jointly by Public Health England and the Departments of Health in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, it is the result of a comprehensive review of published evidence on prevention involving over 100 experts, among them frontline dental teams and patient representatives.

Ian Mills FCGDent, College Ambassador and past Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practice, was among those overseeing its development, and Yann Maidment MCGDent, Council Member and College Research Lead, is on the Delivering Better Oral Health Implementation Group.

The document is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/delivering-better-oral-health-an-evidence-based-toolkit-for-prevention

College of General Dentistry Blog

Moving into facial aesthetics: my journey

Dr Jalpesh Patel, Founder of RASA Academy, one of the College’s Trusted Training Providers, describes how his own experience of the available training options inspired him to develop the new Postgraduate Certificate in Non-Surgical Facial Aesthetics with CGDent.

It is funny how your career pans out; I would have never thought that when I graduated, I would then go on to establish a training academy in Non-Surgical Facial Aesthetics and develop a postgraduate certificate programme with a dental college. Fortunately, it has been a fantastic journey thus far.

In my very early career as a general dental practitioner there was a demand for cosmetic injectable treatments at the practices I was working at and it was the receptionists who encouraged me to embark on some training in this field I knew little about.  At the time the trend was to attend a few short courses, which were often in big groups with minimal applied and “hands on” training and then you were encouraged to start seeing your own patients. Naively this is how I proceeded and needless to say there were some anxieties.  When I look back to why I established RASA Academy this was one of the overriding reasons; to make sure practitioners did not have this feeling and that they were incredibly prepared prior to seeing their own patients.

As my career progressed, non-surgical facial aesthetics proved to form a large part of my clinical activity.  Having completed a Masters in Aesthetic Dentistry, which had a small proportion dedicated to cosmetic injectables, I also attended a number of other courses as well as completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Skin Ageing and Aesthetic Medicine at the University of Manchester.  It was at this stage I became more involved in the regulatory aspects of this industry, which made me realise that there was a “movement” occurring towards stricter regulation and the realisation there had to be more formality to the educational pathways involved in this industry.  This was the trigger for the establishment of RASA Academy; which in the last 18 months has collaborated with the CGDent to develop the innovative Postgraduate Certificate in Non-Surgical Facial Aesthetics which provides dental practitioners with a comprehensive training route into this industry.

The main aims of this programme are to give a busy practitioner the opportunity to embark on a structured pathway to help them steer their career partially or fully into providing cosmetic injectables.  It is highly clinical (40+ cases will be observed and treated at the academy) and so students will transition from the training environment to practising independently with confidence, in contrast to when I was training many years ago.

Unlike attending a number of short courses, the detailed structure of the programme ensures students benefit from a holistic approach to their training covering a set number of clinical cases, from assessment to treatment, and evidence-based theory as well as developing a detailed commercial and business awareness to help grow their aesthetic practice.

We place an emphasis on applied, patient-facing learning which takes place in both small groups and 1:1 mentoring sessions with our highly experienced trainers. Our trainers have a variety of clinical backgrounds from dentists that work exclusively in dental practice to boutique aesthetic clinic owners, as well as injectors for reputable skin clinics.  The blend and delivery of learning is fantastic and the collaboration with the College of General Dentistry has been entirely appropriate as our visions and ethos are aligned.

From a student’s perspective, the rubber stamp from the College ensures the training has been quality assured to a high level and they are embarking on a programme which will have a level of future proofing and rigour.  Interestingly, there are currently no similar College-backed programmes and so this is truly a unique and impactful offering, which I believe will make a real difference to someone’s career in an industry which has significantly growing demand.

We currently have our first cohort of students going through the programme and are really excited to be accepting new candidates for enrolment.  We would be delighted to welcome prospective students who are considering venturing into this field or wishing to increase their scope of practice in non-surgical facial aesthetics.  We also have completed a series of webinars covering many important topics including an introduction to facial aesthetics, how to plan your educational journey whilst considering regulation, clinical considerations, cases and complications. These are aimed at practitioners at all stages of their facial aesthetics career but in particular those in the consideration phase or early stages.  CGDent members have complimentary access to these videos and can also claim CPD.

The CGDent and ProDental CPD Non-Surgical Facial Aesthetics webinar series, presented by Dr Jalpesh Patel, is available below.

CGDent members and ProDental subscribers have free access to the recordings and can claim CPD for free. A £20 fee will apply for non-members/non-subscribers. To receive information on upcoming CGDent webinars and events, sign up to the CGDent newsletter.

The CGDent’s Postgraduate Certificate in Non-Surgical Facial Aesthetics is suitable for candidates seeking to incorporate non-surgical aesthetic medicine in their practice or to embark fully in a career in this area. Find out more and apply here.