College of General Dentistry News

New GDC Chair joins CGDent in celebrating launch

The new Chair of the General Dental Council (GDC) will make his first public address to the profession this week at an event celebrating the launch of the College of General Dentistry.

Lord Toby Harris, new GDC Chair

Lord Toby Harris, Baron Harris of Haringey, was appointed GDC Chair in July and took up office on 1 October, succeeding Dr William Moyes.

During his period of preparation for office, the Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) completed its long-planned separation from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, transferring into the new College of General Dentistry (CGDent).

Lord Harris will be the keynote speaker on Thursday evening (21st October) at a reception marking the birth of CGDent, the formation of which has realised the ultimate ambition of the FGDP’s founding members to establish an independent college for general dental practice.

The College assumed the Faculty’s remit on 1 August, and as well as publishing its guidance and standards, has already launched two postgraduate qualifications, offers membership benefits which promote and reward professional development, and has announced that it is developing a professional framework and career pathways for the whole dental team.

Speaking ahead of the event, Lord Harris said:

“The creation of a dedicated College – for the whole dental team – is a significant moment and I am really pleased to join in celebrating this. The College of General Dentistry is an important partner for the GDC in supporting our role assuring education standards and ensuring patient safety and confidence in the professions.”

His keynote speech on Thursday, following an address by CGDent President Abhi Pal, will be broadcast live online from 6.45pm at:

https://vimeo.com/event/1396485/embed/019a40fc84

No prior registration is required.

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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