DrTom Bereznicki FCGDent, founder of the Tom Bereznicki Dental Educational Foundation, considers the vital role of gum aesthetics in digital smile design, an area of dentistry which early career practitioners are increasingly becoming involved in.
It is increasingly important to consider the appearance of the gum when treating aesthetic cases, particularly in digital smile design. But despite the crucial role of ‘pink aesthetics’ in aesthetic dental practice, it is a topic that is often not so well understood by early career dental professionals, mainly due to a lack of education in this area.
In many cases, paying attention to a patient’s pink gum can be as vital as treating the shape, position and colour of their dentition. Cultivating the right balance between the tooth and periodontal tissue may be key to achieving the ‘ideal smile’ and improving your patient’s confidence.
In days gone by, patients were happy with their appearance if they avoided dentures. These days, patients are much more discerning and restorations like the cases shown below from my archives, would now be regarded as aesthetically unacceptable.
If a patient has a low lip line, the position of the gum, in theory, is not an issue. However, many patients these days often judge outcomes by aesthetics when they lift their lips out of the way.
If a lot of gum is visible when the patient smiles, the appearance and position of the gingival tissue, as well as the teeth, will certainly need to be carefully planned – in particular matching zenith points and ideally showing no ‘black’ triangles.
Correct diagnosis is essential. In the two cases below, both patients attended asking to have their teeth veneered as they hated their smiles because they thought their teeth looked too short. However, neither case required procedures to lengthen their teeth, they merely had too much gum showing and required crown lengthening.
Correct treatment planning is also crucial to greatly improve the final aesthetics of treatment. In this case, crown lengthening around the lateral incisors prior to the provision of two veneers delivered the best result for the patient.
Improving a patient’s smile by treating the appearance of the gum does not have to be complex. Even the smallest minimal surgical procedure can have a dramatic effect on aesthetics and patient confidence.
Whereas carrying out crown lengthening procedures exposes more of the patient’s tooth to achieve a harmonious balance between the gum and the tooth, gingival recession can also be treated through minor surgical procedures. In the cases shown below, a laterally repositioned flap provided a successful, long-term solution.
30-year follow-up
The upcoming Perio-Occlusion Symposium on 20 September addresses gum surgery cases similar to the cases covered in this blog. My introduction to the topic will be followed by a half-day lecture delivered by Dr Reena Wadia MCGDent, a well-known specialist periodontist. Reena will examine the indications and steps of crown lengthening surgery and the optimal aesthetics we aim for. In addition, she will discuss the indications of gum recession surgery and the various procedures available. The afternoon session will be delivered by Dr Andy Toy FCGDent on how occlusion can affect the long-term stability of treatment using aligner therapy.
For those who wish to extend their knowledge further, information will also be available on postgraduate courses which cover these topics in greater depth.
The Perio-Occlusion Symposium takes place on Saturday 20 September in London.
Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent, President Emeritus of the College, describes the symbolism and meaning behind each of the heraldic elements in the College’s newly-granted Coat of Arms.
Sir Nairn with the Grant of Arms presented to the College on 19 May 2025
A Grant of Arms is a formal recognition bestowed by the official heraldic authority, the College of Arms, and symbolises legitimacy and identity. Dating back centuries, grants of arms are typically conferred upon those organisations and individuals which meet established criteria of permanence, achievement, and contribution in their respective fields, and the College (intended Royal College) of General Dentistry has recently been so honoured.
The process leading up to the Grant of Arms involved the design of an ‘Armorial Achievement’ – colloquially known as a Coat of Arms – which includes various heraldic elements such as a shield, crest and motto, each imbued with symbolic meaning. These elements collectively encapsulate the ethos and aspirations of the organisation.
The Armorial Achievement (Coat of Arms) of the College of General Dentistry
The shield – the centrepiece of the heraldic achievement – has a blue background (field). The central feature of the shield is a golden pelican ‘in her piety’ – feeding a brood of three chicks in a nest, with the chicks pecking and wounding their mother’s breast, anxious to be fed. The principal meaning evoked by the pelican is caring: first and foremost for patients, secondly for early career oral healthcare professionals and students, and thirdly for the moral compass of the profession – hence the three chicks.
The pelican is surmounted by a golden band (‘chief’) displaying three snakes, each knotted (‘nowy’). The knotted snakes symbolise unity within the profession, unity with other health professions and unity of purpose in healthcare, emphasising the importance of oral health to general health and wellbeing. Together the pelican and snakes symbolise trust and reliance.
The crest on top of the helm features the upper half of an ‘opinicus’, resting its right (‘dexter’) foreleg on a giant pearl. The traditional opinicus, derived from the crest of the Company of Barber Surgeons, which was incorporated in 1462, is a symbol of influence, and of strength in diversity and inclusivity within the College. The pearl signifies wisdom in the art and science of dentistry. The opinicus, rarely included in heraldic achievements, resembles a dragon in the forepart and in the wings, with a beaked head and ears similar to those of a griffin. The hind part and the legs resemble those of a lion. The tail is similar to that of a bear.
The mantling around the shield and helm displays the livery colours of the College – azure blue and gold.
Below the shield sits the College motto: Sanitate oris venit fortitudo – Strength through oral health – strength for patients and strength for the profession.
The College of General Dentistry badge
The badge of the College is a proud and bold opinicus in College blue and rampant posture (standing on one hind foot in profile, with raised wings and tail), holding the giant pearl of wisdom, as featured in the crest of the Arms, between its clawed forepaws.
The Grant of Arms adds to the legitimacy of the College, which is now firmly part of the healthcare establishment, and is considered to be an important step towards eligibility for the granting of a Royal Charter – a priority for the College in its further growth and development. The College is only the ninth dental organisation in the UK, Australia or New Zealand to have receive a Grant of Arms, and will now start making use of its Arms and badge in, for example, a re-design of diploma certificates and the introduction of College regalia.
The full text of the Grant of Arms can be read here.
This abridged article is presented with the kind permission of the Dental Historian, the journal of the Lindsay Society, a membership organisation which promotes interest, study and research into the history of dentistry and brings together people who share these interests.
The version of record (‘Making history: The grant of arms to the College of General Dentistry’) is available in the Dental Historian, volume 70 (2025), issue 2.
Igor Blum FCGDent, Clinical Professor of Primary Care Dentistry and Advanced General Dental Practice at King’s College London and Editor of the Primary Dental Journal, and Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent, President Emeritus of the College and the journal’s first Editor, celebrate the publication of its fiftieth issue
Prof Igor Blum FCGDent (left)and Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent (right)
The latest issue of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ) – the 50th to date – is a truly special ‘general dentistry’ edition marking this significant milestone.
Not only does the PDJ have a rich history of serving general dental practice, but it is also one of the premier journals for intellectual discourse on all aspects of primary dental care pertinent to members of the whole dental team.
First published in 2012, shepherded under the tenure as Editor-in-Chief of the then Professor (now Sir) Nairn Wilson, it brought together three publications of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP[UK]): Primary Dental Care (a research journal for dentists), Team in Practice (a journal for Dental Care Professionals) and the newsletter First Hand.
The fourth volume of the journal, published in 2015, was produced with the assistance of a new Clinical Editor – Dr (now Professor) Igor Blum. In addition to themed issues on Consent (curated by Guest Editor, Andy Toy), Special Care Dentistry (Guest Editors, Debbie Chandler and Richard Valle-Jones) and Paediatric Dentistry (Guest Editor, Richard Welbury), the volume included the journal’s first ‘general issue’ with papers on a range of topics, including temporomandibular dysfunction, contemporary laboratory work, tooth surface loss, the effects of bisphosphonates in implant dentistry, reducing harm (iatrogenic damage) in the provision of care, risk assessment and the prevention and management of dry sockets.
Volume 6, issue 1 was a special, one-off, commemorative issue of PDJ to help mark and celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the formation of the FGDP(UK). In addition to a ‘conversation’ between Professor Nairn Wilson and the then Dean of the Faculty, Mick Horton, and a photo montage of the history of the faculty, the issue included commissioned papers by leading dental experts in the UK. This commemorative issue and the subsequent two themed issues – Dental Emergencies (Guest Editor, Russ Ladwa) and Extended Integrated Care (Guest Editor, Kathy Fan) were Professor Wilson’s last contributions to PDJ before passing on the baton to Dr Blum in 2017.
Professor Blum’s first issue as Editor-in-Chief was the December 2017 (Volume 6, issue 4) themed issue on Removable Prosthodontics (Guest Editor, Graham Stokes). Professor Blum’s vision for the journal was to evolve, grow and, in the process, continue to go from strength to strength. A further vision was to make the journal accessible on an international level, rather than limiting it to the readership in the UK, for the benefit of primary dental care teams and their patients around the world.
Within each annual volume, two or three issues are themed on specific and relevant fields of interest, and one or two ‘general dentistry’ issues cover a wide range of topics. Each issue offers a combination of research, clinical best practice papers and scenario articles which allow the whole dental team to work together to improve standards of patient care. In Spring 2021 the PDJ published its 10th Volume Anniversary special issue celebrating this remarkable milestone.
After nine years’ publication by the FGDP(UK), the College took over in 2021, and this 2025 Spring issue marks fifty issues of the journal as a source for dissemination of contemporary research, clinical and non-clinical articles relevant to general dental practice.
Since its inception, the PDJ has evolved substantially and earned an established place as an authoritative source in today’s dental literature. As such, it provides CGDent with one of its most valued membership benefits. While its purpose has been constant – to be a professional development journal for the whole dental team, and a record and source of news about the College – its editorial and production processes and standards have evolved over the years.
Most significantly, in 2019 the FGDP entered into a contract with Sage Publishing and the PDJ has progressed from an in-house ‘cottage industry’ publication to an internationally accessible publication with an electronic editorial management platform, ScholarOne. As such the journal benefits from the resources available through our publisher, which has facilitated its continued growth.
Over the years, we have watched with great pleasure how the PDJ has grown and gained ever-increasing standing and status in becoming an internationally recognised and esteemed journal, aimed at the whole primary care team. The journal is now indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus, and 1,500 papers – past and present – are available online to CGDent members through the PDJ Library and in over 10,000 academic institutions worldwide.
With the current international exposure of articles published in the PDJ, there have been many thousands of downloads and citations of articles. This confirms that the PDJ has an international reach and impact on the dental team and clinical practice, both nationally and internationally, improving standards of patient care.
As a result, the PDJ has started to attract international dental experts as guest editors. In the context of a new membership organisation borne out of a more established one, the journal has also played a central role in providing reassurance and continuity of service to members over the last four years and has developed an important role in supporting the College’s membership retention and growth.
Looking back, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the very many authors, guest editors, peer reviewers, staff and others who have contributed to each of the 50 issues to date and enabled us to reach this important milestone.
Special thanks must be extended to the former and current managing editors of the journal – Amy Brewerton, Hillevi Sellén, and Lily Atkins; to a member of the founding Editorial Board, Ario Santini FCGDent, who continues to provide highly rated abstracts of relevance to the contents of each issue of the journal; and to Darren Westlake, who has designed the covers and laid out the figures in each and every issue.
We are confident that we have created an attractive, distinctive, reader-friendly journal and it is our hope that you will enjoy the 50th issue and join the previous and current editorial team in celebrating all it stands for.
A list of the themed editions within the first 50 issues of the PDJ is available here
The titles and abstracts of PDJ papers are available to all dental professionals via the searchable PDJ homepage, with full paper access available to College members through the PDJ Library
Dr Mick Horton FCGDent, Chair of Trustees and co-host of the recent Annual Members’ Meeting, reviews the College’s achievements over the past twelve months.
I am delighted to open this report with the confidence that steady growth in membership supplies, strengthening our youthful organisation at a time when wider trends are not so positive amongst professional bodies. Fellowship in particular is proving an attractive goal for many senior practitioners, who have lacked the opportunity of such recognition in a healthcare system which provides too few opportunities to celebrate excellence in general practice. Growing strength in membership enables greater ambition in our service to the public through our professional community.
In the short existence of the College, more than 20,000 dental professionals and others have set up online CGDent accounts to make use of the key services we provide – and most significantly, our authoritative Standards and Guidance publications. In December, we launched our College Subscriber offer, as a means to serve this rapidly-expanding community more effectively – and to give us a much richer picture of who is using our guidance, and how.
This January, we published a vital statement of the mission of the College and Council’s Vision for Dentistry, shaping our thinking and planning for the future. This defining document sets out very clearly, how and why the College should be at the heart of thinking on the future for oral health in the UK and beyond.
Training and development is an increasingly confusing arena for all members of the dental team, and the College has been giving very careful thought to the most effective role that we can play to improve matters. We have a reputation built on the hugely respected qualifications delivered by the former FGDP over decades, but in today’s thriving postgraduate dental education market there is little room for the College to add value in quite the way that our predecessor organisation did. In 2024, we embarked on the development of a new ‘credentialing’ role, which will result in the launch of new forms of recognition for higher skills, in the first half of 2025. We have been delighted with the support and cooperation from so many organisations and agencies, enabling us to bring forward credentialing systems that will carry real weight and credibility.
Early careers are equally a focus for the College. The first Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation awards were made in the summer, and we are delighted to be working hand in hand with the Foundation on Tom’s greater aspirations to develop the skills of early career practitioners. The first cohort of successful candidates, gaining remarkable training opportunities in Europe, were celebrated at our Fellows’ Summer Reception.
We reported last year on our partnership with Haleon, for which the College engaged a range of dental practices around the UK in an analysis of the opportunities for them to promote preventative care. We published our joint report in the autumn of 2024, and followed it up with a parliamentary meeting attended by MPs and officials.
Implant Dentistry has been a focus of activity for the College in the past year, with a pair of themed issues of the Primary Dental Journal and the launch of the College’s authoritative Register of Implant Mentors in partnership with the ADI and the ITI. This is just the first of a number of Registers of Expertise that have been mooted to raise standards in key areas of practice.
We celebrated the 50th issue of the Journal at Cutlers Hall, London, before the Fellows’ Winter Reception in January. Under the inspired Editorship of Prof Igor Blum, the journal now reaches worldwide audiences, gaining substantially in authority and credibility, and many of our themed issues have been commended as key points of reference for every practitioner – take, for one example amongst many, the recent issue on Dental Trauma.
The Fellows’ Receptions themselves have proven perennially popular for our senior membership community, and we plan to build on this in 2025 by linking the Reception to our first College Lecture. The College Lecture cements our role in thought leadership and our academic standing.
Fresh ideas and energy have been brought to Council with the election of a significant number of new representatives, and the appointment of our new President, Roshni Karia, following the completion of Abhi Pal’s three-year term of office. Abhi served as the College’s first President, and has done so much to establish the credentials of a new organisation, with boundless energy and ideas that have shaped our direction.
DrTom Bereznicki FCGDent, founder of the Tom Bereznicki Dental Educational Foundation, explains the importance of occlusion and why he is committed to educating younger colleagues on the topic.
The modern undergraduate curriculum allows very little time for occlusion to be covered as a topic. Through my experience of teaching younger dentists, I have noticed in recent years that when I ask what the clinical occlusal examination findings are, the reply often comes back with an orthodontic classification. Few early career dentists are aware of the importance of studying not just the static occlusion, but the dynamic one too.
In over 40 years of practice, I have seen many cases of occlusally-related failure, highlighting the vital importance of paying due consideration to the occlusal scheme in treatment planning. I am passionate about educating early career dentists and through my charitable foundation, I have organised a symposium on the topic of occlusion, in collaboration with the College, which aims to enhance delegates’ knowledge of the basic principles of occlusion and how they can support the success and longevity of restorative treatment.
With the odd exceptions such as anterior open bites and skeletal Class 3’s, patients’ occlusal schemes should adhere to the basic principles of occlusion, not just when providing complex multiple indirect restorations and treatment of wear cases, but also simpler single indirect restorations, and most importantly, the long-term maintenance of intact healthy dentitions.
The cases illustrated below draw attention to some common examples of occlusally-related failure.
To avoid occlusal derangement, the extracted tooth should have been replaced as soon after extraction as possible
Failure to investigate the crack when it first appeared – now the tooth needs to be extracted
Correct dynamic mandibular excursions when fitting fixed restorations to help prevent failure especially with cantilever designs
Missing the tell-tale signs of unwanted wear, seen here as wear facets, can lead to root fracture
Spotting early signs of unwanted occlusal wear helps prevent extensive treatment at a later date
Failure to check excursive mandibular excursions, especially when fitting restorations, can result in loss of canine guidance and restorative failure
In bruxers, veneer failure can also frequently be seen as fracture of the porcelain in the gingival third of the restoration
Over instrumentation during root canal therapy weakens the root making it susceptible to fracture particularly when acting as a cantilever abutment
Although titanium is extremely hard, it is not unbreakable. If occlusal forces are not refined, fracture or associated non-perimplantitis bone loss can lead to failure
I will be addressing occlusally-related failure cases like these in the opening session at the Introduction to Occlusion Symposium. I will be joined by a fantastic line-up of experts: Professor Paul Tipton, Dr Ken Harris, Dr Tif Qureshi, Dr Shiraz Khan and Dr Koray Feran. Through a series of lectures, they will examine the five basic principles of occlusion in detail and how they can support the placement of successful, long-term restorations.
Information will also be available on a range of postgraduate courses which cover aspects of occlusion in greater depth, for those who wish to extend their knowledge further.
The Introduction to Occlusion Symposium, takes place on Saturday 5 April 2025 in London.
Patricia Thomson FCGDent, Council representative for North and West Scotland, reviews the College’s recent annual study day in Glasgow.
The 6 December 2024 witnessed the most recent gathering of our dental community for the College’s annual Study Day in Scotland, at the Science Centre, Glasgow. This was the fourteenth year that we have held the event at this venue due to its convenient location and the superb facilities, including an Imax Theatre and an outstanding AV team. After registration, breakfast rolls and coffee, and an initial inspection of the sponsors’ stands, delegates entered the Imax Theatre at 9am for the start of the programme.
Once again the event was fully subscribed, with both sponsorship and delegate spaces sold out well in advance, and we had an in-person attendance of around 360 plus additional delegates who joined virtually. We were delighted to welcome back a core of GDPs and trade sponsors who are loyal supporters of the day, but we also welcomed many new faces, including those who had travelled from outside of Scotland.
It was a pleasure to host Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent, the recently appointed President of the College, as well as Professor Aileen Bell (Dean of Glasgow Dental School), Dr Andrew Paterson (Education Lead for Restorative Dentistry at Glasgow Dental School), and representatives of organisations including the BDA, GDC, National Services Scotland, Practitioner Services (Dental), NHS Education Scotland (NES), MDDUS, DDU/MDU, and LDCs from Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board and Lanarkshire Health Board.
This year we were also joined by several charities: Bridge to Aid; Maldent; GOHISS (Glasgow Oral Health Improvement Student Society); Smileawi (2019 winner of the Dean’s Award given by the former Faculty of General Dental Practice); and the Canmore Trust (whose CEO, Professor John Gibson, was awarded the College Medal earlier in the year). All had a very successful day, networking with the dental trade and our community of practice.
Glasgow Dental School also enabled its final year BDS students to attend, and they were joined by a number of undergraduates from Dundee Dental School.
Unfortunately, Government fiscal restrictions prevented NES funding the attendance of Vocational Dental Practitioners this year, but despite that, a group of trainers facilitated the attendance of their own VDPs, recognising the value to early career colleagues of joining the wider professional community and attending face-to-face CPD events.
Our speakers for the day, all Fellows of the College, were: Dr Catherine Rutland, Clinical Director at Simply Health and Denplan, who leads a team providing clinical governance advice to all areas of the clinical group; Dr Andrew Chandrapal, practice owner and educator with a special interest in aesthetic dentistry, composite bonding and complex rehabilitation; and Dr Wendy Thompson, a microbiologist and GDP in Cumbria who is Chair of the FDI World Dental Federation Task Team on Preventing AMR and Infection.
The lecture programme commenced with tributes to the late Dr Louis MacKenzie FCGDent, delivered in the first instance by Professor Gibson, whose own personal tragedy brought about the establishment of the Canmore Trust, which raises awareness of suicide prevention and postvention and works with individuals touched by suicide.
We had engaged Louis as our main speaker eighteen months previously, and he was to present on the topic of anterior and posterior composites. On initially planning the day, Louis had suggested that Dr Catherine Rutland would be an ideal complementary speaker. The devastating loss of Louis before Christmas 2023 resulted in the painful dilemma of how to move forward with the Scotland Study Day 2024. After a period of reflection, Catherine agreed that she was willing to present at the event. It was felt that we should approach Andrew Chandrapal as an appropriate replacement speaker on the topic of composite restorations. We are immensely grateful to both of them, as they had been close colleagues and friends of Louis, and both delivered the most touching tributes to him that morning, despite the emotional difficulty that this involved.
All of these tributes ensured that Louis was not forgotten, and was an enduring presence throughout the day.
After our introductions, Catherine delivered a very thought provoking lecture on the “Ethics of Aesthetics”. This foray into the world of consumer-driven dentistry, and the perils of dentists engaging in social media without regard for professional ethics, was a timely reminder of the pitfalls that can be encountered, and made those of us of mature years relieved that we have the excuse of age not to engage in such activity.
After our mid-morning break, which involved networking, refreshments and a visit to the trade stands, Andrew Chandrapal spoke on the topic of anterior composites. His lecture was delivered in the format of “top tips”, and covered such subjects as the use of enamel and dentine composites, replication of tooth anatomy, shade selection, appropriate matrices and wedges, and tips on finishing.
Following this, the delegates retired for a sit-down lunch with an opportunity for further networking and professional fellowship. Old acquaintances were renewed, and new ones established.
After lunch, the final year students reconvened in another lecture theatre for the delivery of their own programme, initially addressed by Dr Karia, followed by representatives of three of our sponsors, Scottish Dental Care Group, Martin Aitken Accountants and MDDUS. On their way to the theatre, the students took full advantage of privileged access to the Science Centre’s fun exhibits of wonky mirrors and optical illusion floors, proving that they are still students!
Meanwhile, in the main lecture theatre, Andrew continued with his afternoon lecture, providing top tips on posterior composites and advice on establishing fissure depth and reproducing accurate occlusal morphology and anatomy. He also imparted excellent tips on rubber dam placement, sectional matrices and wedges.
The afternoon break allowed the students to re-join the main delegate body, and all to enjoy further refreshments and chat, and a final opportunity to interact with the dental trade.
Dr Wendy Thompson, our third speaker of the day, delivered the Caldwell Memorial Lecture on the subject of “Antibiotic Sustainability”. We were all extremely relieved when Wendy did not force the delegates to take part in an aerobics session that she was threatening, and allowed us to sit down and be thoroughly convinced that antibiotics do not cure toothache, along with a very sobering message on the effects of antimicrobial resistance delivered through video by a devastatingly affected patient.
After the rigours of the day we all retired to the much-deserved drinks reception, observing the rivulets of rain on the outside of the triple-height windows which signalled the arrival of Storm Darragh, proving once again that we have a lot of weather in Glasgow. There was also opportunity for the more mature delegates to sample the wonky mirrors and sloping floors of the exhibits, sensibly, before they had even touched a glass of wine.
The day is structured to provide six hours of high quality CPD, the opportunity for our community of practice to gather with ample time for professional networking, and interaction with the trade and other stakeholders.
We specifically thank the local members of our profession who give so much time and effort on an altruistic basis for the benefit of our professional community, and ultimately for the benefit of patients. We could not deliver this day without them.
We would like to acknowledge our gratitude to the various members of the trade whose sponsorship and loyalty enables us to deliver an event on this scale and subsidises the cost of attendance for delegates.
Specifically, our Platinum Sponsor was Scottish Dental Care Group, and our Gold Sponsors were Nexus Lab, MDDUS, Martin Aitken Accountants, the BDA, Clyde Munro, the Scottish Centre for Excellence in Dentistry and Strictly Confidental.
Our Silver Sponsors were Acteon, Align Technology, the DDU, Denplan, GC UK, the GDC, Haleon, Greater Glasgow and Clyde LDC, Kettenbach Dental, NHS National Services Scotland, Optident, Patient Plan Direct, Real Good Dental, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Septodont, Thorntons and Wrights.
This year’s event will take place on Friday 5 December 2025 and the programme for the day is already well advanced. All College members receive a hefty fee discount, and we strongly encourage you to come wherever you’re based in the UK (or elsewhere). There’s no better way to kick off the Christmas season and you’re guaranteed a warm welcome – hope to see you there!
Fatimah Jawaid FCGDent, a general dental practitioner based in Birmingham, describes her professional journey and how her experience led to Fellowship of the College.
Q. Can you tell us about yourself and your career?
A. I am a dedicated general dentist working in Edgbaston, Birmingham. I graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2012 with Distinction in Clinical Dentistry. I completed my FD year and went on to complete a further DCT year in Restorative Dentistry at Barts Dental Hospital, London. After this, I settled into an associate role in Birmingham, completed my MSc in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics, PGCert in Dental Education and have recently completed my Implant Training. I am currently in the process of becoming a principal dentist and look forward to the new challenges ahead!
Outside of work, my main job is being mummy to Liyana (aged 5) and Layth (aged 3). We live in Moseley, Birmingham, with my husband, Sadiq, who is a currently a maxillofacial registrar. I enjoy going to the gym, travelling and exploring new cultures with my tribe in tow!
Q. Why did you decide to apply for Fellowship of the College?
A. I obtained College Fellowship (FCGDent) through the ‘Fellowship by experience’ route. I felt this achievement allowed me to demonstrate high standards in primary care dentistry and reflect the commitment I had put into my career since graduation. Upon researching the criteria, I realised that I was able to meet the domains and successfully achieve Fellowship.
Q. Which three of the five fellowship domains does your professional experience meet?
A. The three domains that I used for my Fellowship application were Clinical; Teaching, Learning & Assessment; and Publications & Research.
My Masters in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics from Kings College London (2019) provided me with the evidence for the Clinical Domain as it had more than the required credits.
The final year dissertation allowed me to the achieve the Publications & Research Domain.
For the Teaching, Learning & Assessment Domain, I used my PGCert in Dental Education and I demonstrated that I had at least four years’ experience in a role as an Educational Supervisor for Foundation Dentists.
Q. What would you say to others who are considering applying for Fellowship through the experience route?
A. Still considering myself as a young dentist, I am excited to see the opportunities and ideas that are being undertaken within the College and how they will impact my future practising career.
Having completed several challenging postgraduate courses, the recognition I received from the College, and being able to call myself a Fellow of the College at 31, felt very rewarding indeed!
To apply for Fellowship by the Fellowship by Experience route, you will need to submit a CV and detailed evidence showing how you meet the eligibility criteria for three of the five fellowship domains. The domains are:
Clinical
Teaching, learning & assessment
Leadership & management
Publications & research
Law & ethics
We have “Gateway” criteria which require less evidence and will be processed more quickly, if you meet all these requirements.
Full details about routes to Fellowship and how to apply are availablehere.
Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent, founder of the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Education Foundation and a major donor to the College, talks to Professor Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent, President Emeritus, about his motivation to put something back into the profession
Tom Bereznicki FCGDent (left) and Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent (right)
Nairn Wilson: Tom, what motivated you to become a Founder of the College, the College’s first major benefactor, and a significant College legator?
Tom Bereznicki: In recent years, I have been increasingly anxious to find ways to put something back into the dental profession, with emphases on making good some of the deficiencies in undergraduate dental education, encouraging early career dentists to develop their skills and knowledge to better meet the ever-increasing expectations of patients, and to enhance the standing and status of dentistry, both in healthcare in general, and in the eyes of the public.
The creation of the College, intended Royal College of General Dentistry, was a bold move to give oral healthcare professionals the benefits enjoyed by all those in healthcare who have their own independent Royal College – career pathways with recognition of enhanced skills, standards set by the profession for the profession, and a community of practice, together with, and very importantly in the case of CGDent, a much-needed, unified voice for the whole of the profession.
Also, I share the vision of the College to elevate the importance of oral health in the eyes of other healthcare professions, politicians and the public. The College initiative was one I identified with and considered worthy of my support, both to get it started and help secure its future.
Nairn Wilson: What are the aims, objectives and aspirations of your Educational Foundation?
Tom Bereznicki: My Foundation was created to support recently graduated and early career dentists and therapists to acquire knowledge and skills they were unlikely to have acquired in their undergraduate training, but which are needed to succeed in everyday practice. The focus is on aesthetic dentistry, occlusion and related aspects of periodontal health, all of which are fundamental to contemporary routine dental care.
Given my experience as a part-time clinical teacher and the interactions I have with newly qualified colleagues, I am increasingly concerned by the disconnect between undergraduate curricula and the reality of everyday clinical practice. Graduates who have not been instructed in at least the basics of aesthetic dentistry, underpinned by a detailed knowledge of tooth morphology, and have little if any idea of how to recognise and diagnose occlusal discrepancies, let alone manage them, are destined to run into all sorts of difficulties in the management of patients.
My Foundation cannot reach out to all new graduates, early career dentists and dental therapists, but it is hoped that the activities of the Foundation, specifically its competitions, will encourage much-needed personal development amongst those embarking on their careers in dentistry, with an emphasis on the importance of interactive, high quality, face-to-face learning. While online learning has a place, and there are many good programmes, much of what new graduates and early career oral healthcare professionals access, typically on their phones, is advertorial material, often presented by self-professed experts with limited experience, either lacking an evidence-base, or frankly wrong and potentially harmful to patients. Determining what is good quality online learning material is challenging, especially for colleagues transitioning to independent practice.
Nairn Wilson: What is the intended synergy between your Foundation and the College?
Tom Bereznicki: The Foundation is an independent body which seeks to work in partnership with other organisations and the dental industry to realise its aims and objectives. The link with the College is intended to introduce new graduates and early career oral healthcare professionals to CGDent, and what the College does and can do for them and the profession.
It is hoped that young colleagues, especially those who benefit from the activities of the Foundation, will appreciate the benefits of membership of the College, with a view, over time, to being recognised as an accomplished practitioner – a Fellow of the College. Young colleagues need to appreciate the value and importance of being part of the forward-looking College – part of the new, increasingly powerful, unified voice for dentistry, contributing to standards set by the profession for the profession, taking advantage of a recognised career pathway, mentoring and much more.
Nairn Wilson: With the need to grow and further develop the College, with one of its immediate, pressing priority being eligibility for the award of a Royal Charter, what is your message to Fellows who are not yet donors to the College?
Tom Bereznicki: The College has achieved a great deal from, in effect, a standing start three years ago, and still has a lot to do to achieve its potential, let alone operate on a level playing field with the long-established Royal Colleges, which history tells us, benefited from huge support during their development. There is no ‘something for nothing’. Dentistry must help itself to justify Royal recognition of its own independent college.
Rather than apply a development levy to subscriptions, it is better and more powerful to grow by means of voluntary donations. Yes, these are challenging times for colleagues, but it is also a challenging time for our profession, which needs parity with other mainstream healthcare professions, new UK-wide leadership and direction and recognition in general healthcare and in the eyes of the public – all the things the CGDent aims to deliver. This surely is worthy of support, specifically by those the College has recognised to be leaders in the field.
Nairn Wilson: Tom, thank you for your views and comments, which I very much hope will be read and taken to heart by both all members of the College and colleagues yet to join CGDent. Thank you also for your tremendous ongoing support of the College, which would not be where it is today without your contribution, nor without the support provided by all existing donors.
After entering a successful case in the inaugural CGDent-GC Award, Associate Member of the College Dr Juan Salmerón Ramírez travelled to Leuven in Belgium to take part in a fully funded two-day composite layering course at GC’s Education Campus. In this blog, he reflects on his experience of entering and winning the clinical skills award, and what he learnt from the process.
Freshly out of university, having begun a new journey in a new country, the opportunity to participate in a dental skills competition was both exciting and daunting, and it is only now that the whole journey has finished and I have reflected on my experience, that I can describe this brilliant opportunity and what I’ve learnt.
Entering the competition: a leap of faith
Foundation Year is not known to be an easy-going year. Portfolio, case selection and study days are the main focus of Foundation Dentists, thus the decision to enter the Award was not a simple one. As a newly qualified dentist, the prospect of competing against peers whose ability, training and skills were unknown to me, was daunting. However, with a healthy amount of friendly encouragement from my fellow FD Ammy, and Educational Supervisors, I jumped into the opportunity to challenge myself, showcase my skills, and most importantly, learn and grow in the process.
The aim of the competition was to present a clinically indicated restorative case, that we had treated with composite, and required as little as one anterior tooth to have a valid entry. The preparation involved meticulous planning, clinical photography, aesthetic mock up, treatment execution, and documentation. This process alone was a huge learning experience, as it forced me to critically evaluate my work and consider the finer details that contribute to aesthetic excellence.
Over the application process, the College of General Dentistry’s Early Careers Engagement and Editorial Officer, Clare Denton, helped with any questions we had, from formatting the case to submitting it, she kindly and reliably guided our best efforts.
My winning case: a brief overview
The case I presented involved a patient in their late 40s with significant enamel wear, inverted smile line, anterior diastemas and loss of anterior vertical dimension. The patient was highly self-conscious about their smile to the point of avoiding smiling in their day-to-day life, and was thrilled when presented with composite bonding as a minimally invasive solution. Once my patient and I had agreed on the treatment, the complicated journey of carrying out the ideas and techniques I had in mind began. Overall the case needed the following steps.
Clinical photography: this was the first and perhaps most crucial step, as it gave me a means of communication with the patient, and allowed them to visualise the improvements they wanted in their smile and to what extent.
Digital smile design: allowed us to set a visual goal to reach, and to compare the before and after of what we were doing.
Aesthetic mock-up which included study models: this helped us to understand how the enamel loss had happened, what dimensions and spaces we had to work with and how to later on protect our work from further wear.
Composite build ups and polishing: this was challenging due to the extent of the enamel loss and the need to achieve a seamless interface between the composite and the remaining tooth enamel. I focused on meticulous shade selection and careful layering to create a natural-looking result.
The outcome was a significant improvement in the patient’s smile, which boosted their confidence and satisfaction – a rewarding experience that solidified my passion for aesthetic dentistry.
The most valuable key learning outcome from entering the competition was understanding the importance of accessible and well written documentation. The case needed to be both clear and powerful when presented to the judges and had to show how the decisions I made were patient-led, therefore I had to be thorough in my explanations, have a clear justification for my clinical decisions and the treatment choices that my patient and I made together. This experience has improved my clinical documentation in the practice, and has helped me to maintain high standards not only in clinical work but also in record keeping.
The trip to Belgium: an unforgettable experience
Winning the competition came with two incredible bonuses: first being invited to attend the CGDent Summer Fellows’ Reception and to be formally awarded by the President (now former President), Dr Abhi Pal; and last but not least, attending a fully funded hands-on clinical skills course at the GC headquarters in Leuven, Belgium, where a GC specialist together with Dr Bereznicki, trained us in state-of-the-art composite layering techniques.
The trip itself was a smooth and relaxing experience. The College and the charitable foundation set up by Dr Tom Bereznicki, had organised a night in a hotel close to St Pancras station for those who lived outside London. The following morning the whole team of awardees together with the organisers, met at reception, introduced themselves, and took the Eurostar train. Just over two hours later we were in Brussels, from there a short bus trip to Leuven.
Leuven is a small vibrant university city, with charming streets and beautiful scenery, and we stayed here for the rest of the trip. It just happens that there was a music festival going on during our visit, which made it only more magical.
Perhaps the best part about our accommodation, Penta hotel, was its prime location in the beating heart of the old town in Leuven, at a very short walking distance from the most well known landmarks such as the stunning Town Hall and the Oude Market, “the longest bar in the world”, as well as numerous cafes and restaurants.
The composite course: a transformative learning experience
The much awaited composite course was held at GC’s state-of-the-art dental training centre, where I was mentored by GC’s expert trainers and Dr Bereznicki, who share a passion for aesthetic dentistry and achieving excellence. The course content was comprehensive, covering advanced techniques in aesthetic composite restorations, from the latest materials and tools to innovative techniques that push the boundaries of what’s possible in cosmetic dentistry.
The programme included many topics from colour theory and how it affects our reconstructions, to material selection and how the GC line-up of composite is exquisitely created to cover different dentines and different enamels to achieve natural results. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the course was the hands-on training we received, under the supervision of Dr Simone Moretto, GC composite expert, who was incredibly knowledgeable and approachable, providing personalised feedback and tips that I’ve since incorporated into my practice.
A game-changer moment for me was the information given about the latest advancements in composite layering. The lecture and hands-on workshop explored the intricacies of shade selection, translucency, and the use of tints and opaquers to create restorations that are indistinguishable from natural teeth whilst enhancing a harmonic smile. This has improved my ability to deliver results that exceed patient expectations.
Furthermore the course was focused on minimally invasive techniques with reduced to no enamel modification. This emphasised the importance of tooth structure preservation whilst achieving aesthetic excellence, principles that align perfectly with my patient-centred care philosophy.
Why other Foundation Dentists and Dental Therapists should enter the competition
It is only through endeavour that we grow. Without a doubt, this experience has been tremendously valuable for my professional development, by pushing me out of my comfort zone and by challenging me to strive for excellence.
The Belgium trip and the course was the cherry on the cake, offering me an unparalleled opportunity to learn from the best in the field and immerse myself in a new culture.
My advice for Foundation Dentists and Dental Therapists considering entering the competition, is simple: GO FOR IT. It is an invaluable experience that goes beyond winning – it’s about the journey, the learning and the life-long connections that you make along the way. Entering the competition will not only enhance your clinical skills but also boost your confidence and open doors to new opportunities, ultimately making you a better practitioner.
The CGDent-GC Award 2024/25 is open to Dentists and Dental Therapists who qualified in the UK or Ireland in 2024 or are undertaking Dental Foundation Training or Dental Vocational Training 2024/25. Entries close on Friday 14 February 2025.
Igor Blum, Clinical Professor of Primary Care Dentistry and Advanced General Dental Practice at King’s College London and Editor of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ), introduces two issues of the PDJ dedicated to implant dentistry
Modern implant dentistry begins with the pioneering work of Per-Ingvar Brånemark (1929-2014), professor of anatomy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and André Schroeder (1918-2004) professor of operative dentistry and endodontics at the University of Bern, Switzerland. Professor Brånemark studied bone healing and regeneration and discovered in 1957 that bone could grow in close proximity with titanium without being rejected, developing a permanent attachment between bone and titanium. He termed this phenomenon ‘osseointegration’.
Osseointegration established a new era in dentistry and paved the way for the development of the principles of biological acceptance of implants based on the science of bone biology. The first patient receiving titanium dental implants was 34-year-old Gosta Larsson, a man with a cleft palate, jaw deformities and missing teeth in his lower jaw. In 1965 he had four titanium implants (fixtures) placed into his mandible which were restored with a fixed prosthesis. The dental implants served for more than 40 years, until the end of Mr Larsson’s life.1
Early histological evidence demonstrating dental implant osseointegration was published in 1976 by Professor André Schroeder. He then went on to develop improved dental implant designs, and in 1980 Professor Schroeder founded the International Team of Implantology (ITI) of which he was the founding president. The ITI evolved into the largest global organisation of Implant Dentistry today.
At the Toronto Conference on Osseointegration in Clinical Dentistry in 1982, Professor Brånemark gave his landmark presentation that convinced dentists that a new era had dawned for dental implants, which became rapidly adopted as a new method of root-shaped screws in the jaws.2 He is widely known as the ‘father of modern dental implantology’ because of his milestone contribution in the field of implant dentistry. In tandem with the pioneering work in dental implants, and following the recognition of long-term success of osseointegration, this work was extended to orthopaedics for small and large joint replacement.3
The introduction of the concept of osseointegration of implants resulted in a paradigm shift that affected the dental care of partially dentate and edentulous patients. Dental implants continued to evolve with research and innovation over decades resulting in the treatment planning involving the implant option becoming part of mainstream dentistry in the present day. The widespread use of dental implants requires dental professionals to be up to date with maintaining the implant patient, regardless of whether the dental practice is offering the provision of dental implants. It is therefore essential for dental professionals to have appropriate training and a sound clinical understanding in the care of and maintaining the implant patient.
Although not a substitute by any means for a quality assured clinical training programme or structured course, the editorial team felt it was timely to produce an issue of the Primary Dental Journal devoted to Implant Dentistry. This theme has been split across two consecutive issues of the journal – parts 1 and 2.
Part 1, our Autumn 2024 issue which will be published imminently, addresses the role of the general dental practitioner in the care of the implant patient, dental nursing in implant dentistry, the hygienist’s role in the management of the implant patient in primary care, developing implant mentoring programmes, a personal journey from mentee to mentor, biomechanical principles of restoring a dentition with dental implants, a technician’s perspective on communication in implant treatment planning, placement and reconstruction in the digital age, the impact of implants on quality of life, and, very importantly dentolegal considerations in implant dentistry. The main objective of part 1 issue is to provide readers with a cutting-edge update on the above topics, including raising awareness of the need to manage implant patients in primary care.
Part 2, the Winter 2024/25 issue to be published in around three months’ time, will focus more on clinical aspects of implant dentistry, including complications and adverse events, and recent technological advancements in the field.
Implant Dentistry is truly an evolving discipline as seen by the remarkable advances since the early works of Professors Brånemark, Schroeder and many others over the past decades. Those dental professionals wishing to further their knowledge and skills in implant dentistry and wishing to choose postgraduate educational programmes or courses might also benefit from familiarising themselves with the College of General Dentistry publications Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines and Training standards in implant dentistry. The former describes the nature of mentoring which should be undertaken in order to safely carry out implant dentistry following completion of an appropriate training course, while the latter helps with identifying quality postgraduate education in implant dentistry.
I am very thankful to Dr Amin Aminian and Professor Ilser Turkyilmaz, the guest editors respectively of our part 1 and part 2 issues on implant dentistry, and to all our contributing authors, for producing such a wealth of excellent and informative articles which I am certain readers will find of interest and use.
The Primary Dental Journal is the College’s quarterly peer-reviewed journal dedicated to general dental practice. Printed copies of the Autumn 2024 part 1 issue on implant dentistry should arrive with College members in the second half of October.
Joining gift: Implant Dentistry parts 1 & 2
To mark the publication of the first of our new PDJ issues on implant dentistry, anyone joining the College or its Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry before 31 December 2024 will receive a printed copy. They will also be sent part 2 once available.
2Zarb G, editor. Toronto conference on osseointegration in clinical dentistry. In Proceedings of the 1982 Toronto Conference 1983 (pp. 1-165). Mosby: St. Louis
3Albrektsson T, Lekholm U. Osseointegration: current state of the art. Dent Clin North Am. 1989 Oct;33(4):537-54
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