College of General Dentistry News

College masterclass teaches leadership development skills

The College recently hosted a Leadership Development Masterclass for dental professionals.

Professor Sreenivas Koka FCGDent presenting to participants at the CGDent Leadership Development Masterclass

The masterclass taught some of the most critical elements needed to be an effective team leader, with carefully curated content offering appropriate breadth and depth for early-career leaders, including

  • Giving and receiving feedback as a leader
  • Learning one’s motivations for leadership (and adapting accordingly)
  • Measuring your leadership effectiveness

The one-day programme, which took place at the Royal Society of Medicine in London on Tuesday 14 October 2025, was restricted to Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College and was attended by members from across the dental team.

The event was led by Professor Sreenivas Koka DDS MS PhD MBA MAS FACD FCGDent and Professor Elizabeth Carr MAADH DHA FACD(Hon) FCGDent.

Professor Koka is co-founder of Executive Leadership Enterprises and the Future Leaders in Prosthodontics (FLiP) programme, and founder of both the Shaping the Future of Implant Dentistry (SHIFT) leadership workshop series and the non-profit Career Design in Dentistry organisation. He is also a former Chair of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management Alumni Board. Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry from 2021-2024, he has been a lecturer at the University of Michigan and University of California Los Angeles, and a professor at Loma Linda University, the University of Nebraska and the Mayo Clinic. In addition to qualifying as a Doctor of Dental Surgery, he holds a Master’s in Prosthodontics from the University of Michigan, an MBA from MIT, a Master’s in Applied Sciences from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD from the University of Nebraska. He was the founder and owner of Premium Dental Editing in Rochester, Minnesota, and of Koka Dental Clinic in San Diego, and is the author/co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed articles and nine book chapters. A Fellow of CGDent, he was brought up in Romford, emigrated to the United States at the age of 19 and is one of 16 dentists in his family.

Professor Carr is Chair of the Department of Dental Hygiene, Professor of Dental Hygiene and Director of the Mississippi Population Oral Health Collaborative at the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry, where she has worked for over 20 years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene and a Doctorate in Health Administration from the University of Mississippi and a Master’s in Dental Hygiene from the University of Tennessee. She has also completed the MIT Sloan School of Management’s Executive Certificate programme in Leadership and Management. A Fellow of the CGDent, she is also an Honorary Fellow of the American College of Dentists, a past President of the Mississippi Dental Hygienists’ Association, and a member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and the American Academy of Dental Hygiene. Her peer-reviewed articles on leadership and dental education have been published in the Journal of the American College of Dentists, the Journal of International Oral Health, the Journal of Prosthodontic Research, the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, the Journal of Dental Hygiene and the Journal of Dental Education.

Professor Koka is also the guest editor of the next issue of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ), which will be published later this year on the theme of leadership, and co-author of its paper ‘Oral health in the context of patient well-being: Implications for the general dentist’. Professor Carr is the author of ‘Effectively managing difficult conversations with patients and dental teams’. Both are co-authors of ‘Everyday leadership’.

Simon Thornton-Wood PhD, Chief Executive of the College, said:

“To practise dentistry requires years of education, yet people can take on leadership roles with little or no training at all. First-time and second-time dental leaders are challenged because other people’s actions now define them; the potential to fail in a leadership role is high and the consequences can be significant.

“That’s why leadership in dentistry is such a focus for the College. It was the theme of our very first journal issue in 2021, we’re re-visiting it in the next issue, it is one of our five domains of Fellowship and we have a recorded webinar on the subject available free of charge for all our members. It is also the topic of a blog post by our Immediate Past President, under whose Presidency we hosted a Leadership Workshop for early career dental professionals.

“Leadership can be taught and learned, so we were delighted to be able to host this masterclass, and privileged that it was delivered by two College Fellows who are world-leading scholars in the art and science of practising leadership in the context of oral healthcare delivery.”

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College of General Dentistry News

Notice of elections

Elections will take place early in 2026 for two seats on the College Council, and eligible members are encouraged to consider standing.

The Council is the voice of our members.  Overseeing our role as a professional body and guiding Trustees on the development of the College to fulfil its mission, it includes representation based both on geographical region and professional role.

Nominations will be open early in the new year, with voting taking place in the Spring and the result announced in May. Elected candidates are expected to attend their first Council meeting on Friday 12 June 2026, when they will be formally inducted.

The role

As a Council member, you would provide leadership, strategic input and direction in all the professional affairs of the College. You would be helping to shape key moments in the College’s growth and could also get involved in specific initiatives on areas such as careers, policy and standards.

If elected, you would serve a three-year term from June 2026 – June 2029, during which you would be expected to attend three one-day, face-to-face meetings in June, October and February each year, as well as regular online meetings and occasional committees outside of business hours.

You would also be expected to vote, and eligible to stand, in the annual election of up to two Vice Presidents; eligible to participate in the triennial appointment of a College President in 2027; and expected to attend College events around the UK.

You would be able to stand for re-election in 2029, and individuals may serve up to three elected terms (i.e. nine years) on the Council. The role is voluntary, but we do cover essential expenses. 

*An indicative role profile is available below; please note this may be updated by the time nominations open.

ROLE DESCRIPTION*

Council seats for election in 2026

Nominations will be sought for the following seats:

  • Mersey & North West
  • Northern Ireland

Further seats on the Council will be due for election in 2027 and 2028 – see the College Council page for details.

Eligibility

All Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College, regardless of dental team role, who live or work within one of the above regions, and who are registered with that region with CGDent, will be eligible to nominate themselves as candidates for election to the relevant Council seat.

Members who live and work in more than one region are welcome to change the address with which they are registered with the College. This can be done at any time through their online account: log in at cgdent.uk then navigate via My Account to Update my details. The new address will then be used for all correspondence, including receiving copies of the Primary Dental Journal.

Associate Members within these regions who wish to nominate themselves for election will need to have successfully completed an upgrade to Full Membership before doing so. Any non-members will first need to join the College as a Full Member.

College electoral regions

This map can be downloaded here

If you are unsure which College region you are in, check your entry on the Member Register

Nominations process

Once opened (anticipated to be in January 2026), all eligible members will be emailed a link to the nominations website by the College’s election services provider, Mi-Voice.

If you are interested in standing for election, you will need to complete the nomination process via that link (once received), where you will be asked for further information, and to submit an election statement.

You will also be required to provide the names of two supporters of your nomination. Your supporters must each be a Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College within the constituency you are standing for. If you are unsure of the membership status or region of potential supporters, please consult our Member Register

If you think you might like to put yourself forward as a candidate and would like further information before deciding, we would be pleased to have a confidential discussion and answer any questions about the role and the process.

Please get in touch via [email protected]

The deadline for submission of applications – around a month after nominations open – will be announced in due course.

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College of General Dentistry News

CGDent-GC Award for Foundation Trainees opens for third year

The CGDent and GC Award for Foundation Trainees, which promotes clinical skills and patient care, is now open for entries to the 2025/26 competition.

Successful candidates at the composite layering course in Belgium, July 2025

In the third year of the award, dentists and dental therapists who are undertaking Dental Foundation Training or Dental Vocational Training in 2025/26, or who qualified in the UK or Ireland in 2025 and are practising in the UK or Ireland, are invited to enter. Entrants must submit a restorative case they are about to start treating which involves more than one tooth, and includes at least one anterior tooth, as well as the use of composite to restore teeth.

There are 14 winning places available, with each successful candidate receiving a fully-funded place on a hands-on, two-day composite layering course at the GC Education Campus in Leuven, Belgium. The prize is worth around £1,400 per place and includes the costs of international travel, hotel accommodation and subsistence.

The successful candidates in last year’s competition took part in the bespoke composite layering course in July 2025. One delegate described entering the award as “a thoroughly rewarding experience”, adding that even if she had not been one of the winners, “I learned a lot about composites by taking part and preparing my case.” Another commented: “the hands-on training has enabled me to gain practical experience with specific treatments, before applying them to patients, which has increased my confidence in managing these cases.”

Ruba Al-Nuaimy, dental therapist, a winner of the 2024/25 award

Ruba Al-Nuaimy, the first successful dental therapist in the competition, said she entered the award to “showcase my clinical skills and challenge myself…the perfect way to step outside my comfort zone.” Encouraging other Foundation Trainees to enter the 2025/26 competition, Ruba said: “It’s an amazing opportunity to develop skills, boost confidence, and gain experiences that can really enhance your early career.“

The 2025/26 award is now open, the closing date for entry is Friday 20 February 2026, and final cases must be submitted by Friday 24 April 2026. The winners will be announced in May, and their course will take place on Thursday–Friday 23–24 July 2026.

The CGDent-GC Award is funded by The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation and organised in conjunction with the College of General Dentistry and GC. The Foundation supports educational opportunities for early career dentists in the UK, and was founded by Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent, a general dental practitioner with a special interest in restorative dentistry.

GC is an oral health company which manufactures dental systems and products which are sold around the world, and has won awards for its products and innovations. It provides both online and in-person training covering many areas of dental practice.

Click the button below for further information about the award and links to guidance for entrants and the entry form.

further information

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College of General Dentistry News

Portfolio submissions in Restorative Dentistry: eligibility & requirements

Following the recent launch of a portfolio-based route to Associate Fellowship and the Clinical & Technical domain of Fellowship, the College has published detailed requirements for portfolio submissions in Restorative Dentistry.

To be eligible to submit a portfolio for assessment, applicants must have at least five years’ post-qualification experience in Restorative Dentistry, and must hold Associate Membership or Full Membership of the College at the time of application. Non-members should first join the College and should allow up to two weeks for their membership application to be validated and processed.

They will then need to submit:

  1. A log of training meeting the requirements below.
  2. Six cases meeting the specifications below.
  3. A comprehensive CV detailing at least five years’ post-qualification experience in roles with the appropriate responsibilities and clinical environment to meet the expected standard of patient care.

Training requirements

Applicants must have:

  • Completed 165 hours of verifiable training consistent with RQF Level 7, set out in a training log which details the hours and attaches the evidence for each of the required topics below, or
  • Completed an accredited postgraduate qualification of at least 60 RQF credits for which the transcript demonstrates coverage of the required topics below, or
  • Successfully completed a recognised Royal College Diploma examination

Applicants submitting evidence of training undertaken before 2010 must also provide evidence of at least 50 hours of Enhanced CPD relevant to restorative dentistry undertaken in the last 5 years.

Required topics:

  • Patient assessment, history and treatment planning and communication
  • Principles and application of occlusion             
  • Smile design          
  • Tooth whitening                
  • Anterior direct restorations          
  • Posterior direct restorations                  
  • Clinical photography                   
  • Anterior direct restorations          
  • Posterior direct restorations                  
  • Indirect restorations – crowns, onlays and ceramic veneers            
  • Management of tooth surface loss                   
  • Replacement of missing teeth               
  • Endodontics           
  • Periodontics           
  • Contemporary caries management

Case specifications

Applicants must present a total of six anonymised cases, all undertaken within the past five years. The first three must demonstrate, respectively, endodontic, periodontic and prosthodontic management. The remaining cases can be in any of these three disciplines, however no more than half of the total number of cases may be submitted from any one discipline.

Endodontic cases must demonstrate at least one of the following:

  • a multirooted tooth with root curvatures 30 – 45 degrees
  • a tooth with canals deemed non-negotiable in the coronal third, but patent thereafter, as evidenced clinically and radiographically
  • a multirooted tooth with a canal length exceeding 25 mm
  • a tooth with incomplete root development
  • re-treatment of a previously treated tooth, with evidence of patency beyond an existing short root filling, provided there are no complicating factors from earlier treatment
  • removal of a fractured post (less than 8 mm in length)

Periodontic cases must demonstrate one of the following:

  • Treatment of generalised stage II, III or IV periodontitis that has true pocketing of 6 mm or more showing BOP <10% and PPD < 4mm at 1 year after treatment
  • Management of gingival enlargement non-surgically with a minimum of 1 year post operative review: showing BOP <10% and PPD < 4mm at 1 year after treatment
  • Management of a peri implant mucositis case with a minimum of one-year postoperative review showing ≤ 1 point of BOP and absence of suppuration
  • Management of furcation defects and other complex root morphologies when strategically important (in more than one sextant) showing stability at 1 year after treatment e.g. <10% BOP and PPD <4mm at a 1 year post operative review
  • Periodontal treatment that includes pocket reduction surgery in more than 1 sextant

Prosthodontic cases must demonstrate one of the following:

  • Occlusal reorganisation is necessary, and medium-term stability is achieved through plastic restorations, removable appliances, or both
  • Occlusion requires careful management to avoid premature failure of restorations (e.g., guidance for multiple restorations)
  • Replacement and temporisation of multiple fixed restorations, where oral condition stability/control may be at risk
  • Addressing anatomical challenges related to soft tissues
  • Compromised health of denture-bearing soft tissue
  • Raised or critical aesthetic or functional expectations/needs
  • Definitive replacement of at least three teeth involving pre-prosthetic procedures, such as: (i) abutment optimisation (ii) minor oral surgery procedures (iii) occlusal adjustments

Consent

For each case, applicants must ensure that they have the consent of the patient for inclusion in their portfolio. The bespoke Patient Information Sheet and Patient Consent Form should be used to ensure informed participation.

Case format

Each case must adhere to the structure and content outlined in the Restorative Case Template

Application & assessment

To submit their application, applicants will need to upload their case presentations, CV and training log (or equivalent), and pay a non-refundable Assessment Fee of £600.

Assessment will be centred around the evidence submitted, with specific emphasis on the case selection, and will include a case-based discussion. This will be undertaken by a panel of two suitably qualified assessors with experience of assessment for Postgraduate Diploma qualifications.

A successful portfolio will qualify the applicant for Associate Fellowship of the College and in addition will satisfy the Clinical & Technical domain of Fellowship. The applicant will also be able to add their successful portfolio to the College’s Register of Members and Fellows as a recognised qualification. If an application is unsuccessful, the applicant may be able to request a review by a separate panel, for which an additional Review Fee of £200 would apply.

FIND OUT MORE AND APPLY

Portfolio specifications for Implant Dentistry and Orthodontics will be published in 2026.

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College of General Dentistry News

New PDJ online: Oral medicine

The latest issue of the Primary Dental Journal, ‘Oral medicine’, is now available to read online.

The papers in this issue of the PDJ have been brought together by Guest Editor Dr Emma Hayes, a Consultant and Clinical Lead in Oral Medicine at King’s College London Dental Institute.

A core theme in this collection of papers is to highlight the vital role that dental professionals contribute to the diagnosis and management of patients with oral medicine conditions. The issue covers the wide range of oral medicine conditions seen at various ages and stages of life, from an overview of conditions seen in the paediatric population, to salivary gland hypofunction, more often seen in an older population.

As well as common oral medicine conditions frequently encountered in dental practice, this issue of the PDJ also highlights some of the rarer conditions that may initially be presented to dentists (such as trigeminal neuralgia) and where early diagnosis is essential to improving patient outcomes. A full list of papers is below.

Dr Hayes describes the ambition for this Oral medicine issue of the journal:

“It is my hope that these papers will act as a useful reference for dental professionals into the future. I also hope that it will inspire primary dental care practitioners to continue to take an interest in oral medicine and feel empowered to participate in the early identification and management of these patients.”

This issue also marks the first where the College’s new Coat of Arms appears throughout, in light of its newly-acquired Grant of Arms received under Crown authority from the College of Arms. An image of the elaborate Grant of Arms can be seen on the inside front cover of the print edition. The News & Perspectives section of this issue examines the Grant of Arms, the symbolism behind the heraldic elements in the Coat of Arms, and how to donate to the College’s Coat of Arms fund for those wishing to secure a special place in the history of the development of the College.

Full online access to the majority of articles in this and previous issues is reserved for College of General Dentistry members and Primary Dental Journal subscribers, who can expect their printed copies to arrive by the end of September. New joiners wishing to receive a copy of this issue can let us know by emailing [email protected]

For non-members / non-subscribers, at least one paper in each issue is made available online free of charge, with all other articles available to purchase via the links below.

An annual print subscription to the PDJ is included with membership of the College, which also includes online access to over 1,500 current and past articles in the PDJ Library and a range of other benefits.

On behalf of the College, the PDJ editorial team would like to express its gratitude to all the authors and peer reviewers who have contributed to this issue.

ISSUE CONTENTS:

CGDent members can view full articles by logging in via the yellow button below, then clicking ‘Access the PDJ Library’:

PDJ MEMBER ACCESS

The next issue of the journal, on the topic of Leadership, is due out in Autumn 2025.

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College of General Dentistry News

New portfolio route to Associate Fellowship and Fellowship

The College has launched a new portfolio-based route to joining its Fellowship community.

The new route, which will be available in relation to specific fields of practice, means that both Associate Fellowship and the Clinical & Technical domain of College Fellowship can now be achieved through recognition of a wealth of clinical experience and expertise, not just advanced qualifications.

Under the new scheme, those with at least five years’ post-qualification experience in the discipline for which they are applying, and who meet the specification for prior training, can submit a portfolio of six suitably complex cases, undertaken within the past five years, for assessment. The expected standard for cases is that which would be achieved with a relevant 120 credit, Level 7 Diploma or at Level 2 clinical complexity.

As well as qualifying the applicant for Associate Fellowship and the Clinical & Technical domain of Fellowship, a successful portfolio can also be published as a recognised qualification in the College’s Member Register.

Both Associate Fellowship and Fellowship of the College are open to dental professionals in all team roles.

Associate Fellowship acts as a stepping stone to Fellowship, recognising enhanced knowledge and skills as well as a commitment to lifelong learning and the highest levels of patient care. As members of the College’s Fellowship community, Associate Fellows are eligible to attend its prestigious Fellows’ Receptions, have the opportunity of ceremonial admission by the College President and may use the postnominal ‘AssocFCGDent’.

All those holding an eligible qualification can become an Associate Fellow without the need of portfolio assessment. These are:

  • a relevant PhD, Master’s degree or Postgraduate Diploma meeting the College’s eligibility criteria
  • Specialty membership of a Royal College or Royal College faculty
  • Membership in General Dental Surgery (MGDS)
  • Diploma in Postgraduate Dental Studies (DPDS)
  • CGDent Diploma in Primary Care Orthodontics
  • FGDP(UK) or RCS Edinburgh Diploma in Implant Dentistry
  • FGDP(UK) Diploma in Restorative Dentistry
  • FGDP(UK) Diploma in Primary Care Oral Surgery

Fellowship is the most distinguished membership of the College and is recognised with the postnominal designation ‘FCGDent’. It is a mark of excellence; significant commitment to the science, art and practice of dentistry; and distinction across clinical and professional domains. All dental professionals with ten or more years’ post-qualification practice may apply for Fellowship by route of experience, and to be successful applicants must provide evidence of meeting the requirements of three of five domains:

  • Clinical & Technical
  • Teaching, Learning & Assessment
  • Leadership & Management
  • Publications & Research
  • Law & Ethics

The Clinical & Technical domain is automatically satisfied without the need of portfolio assessment for those who meet one of the eligibility criteria for Associate Fellowship described above, or who have qualified as a:

  • Specialist (with demonstrable referral activity)
  • Member of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgery
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry
  • Accredited Full Member of the British Academy for Cosmetic Dentistry.

Applications for portfolio assessment are now being accepted in Restorative Dentistry. Portfolios in Implant Dentistry will start being accepted early in 2026, with those in Orthodontics thereafter.

To find out more, and to apply, click the button below:

APPLY BY CLINICAL PORTFOLIO

The next College Fellows’ Reception, incorporating the ceremonial admission of new Associate Fellows and Fellows, will take place on the evening of Thursday 5 February 2026 in London. For details, visit cgdent.uk/events

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College of General Dentistry News

Poppy Dunton appointed Hygiene & Therapy Faculty Chair

The College has appointed Poppy Dunton as Chair of the Board of its Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy.

A dental therapist working in general dental practice and implant clinics in Harrogate, York and Durham, Poppy is also a Tutor and Clinical Supervisor in Dental Hygiene at Teesside University, and as a dental business consultant helps ailing squat practices to improve their periodontal care. She was previously Operations Manager, CQC Manager and Lead Dental Therapist at a private dental practice group in Northampton. Having first worked in dentistry on a work placement as a 15-year-old, she has also been a receptionist, compliance and treatment coordinator and dental nurse.

She completed the National Certificate in Dental Nursing in 2008 and graduated from Cardiff University with a Diploma of Higher Education in Dental Therapy and Dental Hygiene, where she was awarded the Johnson and Johnson Clinical Excellence Prize, in 2011. She also holds a City & Guilds Diploma in Leadership and Management, a Level 6 qualification in employment law from the Institute of Paralegals, the Perio School Diploma in Periodontics for Hygienists and Therapists and the Smile Dental Academy Diploma in Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry for Dental Therapists, and has completed training as a Menopause Coach in order to help improve the care provided to her patients. 

She joined the College as an Associate Member in 2022, enrolled on the Certified Membership Scheme, was appointed to the Board of the Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy and was a facilitator at the College’s NextGen Leadership Workshop in 2023. She is also a member of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy, the British Association of Dental Therapists, the Association of Dental Implantology and the British Society of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry.

The Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy is a constituency automatically comprising all members of the College who are dental hygienists and/or dental therapists, and the Faculty Board advances the interests of these professional groups within the College. The board also includes Sarah Murray MBE, Fiona Sandom FCGDent MBE and Jyoti Sumel.

The Chair is appointed for a three-year term, and Ms Dunton succeeds Frances Robinson AssocFCGDent in the role. She will advise and report to the College Council, and will work closely with the President and the other Faculty Board Chairs – Avijit Banerjee FCGDent (Faculty of Dentists), Debbie Reed FCGDent (Faculty of Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy), and Bill Sharpling FCGDent (Faculty of Clinical Dental Technology & Dental Technology) – in realising College priorities for the whole dental team.

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College of General Dentistry News

New opportunity in coaching & mentoring for Dental Care Professionals

Foundation Nakao – CGDent Award in Coaching and Mentoring

A special opportunity for a funded three day short course: strictly limited places available

Establishing a mentor and coaching culture is key to the College’s commitment to workforce diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing. In promoting effective mentoring practice, we aim to foster appropriate support in the career pathway progression for all members of the oral healthcare team.

Now, thanks to sponsorship by Foundation Nakao, generously donated through Prof Avijit Banerjee FCGDent, we can offer a very special opportunity for a three day training course in mentoring and coaching.

The award is open to College members who are registered as a dental therapist, dental hygienist, dental nurse, orthodontic therapist, dental technician or clinical dental technician. Our aspiration is to cultivate a community of College members amongst Dental Care Professionals who are equipped and confident to nurture their peers, and dentist members are therefore asked to support this aim by highlighting the opportunity to dental team colleagues.

The short course will be delivered synchronously online, using the Zoom platform, by UMD Professional, an organisation with more than thirty years of experience with dentistry, medicine, healthcare and law, to establishing coaching and mentoring practices within organisations*.

Course dates

  • Day 1. Friday 21st November 2025
  • Day 2. Saturday 22nd November 2025
  • Day 3 Friday 16th January 2026 (or Friday 23rd January)

Applicants must:

  1. Hold a current membership of the College at the time of application, in one of the registered Dental Care Professional roles. Join today.
  2. Have at least two years of post-qualification experience in the role.
  3. Be available to participate in all three days of the training.
  4. Be prepared to:
    • apply mentoring or coaching skills between Day 2 and Day 3.
    • apply the learning to support less experienced colleagues through the College
    • contribute to the promotion of the experience in mentorship through an article or at a College event.

To apply

Download and complete the application form, which should be submitted by email to [email protected].

Foundation Nakao – CGDent Award application v1.3Download

The deadline for applications is 5pm Monday 22nd September 2025.

Successful applicants will be informed by email by Monday 6th October 2025.

Foundation Nakao – also known as The Nakao Foundation for Worldwide Oral Health – was founded in Luzern in 2018 by Makato Nakao, Chairman of GC Corporation, a leading manufacturer of dental materials and equipment. GC also partners with the College on the CGDent-GC Award for Foundation Trainees.

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College of General Dentistry News

Introduction to Occlusion Symposium travels to Edinburgh

Following the success of the Introduction to Occlusion Symposium on 5 April in London, the symposium is travelling north and will take place on Saturday 1 November in Edinburgh.

Introduction to Occlusion Symposium, London

The comprehensive programme will remain the same and will be delivered by the panel of six renowned speakers who impressed delegates at the inaugural symposium in April. It is designed for early career dental professionals but all dental professionals are welcome to attend.

Members of the College are asked to share details of the symposium with friends and colleagues who may wish to attend.

book your place

The aim of the event, which has been organised by the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation in conjunction with the College, is to enhance delegates’ understanding of the fundamentals of occlusion and how these principles can support the placement of successful, long-term restorations for patients presenting with tooth wear and other conditions.

Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent, Chair of Trustees, Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation, explains the move to Scotland:

“We were delighted by the enthusiastic feedback we received from the London symposium which showed that many delegates had left the day with a much clearer understanding of occlusion and the treatment options available, and felt inspired to incorporate what they’d learnt into their practice. We wanted to ensure that colleagues in other parts of the country had the same opportunity to expand their knowledge of this important topic and the decision was made to repeat the symposium in Edinburgh with exactly the same programme and the same inspiring speakers.”

The opening lecture will be delivered by Dr Bereznicki, who will use real failure cases to illustrate what can happen if a patient’s occlusion is not assessed and treated.

Further lectures will then be delivered by Professor Paul Tipton, Dr Ken Harris, Dr Tif Qureshi, Dr Shiraz Khan and Dr Koray Feran.

Dr Tom Bereznicki
Prof Paul Tipton
Dr Ken Harris
Dr Tif Qureshi
Dr Shiraz Khan
Dr Koray Feran

Describing the programme, Dr Bereznicki said: “We will be focussing on the basic fundamental principles involved in occlusion, particularly the intraoral occlusal examination which is crucial in treatment planning.”

Alongside the programme of lectures, delegates who wish to develop their knowledge of occlusion further can visit a hand-picked selection of education stands to learn more about leading postgraduate courses available in this field.

To ensure the symposium is accessible to all, the fees have been set at £90 for early career practitioners who qualified between 2020 and 2025, and £110 for all other dental professionals. These fees include lunch.

You can find further information and secure your place by clicking the button below.

book your place

The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation, in collaboration with the College, is also hosting a symposium on 20 September 2025 in London. Dr Reena Wadia will deliver the morning session on the topic of pink aesthetics and in the afternoon, Dr Andy Toy will discuss the importance of occlusion in the successful provision of aligner therapy. You can find out more and book your place here.

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College of General Dentistry News

Standards in Dentistry: new edition

The College has published the third edition of Standards in Dentistry, its comprehensive and free online manual bringing together standards and guidelines for primary care dentistry.

A compendium acting as a guide to personal or practice-based quality assessment, it sets out specific basic and aspirational standards covering 17 areas of practice.

Fifteen of these have been fully updated from the second edition to reflect changes to the evidence base and other contemporary contexts:

  • Consultation and diagnosis
  • Making and receiving referrals
  • Direct (plastic), coronal and root surface restorations
  • Indirect coronal restorations (crowns, bridges, onlays, veneers)
  • Endodontics
  • Implant dentistry
  • Management of acute pain
  • Management of dental trauma
  • Minor oral surgery
  • Oral medicine
  • Orthodontics
  • Paediatric dentistry
  • Periodontics
  • Complete dentures
  • Removable partial dentures

Two new sets of standards have also been added:

  • Aesthetic dentistry
  • Digital dentistry 

The standards are focussed on practitioner processes rather than treatment outcomes, and the book adopts the College’s ‘Aspirational’, ‘Basic’, ‘Conditional’ (ABC) notation for the grading of recommendations.

Standards in Dentistry also summarises over 100 standards, guidelines and advisory publications by the College and 50 other national and international bodies, and signposts to other relevant resources, organisations and legislation.

In addition to synopses of guidance covering the areas of practice listed above, summaries of 18 clinical and non-clinical fields from the second edition have been updated:

  • Clinical governance
  • Emergency dental care
  • Examination and record-keeping
  • Infection control
  • Medical emergencies
  • Medications management
  • Oral health
  • Pathology
  • Patient information
  • Practice management
  • Prevention
  • Radiography
  • Research governance
  • Restorative dentistry
  • Risk management & communication
  • Sedation
  • Special care dentistry
  • Staff training

Four brand new summaries have also been added, covering:

  • Antimicrobial prescribing and stewardship
  • Environmental sustainability
  • Equality, diversity and inclusion
  • Mental health and wellbeing

The first edition of Standards in Dentistry, published by the former Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) in 2006, combined the functions of two previous FGDP publications, Self-Assessment Manual and Standards (SAMS) and Guidelines for Structure and Process in Dental Practice. The second edition was published in 2018, with the College making it available to the profession since it inherited the Faculty’s portfolio of guidance and standards publications in 2021.

The newly expanded third edition has been two years in the making, with over 1,000 comments received and considered during consultation processes with College Fellows and a wide range of national dental organisations. It is the College’s first comprehensive update of a flagship FGDP publication, and the first standards document to employ the College’s new branding following the recent grant of a Coat of Arms.

It was developed by an editorial team led by Professor Ewen McColl FCGDent (Head of Peninsula Dental School, Chair of the Dental Schools Council, Editorial Director of Dental Update and College Council member), which also included Professor Chris Tredwin FCGDent (Dean of Queen Mary University of London Dental School), Professor Robert Witton FCGDent (Professor of Community Dentistry, Peninsula Dental School), Lorna Burns (Information Specialist and Associate Head of Postgraduate Taught Programmes, Peninsula Dental School), Dr Nicola Gore FCGDent (general dental practice principal and College Council member) and Dr Susan Nelson MCGDent (general dental practitioner, implant dentist and College Council member).

For the benefit of the whole dental profession and all dental patients, the College has made Standards in Dentistry available to view free of charge.

College members can also download it to their devices as a PDF for personal use, giving access to search, text-select and print functionality.

Celebrating the publication of the new edition, Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent, President of the College, said:

“The provision of guidance and standards by dental professionals, for dental professionals, is central to the mission of the College, and Standards in Dentistry is an indispensable reference guide offering a comprehensive pool of information for all those working in general dental practice and primary dental care. Generations of oral healthcare professionals across the world have been supported by this and other publications of the former FGDP in their journey to provide effective clinical care and better outcomes for their patients, and the College will continue to provide this assistance for future generations. On behalf of the College, I would like to thank all the authors for their hard work, and the many College members and external consultees who gave their time to provide feedback and suggestions.”

All dental professionals and practices are encouraged to view Standards in Dentistry by visiting our Standards and Guidance page, where free access is also offered to the following publications:

  • Clinical Examination and Record-Keeping
  • Selection Criteria for Dental Radiography
  • Guidance Notes for Dental Practitioners on the Safe Use of X-Ray Equipment
  • Antimicrobial Prescribing in Dentistry
  • Training Standards in Implant Dentistry
  • Mentoring in Implant Dentistry
  • Dementia-Friendly Dentistry
  • An Introduction to Research for Primary Dental Care Clinicians
  • Implications of COVID-19 for the safe management of general dental practice

Users who are not members of the College will need to be logged into their College Subscriber account; new users can register for free at cgdent.uk/register-new

new users – register here
members & subscribers: log in to view standards in dentistry

Print copies will be available for sale in due course.

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