College of General Dentistry News

Certified Practitioner in Endodontics scheme now open

The College has launched its Certified Practitioner in Endodontics scheme – CertPract(Endo) – which recognises the skills and knowledge of general dental practitioners with experience of providing Level 2 complexity endodontic treatment within dental primary care.

Developed in consultation with NHS authorities and endorsed by the British Endodontic Society, the new status will enable practitioners to provide patients, colleagues and commissioners with authoritative validation of their enhanced capabilities.

Supporting recognition across both NHS and private practice, its requirements have been designed to align with Level 2 NHS care in England, with the British Endodontic Society’s average/high case difficulty categorisation, and with the capabilities achieved following successful completion of a skills-based, university-awarded postgraduate diploma in endodontics.

The application process is a staged and supported journey for which up to 12 months is allowed:

Stage 1

Applicants must:

  • Provide a comprehensive CV detailing at least five years’ post-qualification experience, at least two of which are in general dental practice
  • Submit a log of training to the standard required to undertake Level 2 complexity endodontic procedures (waived for those holding an accredited PgDip or Master’s in Endodontics)
  • Pay an Assessment Fee (£1,000) and a Credentialling Fee (£2,500, or £1,500 for Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College)

The CV will be reviewed, and the training log subject to peer assessment to ensure it reflects a breadth of relevant contemporaneous endodontic learning to the required standard. Those requiring further training will be offered guidance and will be invited to re-submit their training log on completion. Applicants assessed as having an appropriate level of training will be invited to proceed to Stage 2.

In the event that an applicant is deemed to have outstanding training needs which are unlikely to be achievable within 12 months, their candidature will not proceed to Stage 2 and both their Assessment Fee and Credentialling Fee will be refunded. Any College member not proceeding to Stage 2 will have the opportunity of peer support to help identify appropriate training.

Stage 2

Candidates are asked to provide:

  • Log-level data on 25 cases, undertaken in the past 3 years, using a provided template spreadsheet and completion guidance. These cases must be verified by two other dentists, one from inside your practice(s) and one from outside, and taken together should demonstrate the full range of treatments described in the Certified Practitioner in Endodontics Curriculum

Once accepted, applicants move to Stage 3. Feedback will be given where necessary.

In the event that an applicant has not successfully completed Stage 2 within 12 months of initial application, their application will not be taken forward to Stage 3 and their Credentialling Fee will be refunded.

Stage 3

Candidates will be asked to submit:

  • Detailed expositions of 6 of their 25 logged cases, covering a wide range of the required competencies
  • A clinical audit report related to endodontic practice

These will be reviewed, and the 6 cases will inform a case-based discussion undertaken by a panel of two suitably qualified assessors with experience of assessment for postgraduate diploma qualifications in endodontics.

The assessors will then determine whether the candidate will be designated as a Certified Practitioner in Endodontics.

Candidates will receive feedback on their assessment, and any deemed to be unsuccessful in their application will have their Credentialling Fee refunded.

Successful applicants will be awarded Certified Practitioner in Endodontics status for a period of five years, during which they will be entitled to use the postnominal letters CertPract(Endo) and their designation will be published on the College’s Register of Certified Practitioners. Continuing status thereafter will be subject to re-assessment (£500) and a further Credentialling Fee every five years.

Certified Practitioners will be deemed to have fulfilled the requirements of the Clinical & Technical domain of College Fellowship and are therefore eligible for at least Associate Fellowship of the College. Applicants who are not an Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College may therefore choose to apply at the Fellows’ rate, and if successful will be admitted as an Associate Fellow. They will then need to maintain this status in order to remain on the Register of Certified Practitioners.

For College members achieving Certified Practitioner status, their designation will also appear on the College’s Register of Members & Fellows

For further information, and to start your application to become a Certified Practitioner in Endodontics, click the button below:

START YOUR APPLICATION TODAY

Criteria for the Certified Practitioner in Oral Surgery and Certified Practitioner in Implant Dentistry designations will be published in the coming months. To register your interest, click here and follow the link to the scheme you are interest in.

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College of General Dentistry News

Northern Ireland representative

Andrew Wallace has become the new representative for Northern Ireland on the College Council, succeeding Susan Nelson.

Dr Andrew Wallace AssocFCGDent (l) and Dr Susan Nelson MCGDent (r)

Dr Andrew Wallace AssocFCGDent is a dentist at Cranmore Dental and Marlborough Clinic, two private dental practices in Belfast. He qualified from Queen’s University Belfast in 1998, and during 25 years as a general dental practitioner, including six in NHS practice, he developed interests in more complex dentistry and undertook postgraduate training in the treatment of patients with missing teeth using implants and bridgework, as well as in cosmetic makeovers. He has been accepting referrals for over 10 years and now limits his practice to referrals in prosthodontics, endodontics and orthodontics. He was previously a partner at Bachelors Walk Dental, where he successfully took the practice through assessments including the British Dental Association’s Good Practice Scheme, Denplan Excel and Investors in People.

He holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Endodontics from the University of Chester, and has been awarded the Master of Clinical Dentistry in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics (MClinDent with Distinction) by King’s College London. He also completed the IAS Academy Advanced Course, which since 2021 has been the preparatory course for the CGDent Diploma in Primary Care Orthodontics.

Now a Director of the IAS Academy, he has been a lecturer, trainer and mentor for over 15 years, providing Inman Aligner training, teaching its minimally invasive ‘align, bleach and bond’ protocol, and delivering courses on clear aligners, fixed braces, ortho-restorative and restorative space closure. He has also been a trainer for Philips, ClearCorrect, Dentsply Sirona and Henry Schein, and was previously a postgraduate tutor and honorary clinical lecturer at King’s College London.

He gained full Membership of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice of the Royal College of Surgeons England (FGDP) in 2015, became a Foundation Member of CGDent in 2020, and was admitted to Associate Fellowship of the College in 2021. He is also an active member of the Irish Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry.

Dr Susan Nelson MCGDent is lead dentist and implant dentist in private practice in Holywood, County Down. Graduating with Honours in 1993 from the University of Edinburgh, where she won the McGregor Gold Medal for the most distinguished dental graduate, she completed Vocational Training in Fife before joining the practice as an associate in 1994. A Fellow of the International College of Dentists (FICD), she is a member and former Deputy Chair of the Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee and a former Northern Ireland Representative of the Association of Dental Implantology. She was Portman Healthcare’s Regional Clinical Lead for Northern Ireland from 2020-25, and for Scotland from 2024-25.

She joined the FGDP in 1998, examined and sat on the core group for the Membership of the FGDP(UK) and Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties (MJDF) qualifications for 16 years, and served as Director of the former Faculty’s Northern Ireland division. She was first elected to represent the region on the national FGDP Board in 2017, and following her re-election in 2020 chaired its Education and Qualifications Committee, was elected as a Vice Dean and was a contributor to the joint FGDP-CGDent guidance Implications of COVID-19 for the safe management of general dental practice.

She continued to represent Northern Ireland on the College Council when the FGDP transferred into CGDent in 2021. She also sat on the College’s Advisory Strategy Group, became a member of its Regional Funding Panel, served as Vice-Chair of its Careers and Training Committee, led the establishment of CGDent Northern Ireland and was a member of the working group which developed the College’s Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines.  She was re-elected to Council in 2023 and demitted in June 2026 after completing the maximum permitted nine years’ service.

Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent, President of the College, said:

“Susan has been a wonderful colleague and incredible mentor, and will be sorely missed; it fills me with great sadness to lose such a motivated and selfless individual from the College Council. She has been a determined and committed member of both Council and the FGDP Board, has embodied collegiate leadership values and given tirelessly to both the College and former Faculty. I will always remember her support and wise counsel, and have been inspired by her contributions, humility and personality.

 “Many congratulations indeed to Andrew on his now joining the Council; we very much look forward to working together with him in the further development of the College for the benefit of our members, the wider profession and the patients we serve.”

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College of General Dentistry News

National honour for College Fellow

Congratulations to College Fellow Mhari Coxon, who has been recognised in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours list.

Currently Head of Marketing & Communications at Sureserve, and a registered dental hygienist for almost 30 years, Mhari Coxon FCGDent has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to oral health.

She began her career in dentistry in 1992, completing a Certificate in Dental Assisting with the University of Glasgow in 1994, followed by a Diploma in Dental Hygiene from King’s College London in 1996. She practised in both general practice and hospital environments for 14 years, and from 2007 began a parallel career as a healthcare marketing consultant and as Managing Director of CPDforDCP Ltd.

Since 2011 she has worked exclusively in healthcare marketing, initially as Senior Professional Marketing Manager for Philips, then as Medical Marketing Manager for Reckitt Benckiser. This was followed by the positions of Global Marketing Manager for Health Care Professions and Global Category Digital Marketing Manager at GlaxoSmithKline and in 2020 she became Healthcare and Prescription Marketing Strategy Lead for Northern Europe at Johnson & Johnson. In 2022 she moved to the Adelphi Group as Group Marketing Director before taking up her current role in 2024.

She joined the College of General Dentistry in 2021, became a Fellow in 2023, and was previously a longstanding DCP Member of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP). She served on the Faculty’s Dental Care Professionals Committee, as the DCP Editor of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ), and in 2015 as co-guest-editor of the PDJ themed issue on communication, complaints and consent.

She sits on the British Dental Industry Association’s Board of Advisors, is a mentor for both the Chartered Institute of Marketing and for the government’s Help to Grow scheme for small businesses, and was previously a mentor for The Prince’s Trust. In 2014, she was appointed to the Oral Health Foundation’s Board of Trustees, acting as a Trustee and Non-Executive Director until 2025, including as Chair. She served as the organisation’s thirteenth President from 2021-23.

In addition to her dental qualifications, she holds an MSc in Marketing and Marketing Management from the University of Liverpool and a Condensed MBA in Business Administration and Management from the University of Brighton. She has also completed the Institute of Leadership and Management’s Level 7 Certificate in Executive Business Mentoring, Business Administration and Management, and has recently been admitted to the City and Guilds of London Institute.

A member of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy, she is a past member of both its Council and its Publications Committee, and was Chair of the London Regional Group from 2006-10. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Association of Business Mentors, and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

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College of General Dentistry News

New PDJ online: Temporomandibular disorders

The latest issue of the Primary Dental Journal, on the topic of ‘Temporomandibular disorders’ (TMDs), is now available online.

This TMD themed issue of the PDJ has been compiled by Guest Editor Dr Ziad Al-Ani, a Senior Lecturer and Senior Recognised-Excellence-in-Teaching Fellow at the University of Glasgow Dental School. A published author, Dr Al-Ani holds a PhD in temporomandibular disorders and occlusion from the University of Manchester, and subsequently became a Clinical Teacher in Restorative Dentistry and Research Co-ordinator for the TMD Clinic at Manchester, before joining the team at Glasgow.

TMDs are one of the most prevalent conditions encountered in dental practice, with a wide array of symptoms that often extend beyond the temporomandibular joint (TMJ); they therefore remain among the most challenging to treat. This issue of the journal brings together a range of papers from writers with years of expertise in their fields, to elucidate some of this complexity and to support our patients in general dental practice.

Topics include the anatomy of TMJ sounds; TMDs and sleep medicine; splint therapy; orthodontics; and myofunctional therapy; as well as practical discussion on guidelines and checklists to use in practice. Across the range of papers, invaluable knowledge on when – and when not – to treat, as well as where inter-disciplinary collaboration can empower our practice, is provided. The issue also includes an insightful personal reflection on the treatment of TMDs and how this has transformed across the span of a 40-year career. A full list of papers can be found under ‘Issue Contents’ below.

The papers in this PDJ explore the effective management of TMD conditions – which can be wide and varied – with key recommendations that management must be carefully underpinned by conservative, patient-centred strategies, and often supported by a collaborative approach. Dr Al-Ani explains his goal for the issue:

“It is hoped that this themed issue will provide clinicians with both clarity and confidence, bridging the gap between evolving evidence and everyday clinical practice, and supporting a more consistent, holistic approach to the management of temporomandibular disorders.”

This issue also includes the first in a series of articles charting the history of the College, an outline of the latest Pathway to College Fellowship for various career stages, and a brand new section of updates aimed at supporting early careers practitioners.

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 shortly. 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 by becoming a member or by purchasing them individually 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, which is a double issue, “General dentistry”, is due out in Summer 2026.

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College of General Dentistry News

Leadership Development Masterclass 2026

The College will be hosting its second Leadership Development Masterclass for dental professionals on Thursday 24 September 2026.

Professor Sreenivas Koka FCGDent (l) and Professor Elizabeth Carr FCGDent (r), co-presenters of the CGDent Leadership Development Masterclass 2026

Following the success of the 2025 event, the masterclass will teach 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 will take place in London, will be 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 Koka was also the guest editor of the recent themed issue of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ), highlighting the power of leadership for all members of the primary dental care team and its impact on their patients.

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 Carr was also the author of Effectively managing difficult conversations with patients and dental teams and co-author of Everyday leadership in the leadership-themed issue of the PDJ.

The first CGDent Leadership Development Masterclass in October 2025

The Leadership Development Masterclass, which has a limited number of places, costs only £225 to attend (£175 for College members) and comes with 4.75 hours of CPD verified for GDC Development Outcome B. Booking is now open for College members, who benefit from an early booking window prior to general booking opening on Wednesday 1 July.

Launching the leadership development masterclass initiative last year, 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 [and] it is one of our five domains of Fellowship. Leadership can be taught and learned, so we are delighted to be able to host this masterclass, and privileged that it will 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.”

For further information, and to book your place at the Leadership Development Masterclass, click the button below.

FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK YOUR PLACE

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College of General Dentistry News

Onkar Dhanoya to be next Chair of CGDent

Dr Onkar Dhanoya FCGDent, a general dental practitioner in Newcastle, has been appointed as the next Chair of the College of General Dentistry’s Trustee Board.

Having graduated from Newcastle University in 1985, Dr Dhanoya has been Principal Dentist and owner of Honour Health, a group of NHS and private dental practices across the North East, since 1986. His clinical interests include implant dentistry, conscious sedation, facial aesthetics and restorative dentistry.

He served as an Honorary Clinical Lecturer in Restorative Dentistry at Newcastle Dental School from 1996 to 2024, and has been extensively involved in postgraduate education throughout his career. He was a Vocational and Foundation Dental Trainer with the Northern Deanery from 1991 to 2005 and from 2009 to 2015, an examiner for the Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties (MJDF) examination of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, a trainer in conscious sedation and a postgraduate lecturer in dental acupuncture. He currently chairs the Advisory Board for Foundation Training in Dentistry.

He holds a Diploma in Conscious Sedation from Newcastle University, a Diploma in Dental Acupuncture, the Diploma in Implant Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, a Certificate in Postgraduate Clinical Education from Newcastle University, a Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Practice Management from the University of Chester, and certificates in Facial Aesthetics and Dental Practice Appraisal.

He joined the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) in 1993, achieved Fellowship in 2013 and served as an elected member of the FGDP(UK) National Board from 2014 until its transfer into the College of General Dentistry. During this period he served as Chair of the Professional Affairs Committee, Chair of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Board, and completed two terms as Vice Dean. He also chaired the joint FGDP–CGDent working group which produced the influential guidance, Implications of COVID-19 for the safe management of general dental practice. Following the establishment of the College of General Dentistry, he continued to represent the Yorkshire and Northern region on the College Council and was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2022. 

A Fellow of the International College of Dentists and the Higher Education Academy, he is a member of the Association of Dental Implantology, the Sedation Teachers Group and the North East Private Dentists Group. A longstanding member of the British Dental Association, he is a former President of its Northern Counties Branch, a past member of both the BDA English Council and General Dental Practice Committee, and has served as a BDA Good Practice Scheme Assessor for many years.

He has represented the profession locally and nationally through extensive leadership roles, including Chair of North of Tyne Local Dental Committee since 2014 and Chair of the Northern Regional Council of Local Dental Committees from 2017 to 2020. He served as a Board Member of Dental Protection from 2019 to 2025, acts as an Expert Witness and Clinical Advisor to the General Dental Council, and has contributed to NHS dental contract reform and performance assessment processes. His professional interests include healthcare governance, leadership, professional standards, strategic development and the future application of technology and artificial intelligence within dentistry.

The Board of Trustees is accountable for the proper running of the College and the fulfilment of its legal and regulatory duties, contributing to its custodianship and supporting its historic mission to build a future Royal College for dentistry. In taking up post as Chair of the Board in October 2026, Dr Dhanoya will succeed Dr Mick Horton FCGDent, former Dean of the FGDP, who joined the Board of Trustees in 2017, became Chair in 2023, and will now be stepping down.

During Dr Horton’s tenure at the helm of the College, a partnership to support early careers practitioners has been fostered, free College Subscriber status has been launched to serve the more than 20,000 individuals who have set up online accounts, a Register of Implant Mentors has been established, a Coat of Arms has been granted, an annual College Lecture has been inaugurated, the third edition of Standards in Dentistry has been published, the Certified Practitioner scheme has been developed and Fellowships have been created for each dental team role.

Previously the College was chaired by Janet Clarke MBE FCGDent (2020-23) and Professor Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent (2017-20).

Commenting on Dr Dhanoya’s appointment, Dr Horton said:

“The College of General Dentistry turns five this year, and the way in which it has evolved and become an organisation that truly represents the whole dental team fills me with pride. I took over from Janet Clarke as Chair of Trustees and my time is now over. It is time to pass on to the next Chair, and I couldn’t have wished for a more suitable successor than Onkar. I have known him both as a colleague and a friend for all his time both on the FGDP board and in his subsequent positions at CGDent, and it is the breadth of his knowledge and his experience of a variety of leadership roles that he will apply to leading the Board of Trustees.”

Dr Dhanoya added:

“It is a privilege to be appointed Chair of the College’s Trustee Board. I am sincerely grateful for the leadership and commitment of my predecessors, Nairn Wilson, Janet Clarke and Mick Horton, whose stewardship has strengthened the College and advanced its standing within the profession. Their contribution provides a strong foundation on which to build. I now look forward to supporting the next phase of the College’s development as it continues to establish itself as the academic home for all dental professionals. This includes progressing our shared ambition towards achieving a Royal Charter and further enhancing the College’s role in supporting excellence in patient care and professional standards.”

The College is now recruiting for a new dental Trustee. Information on the role, which all registered dental professionals are eligible to apply for, can be found via the button below:

FIND OUT MORE & APPLY

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College of General Dentistry News

College seeks new dental Trustee

The College is seeking a new dental Trustee to support its historic mission to build a future Royal College for dentistry.

The Trustee Board is accountable for the proper running of the organisation and the fulfilment of its legal and regulatory duties. The current College Trustees are Dr Roy Bennett FCGDent, Dr Onkar Dhanoya FCGDent, Professor Andrew Eder FCGDent, Dr Mick Horton FCGDent (Chair) and Dr Catherine Rutland FCGDent, alongside governance specialist Jane Clarke, experienced Chief Financial Officer Neil Sawbridge and barrister Commander Fred Thomson VR RN DL.They work alongside the elected College Council, which oversees the professional affairs of the organisation.

Trustees require an appreciation of the business imperatives underpinning a growing organisation, reconciling delivery of our mission in the patient and public interest with financial viability. They must demonstrate high standards of behaviour and attitude, and have a thorough and up-to-date understanding of the role of a Trustee in a registered charity and membership-based organisation which seeks to embody inclusive professionalism.

To apply to become a dental Trustee, you must currently or recently be a registered dental professional, and you must be a Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College at the time of appointment. We are interested in attracting people who can help us to engage widely as we seek to represent the broad range of careers and aspirations within the dental professions. The proportion of women and dental professionals from minority backgrounds is growing, and we want our Trustee Board to be truly inclusive and reflective of our community.

A role profile is available below:

TRUSTEE ROLE PROFILE

Applications should be made by CV and a covering letter which addresses the requirements described in the role profile and cites two referees. These must be received by Sunday 23 August 2026, addressed to [email protected] with the subject line “Trustee application”.

Interviews will be held in mid-September in London.

The successful candidate will be appointed for three years, and prospective applicants should be able to attend three half-day online Trustee Board meetings per year, plus a one-day in-person meeting and workshop in London.

It is intended that the appointee will begin their term at the Trustee meeting on Friday 2 October 2026, with further meetings currently scheduled for:

  • Tuesday 15 December 2026, 10.30-16.00, London
  • Friday 2 April 2027, 10.30-13.00 (online)
  • Friday 9 July 2027, 10.30-13.00 (online)
  • Friday 8 October 2027, 10.30-13.00 (online)
  • Friday 17 December 2027, 10.30-16.00, London

If you have questions or would like a confidential discussion about the role, please contact Simon Thornton-Wood PhD, Chief Executive of the College, at [email protected]

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College of General Dentistry News

Special recognition for Dental Nursing representative

Congratulations to Jane Dalgarno AssocFCGDent, College Council representative for dental nursing and orthodontic therapy, who has received an Individual Contribution Special Recognition Award from the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN).

Jane Dalgarno RDN MSc AssocFCGDent

Given annually, the NEBDN’s Special Recognition Awards recognise the significant contributions made by individuals and groups to the dental nursing profession and to the NEBDN itself, and may reflect either a specific single achievement or achievements over a significant period of time.

Chair of the East of England Managed Clinical Network for Dental Care Professionals and a past President of the British Association of Dental Nurses, Ms Dalgarno began her career in general dental practice as a trainee dental nurse in 1986 and completed the National Certificate for Dental Surgery Assistants in 1993. A past Programme Director for the HEE Foundation Degree in Advanced Dental Nursing and former Clinical Workforce Development Lead at Community Dental Services CIC, she holds certificates in education, oral health education, sedation and dental radiography, the A1/A2 assessors award, a BSc in Primary Dental Care and an MSc in Applied Dental Professional Practice from the University of Kent. She has been on the Board of the College’s Faculty of Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy since it was convened in 2021, and was a member of the Dental Nursing and Orthodontic Therapy Working Group which co-developed the College’s Professional Framework for Career Pathways in Dentistry. She was elected to her current College role in 2024.

She has received the Special Recognition Award in recognition of:

“…her exceptional and sustained contribution to education and professional development in dental nursing over more than 25 years. Through her extensive experience delivering and leading education across a wide range of NEBDN-linked and national programmes, alongside her work in qualification development, quality assurance, and Learner support, Jane has made a lasting impact on Learner success and professional standards. Her educational leadership, national influence and unwavering commitment to excellence make her a highly deserving recipient of this award”.

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CGDent-GC Award 2026 – winners

The College of General Dentistry, GC and The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation would like to congratulate the successful candidates in the 2026 CGDent and GC Award for Foundation Trainees, and thank everyone who entered.

A selection of successful cases which illustrate a range of different types of cases entered in the award. Cases submitted by (L-R) Dr Esha Gupta, Dr Xiaoyu Foo and Dr Lance Lesterpearson

This year, all 14 winning entrants are dentists, who between them studied at eight different dental schools and are now completing their Foundation / Vocational Training through eight different deaneries across the regions and nations of the UK.

Candidate nameUndergraduate qualificationEducational Supervisor(s)Deanery
Dr Abdurahman AbdiBDS Cardiff University 2025Dr Sian BlackshawWales
Dr Sahand AbolfathiBDS University of Glasgow 2025Dr Bushra BashirScotland
Dr Mariam AhmedBDS Newcastle University 2025Dr Rosie Johnston, Dr Heather CoventryNorth East and Cumbria
Dr Xiaoyu FooBDS University of Dundee 2025Dr Iain BuftonScotland
Dr Esha GuptaBDS University of Plymouth 2025Dr Saleem MullaMidlands
Dr Joshua HurleyBDS King’s College London 2025Dr Niloy KariaLondon and Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Dr Anushka KapourBDS University of Plymouth 2025Dr Deepa Shah, Dr Neil ShahLondon and Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Dr Daniel LekhiBDS University of Birmingham 2025Dr Brenda Macmillan, Dr Rebecca HamiltonThames Valley and Wessex
Dr Lance LesterpearsonBDS University of Plymouth 2024Dr Mohammed FaisalLondon and Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Dr Aqil MatinBDS University of Manchester 2025Dr Emily McConnellNorth West
Dr Imane NagiBDS University of Birmingham 2025Dr Bharat ModhwadiaNorth West
Dr Priyanka ShahBDS University of Dundee 2025Dr Nava Darzi, Dr Hardeep MatharuEast of England
Dr Safa ShareefBDS University of Manchester 2025Dr Jemma HookNorth West
Dr Heba TurkiBDS Newcastle University 2025Dr Neesha ChopraNorth East and Cumbria

To enter, each participant submitted a restorative case which included at least one anterior tooth restored with composite. Cases entered involved a range of restorative treatments including those for midline diastema, dental trauma, tooth wear and peg shaped laterals. View all the successful cases here.

The award was open to dentists and dental therapists who graduated in the UK or Ireland in 2025 and/or are undergoing Dental Foundation Training, Dental Vocational Training or Joint Dental Foundation Core Training in 2025-26. Entries were received from dentists and dental therapists around the country.  

The assessment panel, which comprised Trustees of The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation and senior members of the College, scored each case based on a set of assessment criteria which allocated points to overall improvement in the patient’s oral health (including periodontal health), the standard of aesthetic treatment, the complexity of the case and the quality of the entrant’s reflection.

The successful candidates are each awarded a fully-funded place on a two-day composite layering course which is taking place on 23-24 July 2026 at GC’s European Education Campus in Leuven, Belgium. The prize includes international travel and hotel costs and is worth around £1,400 per place.

The CGDent-GC Award is funded by The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation and organised in conjunction with the College and GC.

The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation supports educational opportunities for early career dental professionals 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. 

The College, GC and the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation also collaborate on the new Tom Bereznicki Award for Tooth Wear Cases, which is currently open to dentists who qualified between 2020 and 2024, and who practise in the UK or Ireland, until Monday 10 August 2026, and which will offer up to 20 successful candidates a fully-funded place on a one-day, hands-on course on composite injection moulding technique.

The next round of the CGDent-CG Award will open in September 2026. For further information, visit our award page. To receive email notification when the competition opens, register your interest via the button below:

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College of General Dentistry News

College Vice-Presidents 2026-27

Anoup Nandra and Nicola Gore have been elected as the College’s Vice-Presidents for 2026-27.

Vice Presidents of the College: Nicola Gore FCGDent (l) and Anoup Nandra FCGDent (r)

Anoup Nandra FCGDent is Principal Dentist at a mixed NHS-and-private practice in Edgbaston and a private dental practice in Wolverhampton. He graduated from Birmingham in 2002 and completed Vocational Training in London before returning to the Midlands, where he has practised for twenty years. He has served as a clinical lecturer at the University of Birmingham and as a Foundation Dental Trainer, and is a member of Birmingham Local Dental Committee as well as the Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry. A Fellow of both CGDent and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, he has completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Implant Dentistry from University College London, an MSc in Dental Implantology from the University of Lancashire and a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education from the University of Wolverhampton. He also holds an LLM in legal aspects of medical practice and the Cardiff University Bond Solon Civil Expert Witness Certificate. He was elected to represent the West Midlands on the College Council in 2024 and is Chair of the College’s Membership Admissions Panel.

Nicola Gore FCGDent is Principal of a dental practice in north London. Since qualifying as a dentist from the University of London in 1993, she has held various general practice and hospital maxillofacial posts within the UK and Australia, has taught undergraduate and graduate dental students and has trained over 25 Foundation Dentists. She holds the MJDF, a Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Education from the University of Bedfordshire and an MClinDent in Fixed & Removable Prosthodontics from the Royal London, and has also undertaken postgraduate training in orthodontics. Co-founder and President of the British Iranian Dental Association, she is a past committee member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and a member of the British Society of Prosthodontics. She is co-author of the popular Dentistry in a Nutshell: A Practical Guide to Clinical Dentistry, and among the authors of the third edition of the College’s Standards in Dentistry publication. She has represented the North Thames region on the College Council since 2024 and served as a Vice President in 2025-26.

The College’s Vice-Presidents are elected annually by, and from within, the College Council, and support the President of the College in the delivery of the Council’s strategy and policy.

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