College of General Dentistry News

New PDJ online: Paediatric dentistry

The new edition of the Primary Dental Journal, Paediatric Dentistry, is now online.

Guest edited by Dr Sanjeev Sood of King’s College London, this issue is dedicated to promoting oral health in children, and outlines strategies for prevention and contemporary management of dental disease in childhood.

It features papers on communicating effectively in a paediatric setting, the dental management of children with haemophilia, and minimally invasive treatments for dentine caries in primary teeth.

CGDent members and PDJ subscribers can access the new issue by visiting: https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/prda/current (Members will need to be logged into the CGDent website).

read new pdj issue

Paediatric Dentistry content includes:

  • Promoting oral health and managing dental disease in childhood: current perspectives for primary dental care (Igor R Blum) (Editorial)
  • Paediatric dentistry (Sanjeev Sood) (Guest Editorial)
  • Research abstracts: Paediatric dentistry (Ario Santini)
  • Management of patients with poor prognosis first permanent molars beyond ‘ideal’ timing (Laura Warrilow, Sheridan McDonald)
  • Parental views on minimally invasive dentistry versus general anaesthesia extractions of children’s compromised first permanent molars: an exploratory qualitative study (Mona Agel, Sasha Scambler, Marie Therese Hosey)
  • When less is more: minimally invasive, evidence-based treatments for dentine caries in primary teeth – the Hall Technique and silver diamine fluoride (Waraf Al-Yaseen, Nassar Seifo, Shannu Bhatia, Nicola Innes)
  • An update on the dental management of children with Haemophilia (Ruixiang Yee, Monty S Duggal, Vivian Yung Yee Wong, Joyce Ching Mei Lam)
  • Replacement resorption in children: the root of all evil? (Laura Warrilow, Tanika Gohil, Abdullah Casaus)
  • ‘Childrenese’: a pilot survey on the choice of language in a paediatric dental setting (Mairead Hennigan, Alice Hamilton, Antoniella Busuttil-Naudi)
  • Dental bleaching: ‘now I can smile for my selfies’ – paediatric patients’ perspectives (Nabeel Ilyas, Sophie Marshall, Meera Ahluwalia)

As well as the current issue of Primary Dental Journal, CGDent members have free access to the PDJ archive, a rich resource containing over 1,300 informative articles on topics of ongoing relevance to general dental care.

Featuring clinical articles, editorials and updates from the College, the Primary Dental Journal is widely recognised as a leading resource for GDPs and DCPs working in primary care. CGDent membership includes free access to the PDJ, both online and in print – find out more about becoming a member.

CGDent members and PDJ subscribers should expect their printed copies to arrive in the next 2-3 weeks.

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College of General Dentistry News

Inaugural College Medal awarded to Ian Mills 

Ian Mills has become the first ever recipient of the prestigious College Medal, the highest honour bestowed by the College of General Dentistry (CGDent). 

Ian Mills FCGDent

Reserved to no more than one recipient per year, the College Medal succeeds the Faculty Medal, which was previously awarded by the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) to just four individuals. It is conferred for exceptional service of the dental profession and its patients in a manner aligned with the values and mission of the College, and both members and non-members are eligible for consideration. 

Dr Mills has received the award in recognition of his considerable contributions to the profession over many years, including through the College and previously the Faculty, in particular his exemplary leadership at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, his pivotal roles in establishing the CGDent and securing the FGDP’s transfer into it last year, and his promotion of greater equality, diversity and inclusion in the dental professions.  

Ian qualified as a dentist from Glasgow University in 1987 and spent the early part of his career working in maxillofacial surgery. In 1994 he moved to Devon, and three years later set up Torrington Dental Practice in North Devon, now an eight-surgery mixed NHS-and-private practice, where he continues to work as a partner.  

He joined the Faculty the same year, and after completing its prestigious Diploma in Implant Dentistry, gaining Fellowship and becoming a Fellowship Assessor, was elected to the National Faculty Board to represent the South West region. He was later appointed Chair of the Examinations Committee and the Faculty’s representative on the Care Quality Commission Dental Reference Group, and served as Junior Vice Dean from 2016-17 and Senior Vice Dean from 2017-18 before being elected FGDP’s tenth Dean, a post he held from 2018-2021.  

During his tenure he represented the profession on a number of committees and working groups, including NHS England’s Advisory Board for Dental Systems Reform, the Joint Committee for Postgraduate Training in Dentistry, the Intercollegiate Advisory Committee on Sedation in Dentistry, the Council of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and the Public Health England group overseeing the development of the fourth edition of Delivering Better Oral Health. 

In his first annual speech as Dean, he highlighted the inequality of opportunities for career progression within dentistry, noting in particular the disproportionate number of men in leadership roles relative to the gender balance in the profession, and he later instituted the FGDP-CGDent Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Programme Board. 

Early in the pandemic, Ian established a forward planning task group to try to find a way for dental practices to re-open their doors as soon as safely possible. Convening individuals from over 30 organisations to develop suitable guidance, he played a key role in its development, working tirelessly to seek consensus on the many challenges of delivering dental services while minimising the risks of transmission. Completed within the space of just four weeks, Implications of COVID-19 for the safe management of general dental practice was published a week before face-to-face practice resumed in England, giving practices much needed time to prepare when no official re-opening guidance had yet been published. With its in-built responsiveness to varying COVID-19 alert levels, the guidance has remained accessible and relevant over the last 18 months. 

Continuously supporting the profession through the pandemic, he led numerous webinars, joined the NHS England working group on the resilience of mixed dental practices, was part of the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme’s AGP Rapid Review Group, facilitated revised guidance on fallow time and steered the development of the Fallow Time Calculator. 

Prior to his Deanship, he was an elected member of the British Dental Association’s General Dental Practice Committee, a member of Devon Local Dental Committee, and on the Professional Executive Committee of North Devon Primary Care Trust.  

In addition to his clinical practice, Ian has worked at Peninsula Dental School since it was established and has remained closely involved in the undergraduate programme. Currently Associate Professor in Primary Care Dentistry, he was previously a clinical supervisor, group facilitator and honorary lecturer. Actively involved in promoting and developing research in primary dental care, with particular interests in measuring quality outcomes, person-centred care and environmental sustainability, in 2018 he was awarded a PhD for research into person-centred care in general dental practice.  

He is an Ambassador, Founder, Fellow and former Trustee of the College of General Dentistry, and has been instrumental in the establishment and progression of its Career Pathways programme. A Fellow of the International College of Dentists, the Higher Education Academy and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, he is a former Trustee of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 

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College of General Dentistry News

CGDent and BADN call for deferral of mandatory vaccination as survey suggests a quarter of dental nurses are not fully vaccinated 

The College of General Dentistry and British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN) are warning of a potential catastrophe for dental patients if the planned implementation of mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for all patient-facing staff in England is not deferred. 

Regulations came into effect earlier this month that will make it unlawful from 1 April 2022 for a CQC-regulated employer to deploy staff who are not fully vaccinated to work face-to-face with patients. The rules, which will apply to NHS and private providers alike, will effectively force dental practices to dismiss staff who have not received their first dose of an approved coronavirus vaccine by 3 February, and second dose by 31 March, unless they are clinically exempt, under 18, taking part in a COVID vaccine trial or can be redeployed into a non-patient-facing role. 

Both the College and BADN are unequivocal in their encouragement of dental professionals to take up the offer of coronavirus vaccination. However, interim results from the BADN COVID Vaccination Survey, based on the responses of over 1,000 practising dental nurses to date, show that 26% have not yet received two vaccination doses, and 24% will not have been double-vaccinated by the deadline.  

Responses to date are similar for both members and non-members of the association. If the findings are representative of the dental nursing profession as a whole – which makes up half the dental workforce – this would suggest an impending reduction in available dental staff in England of up to 12,000, or 12%, plus any dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, clinical dental technicians or orthodontic therapists who may not be double-vaccinated.  

The survey also found that 32% of respondents so far said they do not intend to take up the offer of a ‘booster’ dose, suggesting that staffing problems will only increase if the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ is later amended to require three doses.  

Dr Abhi Pal, President of the College of General Dentistry, and Jacqui Elsden, President of the British Association of Dental Nurses and an Associate Member of the College, said: 

“Dental nurses are a vital part of the team without whom dental care cannot be delivered, and the BADN’s data will only strengthen existing concerns in practices across the country.  

“Tens of millions of dental appointments have been missed during the pandemic, but while welcome additional funding has just been announced by NHS England to help tackle the backlog during February and March, losing up to a quarter of dental nurses from 1 April would lead to a precipitous reduction in care provision, quickly reversing any progress made and leaving millions of dental patients once again unable to get the treatment they need. We urge the government to defer implementation of the vaccination requirement for dental employers in order to avert a calamitous own goal.” 

Tonight at 7pm, a week ahead of the deadline to take up the first vaccination dose, the College is hosting Vaccination: your questions answered.  

Free for all dental professionals to watch live, speakers include Professor Jason Leitch, (Senior Clinical Advisor to the Scottish Government, CGDent Ambassador and regular explainer of all matters COVID in the broadcast media), and Sarah Buxton (HR and Employment Solicitor and legal advisor to the Association of Dental Administrators and Managers and the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy). Register here 

The full results of the BADN COVID Vaccination Survey will be announced in due course. The survey remains open and can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/VaccinationsSurvey

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College of General Dentistry News

College response to NHS England announcement of additional dentistry funding

Commenting on the announcement that an additional £50m of funding will be provided for NHS dentistry in England over the next ten weeks, Dr Abhi Pal, President of the College of General Dentistry, said: 

“New funding for dentistry is to be welcomed, and today’s announcement will provide short-term help to a significant number of people who have struggled to get their oral health needs met during the pandemic, especially children and patients with autism, learning difficulties and severe mental illness.  

“However, it is important that longer term underfunding and recruitment problems are also addressed, and the NHS dental contract reformed, as even before the pandemic only half of adults in England were able to access NHS dental care. The College will also be supporting workforce retention through its Career Pathways programme.” 

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College of General Dentistry News

College membership for dental team members just £33

The College of General Dentistry is offering discounted membership fees to dental care professionals, all of whom are now eligible for Associate Membership.

Dental Hygienists, Dental Therapists, Dental Technicians and Clinical Dental Technicians pay only one-third fees for their first year’s membership, meaning those joining as Associate Members pay just £33.

In a pioneering move for a UK dental college, all registered dental professionals are able to apply for Full Membership (MCGDent) if they hold a relevant Postgraduate Certificate or an equivalent qualification, and Dental Hygienists, Dental Therapists, Dental Technicians and Clinical Dental Technicians doing so pay only £94 in their first year.

Those holding a relevant Postgraduate Diploma, Master’s degree or an equivalent qualification are eligible for Associate Fellowship (AssocFCGDent), a new ‘stepping stone’ to Fellowship, and dental team members joining at this grade will pay £117 initially.

The first year’s fee for dental care professionals joining as Fellows (FCGDent) – initially only those awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the College, or previously by the Faculty of General Dental Practice, a UK Royal College or equivalent – is £144.

Dental Nurses and Orthodontic Therapists receive the same two-thirds discounts, at all membership grades, on an ongoing basis.

Dental practice managers, and other non-clinical members of the dental team, can join the College as Affiliate Members for £50 per annum.

Further information is available at cgdent.uk/membership

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The PDJ Archive: a rich resource for members, with over 1,300 articles

The Primary Dental Journal Archive is now up and running, with access for CGDent members fully established.

The Primary Dental Journal (PDJ) is the College of General Dentistry’s quarterly peer-reviewed journal, and with its unique dedication to general dental practice, is widely recognised as a leading resource for all dental professionals working in primary care.

Three themed issues in each annual volume explore topics of interest and relevance to the primary care dental team, led by an invited Guest Editor who is a renowned expert in the field, with one ‘general issue’ per volume covering a wide range of topics.

Published by the Faculty of General Dental Practice until its transfer into the College earlier this year, PDJ was first issued in October 2012, and was preceded by Primary Dental Care.

As well as receiving quarterly printed copies of the latest issues of PDJ, College members now have exclusive online access not only to the full articles in the current issue, but to all past PDJ content and all Primary Dental Care content published this century, a rich resource of over 1,300 articles spanning 23 volumes and 88 issues.

Curated by our publishing partner, SAGE Publishing, the PDJ Archive is an invaluable research tool, offering a wide array of clinical papers of ongoing relevance to general dental care, as well as articles covering a range of professional topics which continue to be discussed and debated.

It offers members access to content which they may not have received in print at the point of publication, and for those who were longstanding members of the FGDP and may prefer to consult their library of print issues, the online search functionality will enable them to quickly identify where to find particular articles.

To access the PDJ Archive, members should visit https://cgdent.uk/pdj-library/

Members may be interested to note that the College is now co-producing a series of webinars that examine topics covered in recent and imminent issues of PDJ. These are free to view live, with CGDent members also offered a free CPD certificate and free on-demand access to the recordings. Visit our events page for a list of upcoming live webinars and to access recent webinar recordings.

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Dr Debbie Reed receives inaugural Janet Goodwin Award

Dr Debbie Reed AssocFCGDent has received the inaugural Janet Goodwin Award, which was conferred last night by Abhi Pal, President of the College of General Dentistry (CGDent), at a reception marking the 80th anniversary of the British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN).

The new award was instituted to recognise achievement by dental care professionals (DCPs) in areas such as leadership, standards of professionalism and patient care, commitment to life-long learning, service to the profession and advocacy for the whole-team approach to general dental care.

A dental nurse, Associate Fellow of CGDent, and accomplished and passionate tutor, Dr Reed is Head of the Department for Digital and Lifelong Learning and the Centre for Professional Practice at the University of Kent, where she developed and runs the Masters in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare (Applied Dental Professional Practice pathway). She received the award in recognition of her extraordinary commitment to her own education, as well as that of others throughout the whole dental team. She completed an educational doctorate in 2019, and has written and contributed to articles on topics such as mentoring, evidence-based practice in dental nursing, and the professional image of dental nurses. The award also recognises her ‘can do’ attitude, her inspiration of others to want to achieve their very best, and her advocacy for DCPs to have the same career opportunities and experiences as dentists. Last year she was awarded the BADN Outstanding Contribution to Dental Nursing Professional Practice Award in recognition for her work with dental nurses.

The award to Dr Reed was announced in April 2021 by the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP), which elected not to host a conferral ceremony at the time due to concern over potential coronavirus transmission.

The award honours the legacy of the late Janet Goodwin FFGDP(UK)(Hon.), who throughout her almost 50 years as a dental nurse was a staunch advocate for the advancement and recognition of DCPs.

In a wide-ranging career, Janet worked in general dental practice, community practice, secondary care and healthcare management. She was the first dental nurse to be a member of the General Dental Council, and held a number of other notable posts including Chair of the GDC Standards Review Group and President of the Oral Health Foundation, and was both an Examiner and Chair of the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses. She served the FGDP for many years as a representative for the interests of the wider dental team, and became an Affiliate Member of the Faculty when it opened its membership to DCPs in 2005. An elected member and Chair of the Faculty’s DCP Committee, she sat on the Board for over ten years as an Observer, contributed to many standing committees, provided input during the development of standards and guidance, and was awarded Honorary Fellowship in 2019. She passed away in September 2020 after a long battle with breast cancer.

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Dental and medical organisations join forces to say “Antibiotics do not cure toothache!”

National dental and medical organisations have come together again to support the World Health Organisation’s Antimicrobial Awareness Week, which runs from 18-24 November.

The Association of Clinical Oral Microbiologists and College of General Dentistry, supported by the Association of Dental Hospitals, British Dental Association, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, British Association of Oral Surgery, British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, British & Irish Society for Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, are reminding patients that “antibiotics do not cure toothache”, and encouraging the dental team to adhere to best practice and only prescribe antibiotics as an adjunct to definitive clinical management of the cause when indicated according to national guidelines.1-2

Prudent prescribing of antimicrobials can slow down the development of antimicrobial resistance, and all healthcare prescribers play a vital role. The dental profession has shown its commitment to addressing antimicrobial resistance by significantly reducing the use of antibiotics over the last decade, both in dental practice and a hospital setting. Dental hospitals in the UK and Ireland reduced antibiotic prescriptions by 22% and 30% for therapeutic and prophylactic indications respectively between 2018 and 2020 (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic).

It has been reported that COVID-19 had a negative effect on the profession’s endeavours in improving antibiotic prescribing patterns. The organisations therefore encourage dental teams in both general practice and hospital settings to re-start auditing3 their practice of antibiotic prescribing against the recently updated national guidelines1-2, as this will help to reduce the use of antimicrobials and improve patient outcomes.

The successful management of acute dental infections requires accurate diagnosis and definitive treatment, and patients who have prompt access to emergency dental services have a much-reduced risk of developing life-threatening sepsis. Dental teams are encouraged to use the following resources to update their knowledge on the latest national recommendations on the use of antimicrobial agents in dentistry, and to audit their practice:

  1. Guidelines for antimicrobial prescribing in dentistry are available at https://cgdent.uk/standards-guidance/ and https://bnf.nice.org.uk
  2. Guidance for antimicrobials in dentistry in Scotland are available at  https://www.sdcep.org.uk/published-guidance/drug-prescribing/ and  https://www.sapg.scot/media/5473/statement-on-pen-v-in-dental-infections.pdf
  3. Antimicrobial prescribing audit tools are available at https://cgdent.uk/standards-guidance/ and https://heiw.nhs.wales/education-and-training/dental/quality-improvement/national-audit-projects/antimicrobial-prescribing/
  4. Other resources, including the Dental Antimicrobial Stewardship Toolkit, are available via https://cgdent.uk/standards-guidance/ and https://bda.org/amr

In a recent blog for the College of General Dentistry, Dr Wendy Thompson, the College’s lead on Antimicrobial Resistance, says it’s time to reduce antibiotic prescribing in dentistry to pre-pandemic levels.

Wendy is also the guest speaker on our upcoming ‘Talking Standards’ webinar on Thursday 25 November, which will be looking at Antimicrobial Prescribing in Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines. The event will be free to view live for all members of the dental professions, and CGDent members and ProDentalCPD subscribers can claim CPD hours for free and have access to the recording after the event. REGISTER HERE.

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Help get people talking about sugar reduction

The College of General Dentistry is proud to be supporting Sugar Awareness Week, which aims to raise public awareness of the poor health outcomes associated with excess sugar consumption, get people talking about the importance of sugar reduction, and to encourage citizens, industry and government to support healthier food and drink.

The annual campaign is organised by Action on Sugar, a charity based at the Wolfson Institute of Population Health at Queen Mary University of London, which works to promote a consensus for action to be taken to counter the harmful effects of a high sugar diet. Our support continues that previously given by the Faculty of General Dental Practice, and the two organisations were among those who successfully campaigned for a ‘sugar tax’ on soft drinks, which since its introduction in 2016 has seen a 29% reduction in the sugar content of drinks subject to the tax and a shift in purchasing towards lower sugar alternatives.

This year’s Sugar Awareness Week focusses on the high sugar content frequently seen in snack foods marketed as healthy, and also calls for the removal of misleading sugar claims on sweet baby and toddler snacks such as biscuits and rusks. We would encourage dental practices to display this year’s poster in their waiting area, to download and use the tailored images on their social media accounts, and to join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtags #SugarAwarenessWeek and #SnackingOnSugar.

The College’s work to support a reduction in sugar consumption is led by Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent, an associate dentist working in general dental practice in Surrey, and Vice President of the College, who represents CGDent on Public Health England’s Children’s Oral Health Improvement Programme Board. As a dental organisation, the College works with Action on Sugar to highlight the association between sugar consumption and poor oral health, and in supporting Sugar Awareness Week, Roshni commented:

“In the UK we consume three times the recommended maximum amount of sugar. Tooth decay is almost wholly preventable, but affects a quarter of 5-year-olds and a third of 12-year-olds, and tooth extraction is the number one reason young children are admitted to hospital. Reducing sugar intake lowers our risk not only of tooth decay, but of a wide range of illnesses including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke – and indirectly some cancers. Through education and regulatory action, consumers of all ages need to be empowered to make the healthy choices the easier ones.”

The Sugar Awareness Week 2021 resources can be downloaded below:

Sugar Awareness Week 2021 Poster

Sugar Awareness Week 2021 Instagram image

Sugar Awareness Week 2021 Twitter image

Other posters, factsheets and educational materials from Action on Sugar are available at http://www.actiononsugar.org/sugar-awareness-week/sugar-awareness-week-2021/resources/

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New PDJ online now: Urgent dental care and COVID-19

The latest issue of the Primary Dental Journal, Urgent dental care and COVID-19, is now online. In it, we reflect on dentistry’s response to a global healthcare challenge, with articles from colleagues around the world.

The following articles are free to view for all dental professionals by visiting https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/prda/current:

  • Urgent dental care and oral health under the clouds of COVID-19 (Igor R Blum) (Editorial)
  • Urgent dental care and COVID-19 (Wendy Thompson) (Guest Editorial)
  • COVID-19 lockdown and recovery: a dental public health perspective from Lancashire and South Cumbria (Ross Keat)
  • COVID-19 Pandemic: The Urgent Dental Hub experience from a primary care perspective (Zohaib Khwaja, Awais Ali, Manraj Rai)


Members of the College of General Dentistry can unlock all articles by visiting https://cgdent.uk/primary-dental-journal-member-only. You will need to be logged in to the CGDent website.

Member-only content includes:

  • President’s update (Abhi Pal)
  • College news & events
  • Research abstracts: Urgent dental care and COVID-19 (Ario Santini)
  • Dentists deployed: an insider’s perspective of life on the NHS front line (Harriet E Powell)
  • Provision of dental care by public health dental clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta, Canada (Heidi Rabie, Rafael Figueiredo)
  • Understanding behaviour change to promote regular dental attendance (Jessica Holloway)
  • Dental Emergencies: Perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of dental teams in the UK (Fiona Ellwood)
  • Delivering urgent oral healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa: supporting sustainable local development (Rachael England, Andrew Paterson, Adam Jones)
  • Primary care research: views of a dental team on their experiences of a primary care study (Reem Al-Nashi Elia, Javed Ikram, Tim Clayton, Victor Chow, Emily Aldred, Kim Pilotille, Nichola Stones, Zhain Mustufvi)


CGDent members and PDJ subscribers should expect their printed copies to arrive in the next 2-3 weeks.

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