College of General Dentistry News

Voting open for College Council elections

Voting is now open for seats on the College Council, and all eligible members are encouraged to cast their vote(s).

The Council is the voice of our members, overseeing our role as a professional body and guiding the development of the College to fulfil its mission. Six regional seats are being elected this year, with elected candidates due to serve from June 2025 – June 2028. A ballot of eligible members is required for three of these seats: National, Overseas and South Thames.

All Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College are eligible to vote in the election to either the National or Overseas seats (depending on the address they have registered with the College), and those registered within the South Thames region (formerly South East and South West Thames) are eligible to vote both in that election and for the National seat.

College Council elections employ the Alternative Vote (AV) system, under which eligible members rank candidates in order of preference. A candidate receiving over 50 per cent of first preference votes is elected. Otherwise the candidate with the fewest first preference votes is eliminated and their second preference votes are reallocated to the remaining candidates until one candidate has more votes than the other remaining candidates put together.

All eligible members have been sent an email (on Wednesday 26 March 2025) by the College’s election services provider, Mi-Voice, to the email address which the member has registered with the College. This email confirms the election(s) for which the member is eligible to vote, and contains a unique link through which they can complete and submit their vote(s) online. The deadline to cast votes is Friday 2 May 2025.

Please ensure that your membership of CGDent is up to date before you vote, otherwise your vote might not count. The CGDent member register displays a list of all current members. Alternatively, you can contact us at [email protected] to confirm your membership status. If you do need to renew your membership, you can do this easily online here

New members joining during the voting period will also be eligible to vote, but should note that it will take around a week for their unique voting details to be issued to them, and late votes will not be counted.

The candidates are listed below; their election statements can be read via the email(s) from Mi Voice.

National seat

Overseas seat

South Thames

Following the election, the results will be announced in late May or early June.

If you are an eligible member but cannot find the email from Mi-Voice inviting you to vote in your inbox, please check your junk or spam folder, and if necessary double-check the email account you have registered with the College by logging in at https://cgdent.uk/my-account

If you experience any technical difficulties submitting your vote(s), please contact Mi-Voice at [email protected] or on 02380 763987.

REMINDERS: VOTES SHOULD BE CAST THROUGH THE UNIQUE LINK SENT TO ELIGIBLE MEMBERS BY MI-VOICE BY EMAIL; VOTING CLOSES ON FRIDAY 2 MAY 2025

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College of General Dentistry News

Roy Bennett appointed College Trustee

Dr Roy Bennett FCGDent, a Merseyside-based dentist with a special interest in the care of anxious patients, has been appointed as a Trustee of the College.

With over 35 years’ experience, including 15 years part-time in NHS hospital-based special care dentistry, Dr Bennett has undertaken thousands of sedation cases including intravenous, inhalation, oral, intranasal and hypnotherapy, and has accepted referrals and supported practices across the North West of England.

Director of Mellow Sedation Training Services, he is a highly experienced undergraduate and postgraduate teacher and is accredited as a course organiser by the Intercollegiate Advisory Committee on Sedation in Dentistry. He is a member and mentor of both the Dental Sedation Teacher Group and the Society for Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry, a past board member of the Association of Dental Anaesthetists and a Senior Clinical Adviser for UK Sedation.

He graduated from Liverpool Dental School in 1987, completed postgraduate training in conscious sedation and holds the Diploma of Membership of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP), a Diploma in Dental Science from the University of Liverpool and a Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Odontology from the University of Hertfordshire. He is a Fellow of the College and of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Dr Bennett succeeds Dr Janet Clarke MBE FCGDent, former Deputy Chief Dental Officer for England, who served on the Board of Trustees from 2019 to 2024, including three years as Chair.

Trustees, who serve three-year terms of office, are accountable for the fulfilment of the College’s legal and regulatory duties as a charity, and for ensuring the proper running of the organisation.

The other members of the Board of Trustees are former FGDP Dean Dr Mick Horton FCGDent (Chair), former FGDP Vice Dean Onkar Dhanoya FCGDent, UCL Hygiene and Therapy Programme Deputy Director Marie Parker FCGDent, governance specialist Jane Clarke, experienced CFO Neil Sawbridge and solicitor Fred Thomson.

Dr Bennett is co-presenter of the College’s CPD webinar, Introduction to Remimazolam in Procedural Sedation in Dentistry, which is free for members to watch online.

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College of General Dentistry News

College endorses updated guidance on prevention of caries in children

The College has endorsed newly updated guidance on preventing tooth decay in children from the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP).

The third edition of Prevention and Management of Dental Caries in Children, published this week, aims to support dental teams to improve and maintain the oral health of their younger patients through the delivery of preventive care and, where necessary, effective management of dental caries.

It also encourages shared decision-making, providing strategies for the dental team to support and empower children and young people (and their parents or carers) to take an active role in maintaining their oral health.

The guidance has been updated following a thorough review of the evidence, and after consultation with dental organisations including the College. While many parts remain unchanged, revisions since the second edition include amendment of the recommendation about preventive fissure sealants and wider application of vital pulp therapy in permanent teeth, with a new key recommendation about pulpotomy for treatment of pulpitis with irreversible symptoms.

The new guidance, and a downloadable ‘Guidance in Brief’ summary, are available at https://www.childcaries.sdcep.org.uk

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College of General Dentistry News

Martin Kelleher to deliver inaugural College Lecture

The College has announced that Martin Kelleher FCGDent will be delivering the inaugural College Lecture on 13 June 2025.

‘Satisficing’ standards in dentistry: Who decides? Who benefits? will challenge the notion of the ‘ideal treatment plan’ and contend that subconscious bias and possible self-interests can lead some supposed experts to confuse their version of a questionable ‘gold standard’ with what is really in a patient’s overall best interests and with what the law expects.

Intended to stimulate and provoke healthy debate, the lecture will build on the rich legacy of the Malcolm Pendlebury Lectures hosted by the College’s predecessor organisation, the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP).

Martin Kelleher has been a Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at King’s College Hospital, London since 1984 and has well- known interests in solving seemingly complex dental problems with various minimally destructive approaches. He is on the GDC specialist lists for Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics and owned his own practice in Bromley, Kent for nearly 40 years.

He is a Fellow of the Faculties of Dental Surgery at the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Edinburgh and England, as well as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He is also a Fellow of the College of General Dentistry, a Fellow and former President of the British Society for Restorative Dentistry, and a former Chairman of the Southern Counties Branch of the British Dental Association. 

Mr Kelleher graduated from University College Dublin in 1971, holds a Master’s degree in Conservative Dentistry and is the author or co-author of very numerous peer-reviewed articles on a wide variety of topics, as well as chapters in dental textbooks and a book on dental bleaching. He served on the board of Dental Protection for a decade, including three years as Chair of its Advisory Committee for Dental Claims. He is a renowned speaker, having lectured to many national dental associations and specialist societies as well as internationally for over 40 years.

The inaugural College of General Dentistry Lecture will take place in the historic Cutlers’ Hall in Sheffield, and will be followed by the College’s Summer Reception. CPD certificates will be provided.

All dental professionals, and others with professional interests in contemporary dental practice, are eligible to attend both events. Discounted places are available to College members.

To secure your place at current ‘Early Bird’ rates, click the button below:

BOOK YOUR PLACE

For further information, visit the College’s events pages.

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College of General Dentistry News

Candidates for election to the College Council 2025

Nominations recently closed for seats on the College Council and verification of candidates has now taken place.

 A ballot of eligible members is required for three of the seats being decided this year:

  • National
  • Overseas
  • South Thames

The candidates for these seats are as follows:

National seat

Overseas seat

South Thames

Eligible members will receive the candidates’ election statements, with instructions on how to vote, when voting opens on Wednesday 26 March 2025. These will be sent by the College’s election services provider, Mi-Voice, to the email address which the member has registered with the College. Members will then have until Friday 2 May 2025 to cast their vote(s).

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College of General Dentistry News

Recruitment of a Membership Manager

The College is looking for a Membership Manager to join its staff team.

The post-holder will oversee and deliver the College’s membership administration and support function. Dealing directly with our dental professional members and subscribers, they will assess sometimes complex applications, manage member queries and oversee membership subscriptions. They will also be required to confidently use and interrogate the College’s CRM database and payment platforms to support these processes. 

The College is a small team, and so the role will be varied and dynamic, with the opportunity to help improve and build our processes as we grow as an organisation. We are looking for someone who is quick to learn, organised and who has excellent attention to detail. 

You will need to have drive and a passion for process excellence and improvement. You will need to be able to think logically, and proactively deal with some complex information and situations related to membership and other applications. The role will therefore suit someone who is interested in thinking beyond the issue at hand and who will proactively problem solve, and advise on process improvement.

Previous experience in using and interrogating a CRM database is essential, and experience in a membership role is preferred. The role is full-time and hybrid (but predominantly home-based). Full details are available in the role description below.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

To apply, submit your CV and covering letter, outlining why you think you are suitable for the role, to [email protected]

**PLEASE NOTE THIS OPPORTUNITY HAS NOW CLOSED**

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College of General Dentistry News

Recruitment of Board member (Faculty of Dental Technology and Clinical Dental Technology)

The College is seeking a new board member for its Faculty of Dental Technology and Clinical Dental Technology, and all dental technicians and clinical dental technicians are invited to apply.

The Faculty of Dental Technology and Clinical Dental Technology is a constituency of the College automatically comprising all members who are dental technicians or clinical dental technicians. Advising and reporting to the elected College Council, the Faculty Board advances the interests of these members within the College as a discrete professional group.

Faculty Board members are appointed for renewable three-year terms, and the appointee will be expected to attend at least three Faculty Board meetings per year from June 2025 – June 2028.

Candidates will need to be an Associate Member, Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College at the time of application, and anyone interested in applying who is not yet a member of the College is advised to allow at least two weeks for their membership application to be fully processed prior to applying for this role.

The role is voluntary, with any essential expenses covered. A role profile is available below.

ROLE PROFILE

Applications should be made by email, headed “Board member (Faculty of Dental Technology and Clinical Dental Technology)”, to [email protected], attaching a CV and covering letter addressing the person specification. 

The closing date for applications is Sunday 4 May 2025.

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College of General Dentistry News

Recruitment of Board Chair (Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy)

The College is seeking the next Chair of the Board of its Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy, and all dental hygienists and dental therapists are invited to consider applying.

The Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy is a constituency of the College automatically comprising all members who are dental hygienists or dental therapists. The interests of these members as a discrete professional group are advanced within the College by both a voting representative on the elected College Council and by a Faculty Board which advises and reports to Council.

Membership of the Faculty Board is appointed by Council, including the Chair, who works closely with the President and other Faculty Board Chairs in realising College priorities.

The Chair will be appointed for a non-renewable three-year term from June 2025 – June 2028, during which they will be expected to attend the three formal meetings of Council each year, and to coordinate at least three meetings of their Faculty Board annually with these dates. Council holds full day hybrid meetings, with attendance in person preferred.

Candidates will need to be an Associate Member, Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College at the time of application, and anyone interested in applying who is not yet a member of the College is advised to allow at least two weeks for their membership application to be fully processed prior to applying for this role.

The role is voluntary, with essential expenses covered. A role profile is available below.

ROLE PROFILE

Applications should be made by email, headed “Board Chair (Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy)”, to [email protected], attaching a CV and covering letter addressing the person specification.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 4 May 2025.

Interviews will be held online from the week beginning 12 May (tbc) with a selection panel convened by Council, and the appointee should be available to attend the College Council meeting on Friday 13 June 2025.

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

Widening the Circle – ‘1992’ meetings now open to all retired members

The College has expanded eligibility to join its 1992 Circle to all fully retired members.

Cutler’s Hall, London; venue for the next 1992 Circle gathering

Created shortly after the inception of the College, the 1992 Circle initially brought together a dedicated group of retired College Fellows and past Fellows of the Faculty of General Dental Practice with a shared enthusiasm for the work of the College.

The group is named in honour of the year the FGDP(UK) was founded, a key moment which brought together the members of the College of General Dental Practitioners (UK) and the former RCS Advisory Board in General Dental Practice with the shared ambition to create an independent College over time.

More than 30 years later, the 1992 Circle celebrates the vision of those who put the general dental profession in the UK on a journey towards independent collegiate status. Bringing the benefit of our members’ significant experience to the work of the College today, the Circle promotes their continued standing in the profession in retirement and creates a sociable network of like-minded individuals.

Since its formation, the 1992 Circle has since held a series of gatherings prior to the College’s biannual Fellows’ Receptions, and its members have been involved in recording the histories of the formation of the FGDP and of FGDP qualifications, and in raising funds to secure the College’s Coat of Arms. The Circle has also fed into discussions on the ambitions and priorities for the future development of the College.

The College is now building on this by extending Circle membership to all fully retired members, with the aim of fostering continued close connections with and between our whole retired community.

Retired members enjoy the same benefits, rights and privileges of the College as practising members, but enjoy a fee discount of up to 66% from their next renewal – and there is no additional charge for membership of the 1992 Circle.

Circle members receive special invitations to College events, as well as periodic updates from its Convenor, Sir Nairn Wilson CBE, and information on the events and activities of the Lindsay Society for the History of Dentistry.

All members of the College who are already fully retired from practice have now been enrolled in the 1992 Circle, and College members who are currently in practice will be enrolled once fully retired.

Members of the 1992 Circle are invited, for their Winter 2025 gathering – the first since the expansion in membership – to attend a special reception marking the 50th issue of the Primary Dental Journal. This takes place on the afternoon of Thursday 30 January 2025 in London. There is no charge for this event, but prior registration via the button below is requested.

REGISTER HERE

Circle members are also invited to join the online Annual Members’ Meeting on 4 March 2025, and will soon be invited to the inaugural College Lecture and the Fellows’ Summer Reception in Sheffield on 13 June 2025. Details will be circulated soon, and interest will also be gauged in holding a 1992 Circle Lunch the same day.

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College of General Dentistry News

New PDJ online: Implant dentistry (part two)

The new issue of the Primary Dental Journal, ‘Implant dentistry (part two)’, is now available to view online.

While Implant Dentistry (part one) covered the roles of dental team members in managing implant patients within dental primary care, this part 2 issue focusses on clinical aspects of implant dentistry, including complications and adverse events, and recent technological advancements in the field, providing strategies for dental professionals.

The issue’s Guest Editor is Professor Ilser Turkyilmaz, Associate Dean of Digital Innovation, Professor and Chair at USA Case Western Reserve University’s School of Dental Medicine. Professor Turkyilmaz explains the thinking behind the collection of topics in the part 2 issue:

“As we continue to advance in the field of implant dentistry, clinicians face an ongoing challenge to adopt and incorporate modern tools and materials that elevate the quality of patient care while simultaneously reducing the complexity of their workflows. Our goal with this issue is to enrich the knowledge base of both new and experienced practitioners, empowering them to achieve optimal patient outcomes…in the dynamic field of implant dentistry.”

Papers included in this issue cover a range of digital and analogue workflows, with the core emphasis on the importance of thorough treatment planning, reinforced by advanced imaging techniques. A full list is below.

Full online access to the majority of articles is reserved for College of General Dentistry members and Primary Dental Journal subscribers, who can also expect their printed copies to arrive around the end of January. 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

An earlier version of this article was published on 26 December 2024. The next issue of the journal, General Dentistry, is due out in Spring 2025.

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