Notice of elections

Elections will soon be held for twelve regional and role-based seats on the College Council, and all eligible members are invited to consider standing.

The Council is the voice of our members.  It oversees our role as a professional body and guides the Trustee Board on the development of the College to fulfil its mission.

Elections are being held this year for eight of the thirteen regional seats on the Council, and for the first time also to four seats representing specific roles within the dental team.

Nominations will be open from Friday 15 March to Monday 15 April. Following validation of nominations, voting will open during the week commencing 22 April and will close 30 days later, with the results announced shortly thereafter.


The role

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

If elected, you would serve a three-year term, from June 2024 – June 2027, during which you would be expected to attend face-to-face Council meetings on three Fridays each year, as well as regular online meetings and occasional committees outside of business hours. Your first Council meeting would be on Friday 21 June 2024 in London. 

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

You would be able to stand for re-election in 2027, and individuals may serve up to three elected terms (i.e. nine years) on the Council. The role is voluntary, but we do cover essential expenses. A role profile is available below.


Eligibility

To stand for election to a regional seat, you must be a Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College (in any team role) and must live or work within that region, and be registered to that region with the College.

To stand for election to a role-based seat, you must be an Associate Member, Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College, and must be registered with the GDC (or overseas equivalent) in a relevant role for the seat. All members are automatically assigned to one of the College’s four faculties for electoral purposes, based on the team role in which they have registered their College membership.

If you are a member considering upgrading your membership in order to stand or vote in an election, or a non-member considering joining, you will need to allow at least two weeks ahead of the relevant date(s) below for this process to complete.


Council seats for election in 2024

Nomination are sought for the following seats:

  • Central London
  • Mersey and North West
  • North East and North West Thames
  • South West
  • Trent and East Anglia
  • Wales
  • West Midlands
  • Yorkshire and Northern
  • Faculty of Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy
  • Faculty of Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy
  • Faculty of Dental Technology & Clinical Dental Technology
  • Faculty of Dentists

College electoral regions

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


Nominations process

On 15 March 2024 (tbc), all eligible members will be emailed a link to the nominations website by the College’s election services provider, Mi-Voice.

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

You will also be required to provide the names of two supporters of your nomination. For regional seats, your supporters must each be a Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College. For role-based seats, your supporters must each be an Associate Member, Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College. If you are unsure of the membership status or region of potential supporters, please consult our Member Register

If you think you might like to put yourself forward as a candidate and would like further information before deciding, we would be pleased to have a confidential discussion and answer any questions about the role and the process. Please get in touch via [email protected]

Please note that this item was amended on 28 February 2024 to reflect the addition of Central London to the list of regional seats being elected this year

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Presidency

Recruitment for new President

The College is in the process of appointing its next President, and all full members are eligible to apply.

The President chairs and represents the elected College Council, is accountable to the Board of Trustees, and is the College’s most senior and visible office holder. (S)he will work closely with the Chief Executive to deliver the College’s ambitions as a professional body and charity in the public interest, and will provide leadership across the profession at a critical time on the journey to secure dentistry’s own Royal Charter.

The current President, Dr Abhi Pal, was elected the eleventh and final Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) in 2021, and has served the majority of his three-year term of office as the first President of the College. The second President will be the first to be appointed by the College since its independence.

While Deans of the FGDP were elected by and strictly from within the Faculty Board, all Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College are now eligible to apply for the post of College President, and the appointment will be made by a selection panel with a majority drawn from the elected College Council.

The Presidency is a paid position for 1.5 days per week, but demands flexibility in time commitment, with frequent travel to London and other parts of the UK. A role profile is available below.

Applications should be made by email, headed “President”, to [email protected], attaching a CV and covering letter, and citing two supporters who are also current Full Members, Associate Fellows or Fellows of the College. College membership status can be checked on our Member Register.

The closing date for applications is Monday 18 March 2024.

Interviews are expected to be held in the week beginning 8 April, and the appointee will take office at the College Council meeting in London on Friday 21 June 2024.

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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Full response to ‘Recovery Plan’ for NHS dentistry in England

The College has published its full response to the government’s Dental Recovery Plan, adding further detail to the interim response from its President, Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent, which was issued earlier this week.

Announcing the plan, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins MP quoted the College on the importance of making use of the full range of skills of all dental team members

The updated statement from the College includes responses to the proposal to speed up entry to the NHS Performers List; to the idea of commissioning private-only dentists to deliver NHS care; to the intention to press the GDC in relation to the recognition of additional qualifications as being equivalent to the UK BDS; to the intended expansion of the LDS, and to the plan to provide preparatory support for LDS candidates. It also includes additional considerations in relation to the proposed ‘golden hello’; to the creation of a provisional registration scheme; and to the increase in the number of dental school places.

The new commentary is as follows:

“While we support in principle the NHS making use of available local capacity to provide much-needed dental care, the proposal to use private-only dentists to do this would either fail or be completely iniquitous to those practitioners who have remained committed to NHS delivery. The correct solutions are to take measures to support the recruitment and retention of dental professionals in the NHS, and to support the financial viability of practices through adequate funding of contracts.

“We are already looking forward to an increase in the number of sittings and places for the Overseas Registration Examination, and we welcome the proposed expansion of the LDS examination. We also welcome proposals to support candidates in preparing for the LDS, and would advocate for similar support to be made available to candidates preparing for the ORE.

“We support the intention to speed up entry to the NHS Performers List, and the possibility of provisional registration, but public safety must not be compromised in our haste to fill gaps in the workforce. There must be proper structure in the training and assessment of provisional registrants, and a robust Quality Assurance process must be developed to ensure that the end product is a Safe Practitioner. Additional training and support may also be required for supervising dentists, as this role may well be more challenging than that of Educational Supervisor of Foundation Dentists.

“Similarly, we support the intention to identify non-EEA qualifications which meet the standard required for registration as a dentist in the UK, but due care and rigour must take priority in order to ensure patient safety. In time, this may prove a useful additional means of ameliorating the labour shortage experienced by dental practices, and the consequent lack of access to NHS dental care experienced by so many patients.”

The sections of the response which have been expanded are as follows:

“The planned ‘golden hello’ scheme also brings implicit recognition of the difficulties experienced by dental practices in the recruitment and retention of clinical staff to deliver NHS dental care. However, we are concerned that the proposed short-term offer, which is in any case limited to dentists, may fail to overcome many practitioners’ long-term concerns about embarking on a career in NHS care delivery, among which are burnout, lack of career progression and insufficient recognition for enhanced skills. We would emphasise that these factors apply not only to dentists but to other members of the dental team, especially dental nurses, and consideration should be given to exploring alternative models of incentivisation to support their recruitment and retention.”

“We are already looking forward to the increase in the number of dental school places available for dentistry, dental hygiene and dental therapy students. The planned expansion of student numbers must be accompanied by an appropriate increase in academic teaching capacity and resources so that the quality of undergraduate training is maintained.”

The College response in full is below.


The College’s response to the ‘Dental Recovery Plan’ in full

Responding to the government’s Dental Recovery Plan, Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent, President of the College, said:

“The government has set out a range of initiatives intended to help tackle some of the many longstanding problems facing NHS dental provision in England. These include some potentially positive new initiatives, which we welcome, alongside previously made announcements. However, while some further positive changes to the dental contract are anticipated later this year, the Dental Recovery Plan does not represent the more fundamental contract reform which is required, nor will the additional £210m in funding behind the plan, welcome as it is, restore universal access to NHS dental care.

“We welcome the proposed Smile For Life programme, with its focus on intervening early to prevent oral diseases in children. Tooth decay remains the leading cause of hospital admission for 6–10-year-olds in England, and a preventative approach has the potential to reduce the need for restorative treatment. However, we wait to see whether sufficient resources will be invested for the programme to be a success.

“The additional temporary funding aimed at those who have been unable to access dental care for two years or more is much needed. However, we would like to see consideration of the ongoing care of individuals benefitting from this initiative.

“The intention to bring NHS dentistry back to some of the many communities who have lost access to it is also very welcome. While mobile units may help in the short term, bricks-and-mortar dental surgeries should remain the backbone of routine ongoing care delivery, and appropriate funding should be put in place to support the re-establishment of NHS practices to address lack of access and meet the volume of need.

“While we support in principle the NHS making use of available local capacity to provide much-needed dental care, the proposal to use private-only practices to do this would either fail or be completely iniquitous to those practices which have remained committed to NHS delivery. The correct solutions are to take measures to support the recruitment and retention of dental professionals in the NHS, and to support the financial viability of practices through adequate funding of contracts.

“The planned ‘golden hello’ scheme also brings implicit recognition of the difficulties experienced by dental practices in the recruitment and retention of clinical staff to deliver NHS dental care. However, we are concerned that the proposed short-term offer, which is in any case limited to dentists, may fail to overcome many practitioners’ long-term concerns about embarking on a career in NHS care delivery, among which are burnout, lack of career progression and insufficient recognition for enhanced skills. We would emphasise that these factors apply not only to dentists but to other members of the dental team, especially dental nurses, and consideration should be given to exploring alternative models of incentivisation to support their recruitment and retention.

“We are already looking forward to the increase in the number of dental school places available for dentistry, dental hygiene and dental therapy students. The planned expansion of student numbers must be accompanied by an appropriate increase in academic teaching capacity and resources so that the quality of undergraduate training is maintained.

“We also look forward to the implementation of medicines exemptions for dental hygienists and therapists. Greater recognition and use of the full range of skills of all team members will enable the delivery of more care and make NHS dentistry more attractive to dental professionals. We also look forward to further proposals which empower the wider dental team when the next set of contractual changes are consulted upon.

“We also recognise that an increase in the minimum UDA value will support a minority of practices to continue delivering NHS dental care. And we support the intent to introduce community water fluoridation in areas of high need as this has the potential to reduce the prevalence of oral diseases and the need for invasive interventions.

“Finally, while dental practices struggle to recruit and many patients struggle to access care, there are many dental professionals who have qualified and practised overseas and who could be providing care here in the UK, but are unable to do so due to the waiting lists for registration exams.

“We are already looking forward to an increase in the number of sittings and places for the Overseas Registration Examination, and we welcome the proposed expansion of the LDS examination. We also welcome proposals to support candidates in preparing for the LDS, and would advocate for similar support to be made available to candidates preparing for the ORE.

“We support the intention to speed up entry to the NHS Performers List, and the possibility of provisional registration, but public safety must not be compromised in our haste to fill gaps in the workforce. There must be proper structure in the training and assessment of provisional registrants, and a robust Quality Assurance process must be developed to ensure that the end product is a Safe Practitioner. Additional training and support may also be required for supervising dentists, as this role may well be more challenging than that of Educational Supervisor of Foundation Dentists.

“Similarly, we support the intention to identify non-EEA qualifications which meet the standard required for registration as a dentist in the UK, but due care and rigour must take priority in order to ensure patient safety. In time, this may prove a useful additional means of ameliorating the labour shortage experienced by dental practices, and the consequent lack of access to NHS dental care experienced by so many patients.”

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Interim response to ‘Recovery Plan’ for NHS dentistry in England

The College has issued an interim response to the government’s press release announcing a ‘Dental Recovery Plan’, pending publication of the plan itself which is expected later today.

Commenting on the proposals in the release, Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent, President of the College of General Dentistry, said:

“The government has today set out a range of initiatives intended to help tackle some of the many longstanding problems facing NHS dental provision in England. These include some potentially positive new initiatives, which we welcome, alongside previously made announcements. However, while some further positive changes to the dental contract are anticipated later this year, the Dental Recovery Plan does not represent the more fundamental contract reform which is required, nor will the additional £210m in funding behind the plan, welcome as it is, restore universal access to NHS dental care.

“We welcome the proposed Smile For Life programme, with its focus on intervening early to prevent oral diseases in children. Tooth decay remains the leading cause of hospital admission for 6–10-year-olds in England, and a preventative approach has the potential to reduce the need for restorative treatment. However, we wait to see whether sufficient resources will be invested for the programme to be a success.

“The additional temporary funding aimed at those who have been unable to access dental care for two years or more is much needed. However, we would like to see consideration of the ongoing care of individuals benefitting from this initiative.

“The intention to bring NHS dentistry back to some of the many communities who have lost access to it is also very welcome. While mobile units may help in the short term, bricks-and-mortar dental surgeries should remain the backbone of routine ongoing care delivery, and appropriate funding should be put in place to support the re-establishment of NHS practices to address lack of access and meet the volume of need.

“The planned ‘golden hello’ scheme brings implicit recognition of the difficulties experienced by dental practices in the recruitment and retention of clinical staff to deliver NHS dental care. However, we are concerned that this short-term offer may fail to overcome many practitioners’ long-term concerns about embarking on a career in NHS care delivery, among which are burnout, lack of career progression and insufficient recognition for enhanced skills.

“We are already looking forward to the expansion in the number of dental school places available for dentistry and dental hygiene students, and to the implementation of medicines exemptions for dental hygienists and therapists. Greater recognition and use of the full range of skills of all team members will enable the delivery of more care and make NHS dentistry more attractive to dental professionals. We also look forward to further proposals which empower the wider dental team when the next set of contractual changes are consulted upon.

“We also recognise that an increase in the minimum UDA value will support a small number of practices to continue delivering NHS dental care. And we support the intent to introduce community water fluoridation in areas of high need as this has the potential to reduce the prevalence of oral diseases and the need for invasive interventions.

“Finally, while dental practices struggle to recruit and many patients struggle to access care, there are many dental professionals who have qualified and practised overseas and who could be providing care here in the UK, but are unable to do so due to the waiting lists for the Overseas Registration Exams. So we welcome the possibility of provisional registration, and await the detail with interest.”

This response may be updated following publication of the plan.

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Research training scheme for dental professionals

The College has endorsed a scheme offering dental professionals certified training and experience in research.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Associate Principal Investigator Scheme is aimed at UK health and care professionals who would not normally have the opportunity to take part in clinical research in their day to day role, but who are interested in learning about it and willing to make a significant contribution to the conduct and delivery of a study for at least six months.

Participating practitioners work alongside the Principal Investigator (PI) of a relevant NIHR Portfolio study being carried out locally, at the same site, typically for 2-3 hours per week. Mentored by the PI, they also complete a checklist of study activities and an online learning pathway, and on successful completion of the scheme are issued a certificate confirming NIHR Associate Principal Investigator status.

Endorsement by the College has allowed the scheme to open to NIHR Portfolio studies in the institute’s Oral and Dental Specialty, and certificates issued to successful trainees will be endorsed by the College.

An introductory video is above, and details of how to become a trainee, or how to register a study for the scheme, can be found on the NIHR Associate PI Scheme website

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Publication of qualifications on the Member Register

The College’s online Member Register, a public record of each current member’s membership number and grade, now has the additional facility to advertise members’ qualifications.

The new functionality has been developed following interest from members, who can now proudly display their educational and career achievements alongside their membership of the College.

Permitted inclusions are those postgraduate qualifications and professional accomplishments which contribute to eligibility for the individual’s grade of membership. Associate Fellows not yet qualifying for Fellowship may also display awards which are recognised in the criteria for individual Fellowship domains.

To have their qualifications displayed, members will need to follow the instructions below to upload them to their online account. Members who have previously uploaded their qualifications and awards for the purpose of providing evidence of eligibility for Full Membership, Associate Fellowship or Fellowship should note that these will not have been automatically added to the Member Register by the College unless they have joined or upgraded since December 2023. These members should also follow the instructions below, bypassing the third step.

Once validated by the College, details of qualifications and awards will then be displayed on the individual’s record. There is no charge for this service.

Members can link their personal record to their practice website or LinkedIn profile in order to demonstrate their professional standing, educational achievements and commitment to high standards.

Associate Members and Affiliate Members also appear on the Member Register but are not eligible to add postgraduate qualifications to their published entry. However, Associate Members may upload their postgraduate qualifications to their online account, and the College will be pleased to advise whether their qualifications provide, or contribute towards, eligibility for Full Membership, Associate Fellowship or Fellowship.

How to add your eligible qualifications to the Member Register

1. Sign in to your account using the email address you have registered with the College.

If you need to use the ‘Forgot Password’ option, please check your junk/spam folder in case the password reset email is directed there

2. Click Evidence & qualifications

3. Click Add new record and fill in the details of your qualification or award. You will also need to upload the certificate or document in PDF format or an image of it as a JPEG file (in either case this must be under 3MB in size).

4. Click Save, and once you have added all your qualifications and awards in the same manner, tick the two confirmation boxes and click Submit.

Publication of your qualifications and/or awards will take place after validation by the College.

Qualifications permitted on the Member Register

The following awards are currently permitted on the Member Register:

All Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows
  • MJDF
  • MFDS
  • MFGDP(UK)
  • Diploma in General Dental Practice
  • Postgraduate Certificate(s) in a relevant subject
Associate Fellows and Fellows only
  • Accredited Full Membership of the British Association for Cosmetic Dentistry
  • CGDent Diploma in Primary Care Orthodontics
  • Diploma in Postgraduate Dental Studies
  • Fellowship of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry
  • Fellowship of the Faculty of Dental Trainers of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
  • Fellowship of the Faculty of Medical Leadership & Management
  • Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy
  • Fellowship of the International College of Dentists
  • FGDP(UK) Diploma in Implant Dentistry
  • FGDP(UK) Diploma in Minor Oral Surgery
  • FGDP(UK) Diploma in Orthodontics
  • FGDP(UK) Diploma in Primary Care Oral Surgery
  • FGDP(UK) Diploma in Restorative Dentistry
  • Law degree or LLM
  • Master’s level qualification(s) in a relevant subject
  • Membership in Advanced General Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
  • Membership in General Dental Surgery
  • Membership of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons
  • MPhil or PhD in a relevant subject
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education
  • Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in a relevant legal subject
  • Postgraduate Diploma or Masters in a leadership and/or management subject
  • Postgraduate Diploma(s) in a relevant subject
  • RCS(Ed) Diploma in Implant Dentistry
  • Specialty Membership of a Royal College or Royal College faculty
Fellows only
  • Board Certification by the American Board of General Dentistry
  • Fellowship of the College of Dentistry of South Africa
  • Fellowship or Honorary Fellowship of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK
  • Fellowship of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada
  • Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow or its Faculty of Dental Surgery
  • Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland or its Faculty of Dentistry
  • Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh or its Faculty of Dental Surgery
  • Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England or its Faculty of Dental Surgery
  • Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons

Please note that to be accepted, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas and Master’s-level qualifications must be university-awarded or equivalent credentials at Level 7 as defined in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (equivalent to Level 11 in Scotland).

They must also provide, respectively, 60, 120 and 180 UK credits or their international equivalent – 60 UK credits is the equivalent to 30 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits or typically 15 US credits.

Awards from recognised UK higher education institutions and those of other member states of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) are recognised by default, however those submitting qualifications awarded by an institution outside of the EHEA will also be asked to provide a Statement of Comparability, which can be obtained from the UK National Information Centre for the recognition and evaluation of international qualifications and skills (UK ENIC, formerly UK NARIC).

The list of eligible awards may change from time to time as eligibility criteria for College membership grades are reviewed. College Fellowships in Dental Nursing, Dental Hygiene & Therapy and Dental Technology are currently being developed, and awards contributing to eligibility for these will be added to the list once determined.

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CGDent Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Care Orthodontics, 2024-26

The College is now accepting applications for the next cohort of its Postgraduate Diploma programme in Primary Care Orthodontics, starting in June.

The comprehensive Level 7 programme is designed to give General Dental Practitioners the skills and knowledge needed to treat more complex malocclusions, including extraction cases, taking them up to just below specialist training level. It covers all appliance systems – fixed functional, aligners, lingual and Inman – and includes both the theory and practical aspects of orthodontic care.

Through a combination of lectures, seminar and practical sessions, the syllabus includes:

  • Records, assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning
  • Treatment planning for Class I, Class II div1, Class II div 2 and Class III malocclusions
  • Radiography – Ceph/OPG/CBCT
  • Fixed appliances
  • Lingual appliances
  • Removable appliances
  • Functionals
  • Retention
  • Aetiology of malocclusion, growth & development
  • Development of the dentition and tooth movement
  • Dental material & biomechanics
  • Multidisciplinary care, including restorative, periodontics & surgery
  • Critical reading skills
  • Health education, health & safety, legislation and audit
  • Marketing and practice management 

During the programme, which is limited to 12 places, students will discuss multiple new cases, participate in hands-on practical sessions and weekly online planning discussions, and will be given one-to-one mentoring by specialists for ten treated cases. The 2024-26 programme is supported by six training blocks, five of three days and one of four days, which take place in June and October 2024, and February, June, September and December 2025.

To ensure enough case-flow and experience, the course is recommended for dentists who have treated at least ten fixed cases, are treating a minimum of ten orthodontic cases per annum, and are familiar with using fixed appliances.

The 120 credit programme, including ongoing informal and formal assessment, is delivered by IAS Academy, with a final examination held by the College.

It is led by Professor Ross Hobson, a specialist orthodontist, former Head of Orthodontic MSc/Specialist training at Newcastle University, and former Chair in Orthodontics at the University of Central Lancashire. He holds a Master’s in Dental Surgery and PhD from Newcastle, a Membership in Orthodontics at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, is a Fellow of the College of General Dentistry, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and was the first dentist to be awarded the Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

Holders of the CGDent Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Care Orthodontics (DipPCOrth) are eligible for Associate Fellowship of the College, and the qualification also satisfies the Clinical domain of Fellowship.

Professor Hobson is also the presenter of the College’s Introduction to Orthodontics series, which explore the possibilities and limitations of orthodontic treatment with fixed braces and provide an insight into the postgraduate diploma programme. The webinars are free to view on-demand by College members, who can also claim free CPD certificates.

Prof Hobson also discusses the complexity and importance of correct assessment and diagnosis of a patient before orthodontic treatment in his blog post, Orthodontics in general dentistry – an unknown, unknown

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Ministerial meeting

On 13 December 2023, the President of the College, Dr Abhi Pal, participated in a roundtable meeting with the newly appointed Minister for Primary Care, Andrea Leadsom MP.

Held at the Department of Health and Social Care, the meeting had been called by the newly-appointed Minister to outline her priorities for NHS dentistry in England – ensuring access for urgent dental care and increasing preventative activities such as perinatal advice and supervised toothbrushing schemes – and to hear the profession’s suggested solutions to the problems facing patients and NHS providers.

A wide range of stakeholders were present and discussed the critical need for contract reform as well as the delayed Dental Recovery Plan amongst other issues. On behalf of the College, Dr Pal made the case that the NHS needs to focus on arresting the exodus of the existing dental workforce and on increasing its appeal to newly-qualified professionals and those from overseas, and that to do this it needs to offer more attractive prospects by supporting a formal career progression framework for all those delivering NHS primary dental care. 

A general dental practitioner and principal of an NHS-contracted dental practices in Edgbaston and Derbyshire, Dr Pal has previously given evidence on NHS dentistry to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee, taken part in a meeting on access to careers and progression in dentistry at 10 Downing Street and addressed the House of Lords Committee on the Integration of Primary and Community Care

It is understood that the Minister will continue to engage with the profession through quarterly meetings.

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West Midlands members encouraged to get involved in research

The College would like to encourage research-interested colleagues based in the West Midlands to get involved with an active regional dental research network.

The West Midlands Dental Research Network, part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Clinical Research Network, is looking for dental practices to join.

Getting involved with research is actively promoted by the College, and information about research processes can be found in our online introductory guide to research for primary dental care clinicians.

Yann Maidment, CGDent Research Lead and Kanwar Ratra, CGDent Council Member for the West Midlands, said:

“If you live or work in the region and are interested in research, have already thought about making your practice research-active or are considering involvement as a means of professional development, we encourage you to join the West Midlands Dental Research Network.”

Further details are below.

NIHR Clinical Research Network West Midlands Dental Research Network

Have you thought about becoming a research active dental practice?  We are here to offer you that opportunity.

Who Are We?

The Clinical Research Network West Midlands, part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). We are here to help provide advice, support and assistance to allow your dental practice to take part in high-quality dental research in the clinical setting where the care is provided.

The benefits for Dental Practices and personnel taking part in research:

  • Research Career Development
  • Contributing to NICE Evidence Base
  • Patients given opportunity of research involvement (per NHS Constitution)
  • Quality Mark for CQC Inspection
  • Staff Learning and Development with CPD opportunities
  • NIHR accredited certificate
  • Updates on research findings to contribute to policy and practice

Expressions of Interest:

We seek expressions of interest from forward-thinking dental practices who would like to join our Dental Research Network. This will provide the opportunity to be the first to find out about high profile dental research studies taking place in your area.

Joining the Dental Research Network does not commit you to taking part in a particular study and is free.

To express your interest please contact: Anesha Chauhan, the Clinical Research Practitioner coordinating the Dental Research Network in W Midlands. Email: [email protected] or by mobile: 07823 362148.

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Certificates of Membership now available for download

College members can now download a copy of their Certificate of Membership from their online account.

The Certificate of Membership is available as a PDF for Student Members, Affiliate Members, Associate Members, Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows to save, print and display.

The certificate includes the member’s membership number and grade of membership as well as the expiry date of their current annual membership term. It will update automatically after their next renewal payment has been successfully processed, and the updated certificate showing their new term of membership can then be downloaded.

To download your Certificate of Membership:

  1. Sign in to your online account at https://cgdent.uk using the email address you have registered with the College
    • If you need to use the ‘Forgot Password’ option, please check your junk/spam folder in case the password reset email is directed there
  2. Go to the Membership tab, follow the drop-down menu to My account and click on My dashboard

College Fellows should note that their annual membership certificate is separate from their Fellowship certificate, which they should have received by post (unless they joined or upgraded very recently).

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