College of General Dentistry News

The College recruits for an Advisory Strategy Group to guide its development

The College of General Dentistry is recruiting an Advisory Strategy Group, seeking contributions from across the dental team. This is an important opportunity for people across the Registrant community to make an active contribution, guiding the future direction of the College. 

The Group will play a crucial role in advising the Board of Trustees as they make plans to launch the College. The Group’s 15 members, who will have first-hand experience working across the dental team, will provide much-needed insight into the ideas, perspectives and priorities of people working in dentistry. 

Chair of Trustees, Prof Nairn Wilson, said:  “This is an exciting moment for the College, a step closer to its formal launch, and a mark of our commitment to embrace the interests and contributions of the whole dental team. We believe that a lack of diversity in leadership and influence in dentistry is a barrier to effectiveness – and we want our Advisory Strategy Group to draw upon strengths across the many communities that have such an important role to play for the future.”

Applications close on August 21st, with interviews planned in early September. Details can be found at https://wp.me/P8ZZcL-tx

College of General Dentistry News

College of General Dentistry appoints its first Ambassadors

The College of General Dentistry is delighted to announce the launch of its “College Ambassadors” scheme and the appointment of its first Ambassadors – the Rt Hon Sir Mike Penning MP, Professor Dame Parveen Kumar and Dr Shelagh Farrell FFGDP(UK).

College Ambassadors are to be drawn from different backgrounds and walks of life. They will support engagement of the College in society, and promote its influence in the interests of patients, building trust and confidence in the dental profession.

Other Ambassadors will be appointed in the coming weeks, as the College works towards its historic, formal launch later in the year, COVID restrictions permitting. 

Our Ambassadors will help us to ensure dentistry is properly recognised for its importance as an integral element of general healthcare. They will support the College’s mission to develop public confidence in, and appreciation of the benefits of contemporary dentistry and the importance of oral health.

Chair of the College Board of Trustees, Professor Nairn Wilson, said:

“The Board of Trustees of the College is delighted and most grateful to Sir Mike, Dame Parveen and Shelagh Farrell for accepting the invitation to become the first of what is hoped to become a number of high profile, influential Ambassadors from many different backgrounds. The Trustees greatly look forward to working with our Ambassadors in realising the goal of a College which gives general dentistry new leadership, fresh standards, much-needed career pathways and enhanced professional standing in the interests of patients and the public.”

Commenting on his appointment Sir Mike said: “It is a great honour to be asked to be an Ambassador for the College of General Dentistry. We are witnessing technological advances in every area of healthcare and dentistry is no exception, so now is a perfect time to set up a new college to promote excellence and cooperation within the profession for the benefit of dentists and patients alike.”

Dame Parveen said: “’I am absolutely delighted that the College of General Dentistry is being formed and am honoured to be invited to be an Ambassador. Dentistry should take its rightful place with the other healthcare colleges and have a collegiate voice in the health of the nation. I look forward to working with the College.”

Dr Farrell said: “I am delighted to be an ambassador for the new College of General Dentistry. When the FGDP was established in 1992 it was always the ultimate aim to progress the Faculty into an independent College. After 28 years this ambition is being realised – a great achievement for the dental profession.”

Rt Hon Sir Mike Penning MP

Following a career in the army in the Grenadier Guards, as a firefighter in Essex, running a family business and political journalism, Sir Mike entered Parliament as the MP for Hemel Hempstead in 2005. 

He served on the Health Select Committee before being appointed as a Shadow Health Minister. Following the Conservative win in the 2010 general election he was appointed as a junior Minister at the Department for Transport. Subsequent reshuffles saw him serve as a Minister in the Northern Ireland Office, Department for Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office before finally serving as Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence.

He was appointed as a Privy Counsellor in 2014 and knighted for services to politics in 2018.

Professor Dame Parveen Kumar DBE

Parveen is Professor of Medicine and Education at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London. She is a physician and gastroenterologist. She has been President of the British Medical Association, President of the Royal Society of Medicine, President of the Medical Women’s Federation, and Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians, where she also held the roles of Censor, director of Continuing Professional Development and associate International Director for Education. She chaired the Medicines Commission UK, was a founding non-executive Director of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and chaired the BUPA Foundation for Research. She co-founded and co-edits Kumar and Clark’s Clinical Medicine, now in its 9th edition, a medical textbook used all over the world.

She is currently the President of the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund, chairs the board of Science at the BMA, is on two committees at Genomics England. She is ambassador for the UK Health Alliance for Climate Change. She is on various advisory boards and charities as a trustee (including British Youth Opera, Barts Charity, BMA Foundation). She has championed the role of women in medicine. She has won several prizes and awards and was awarded CBE in 2000 and DBE in 2017.

Dr Shelagh Farrell FFGDP(UK)

Shelagh Farrell was a Board Member of the FGDP(UK) from 1992 until 2017, serving as Vice-Dean on two occasions. Prior to that, she was a member of its precursor, the Advisory Board in General Dental Practice to the FDS (England) from 1982 to 1992, and a member of the FDS Board from 1987 to 1992. In recognition of 35 years’ service to the RCS of England she was presented with the first Faculty Medal of the FGDP(UK) in 2019.

In 1987 Shelagh was the first woman to be elected on to the Council of the BDA and has served as President of both the Western Counties and Southern Counties Branch of the BDA. She was also an elected member of the GDC from 1986-1991 and 1994-2001.

Qualifying in 1971 Shelagh was appointed as a House Officer and Senior House Officer at Bristol Dental Hospital before starting her own practice from scratch on the outskirts of Bristol. The practice expanded and so she took on an associate and a hygienist, and later on an orthodontist. Having studied for her MSc in conservative dentistry at the Eastman Dental Hospital in 1990-91 she became a partner in a multi-disciplinary practice in Reigate, Surrey and in 2000 was entered on to the specialist list of Prosthodontics. Today she is still treating referred patients in removable prosthodontics.

College of General Dentistry News

FGDP(UK) & CGDent publish COVID-19 guidance synopsis

The College and FGDP(UK) have published a synopsis of their guidance on the implications of COVID-19 for the safe management of general dental practice.

The new synopsis highlights key recommendations at each step of the patient journey, and is designed to be used in conjunction with the guidance, which supports dental professionals to take a risk-based approach to providing safe care, whatever the national COVID-19 threat level.

The guidance, originally published on 1 June, has also now been updated with some minor amendments. Among these, prophylactic polishing of teeth has been added to the risk stratification matrix, use of face coverings by all patients and carers in non-clinical areas is now recommended (in line with government advice on preventing transmission in enclosed public spaces), and the use of shoe and head coverings is only now advised when indicated by a risk assessment. There are also some clarifications, such as around selection of PPE based on a risk assessment, and on the mopping of floors between patients following treatment carrying a high risk of exposure to aerosol.

Both the synopsis and guidance are available on the FGDP and CGDent website.

Production of the synopsis has been supported by Sensodyne.

College of General Dentistry News

FGDP(UK) & CGDent launch UK guidelines for safe return to dental practice during COVID-19

The FGDP(UK) and newly formed College of General Dentistry have convened an expert task force to review the evidence base for dental practice during the COVID-19 outbreak and have today launched the official summary report of the guidelines ‘COVID-19: guidelines for safe care in general dental practice’.

The Guidance can be accessed here.

The UK wide task force panel includes 30 senior members of a number of organisations, including the British Dental Association, the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the Association of Dental Groups, the Association of Dental Implantology and the newly-formed British Association of Private Dentistry and has received support and input from groups across the profession including the British Society of Dental Hygiene & Therapy and the British Association of Dental Nurses. It supports dental professionals to take a risk and evidence-based approach to providing care in the current circumstances and allows the flexibility of setting minimum requirements whatever the national COVID-19 threat level.

Ian Mills, Dean of FGDP(UK) comments “During the initial stages of the pandemic it was important that all but emergency dentistry procedures were paused. However, we are now at a point where the risk to the oral health of the population will be impacted unless practices are able to reopen, albeit with the correct protection for patients and the dental team. 

This guidance has been developed as a framework to enable the confident return to practice, now and also into the future as the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve. It is the result of the collaborative effort of a team of dedicated individuals from across the profession who have spent the last few weeks committed to reviewing the evidence, assessing the risks and finding a way forward.”

In line with other FGDP(UK) Guidance and Standards publications, the guidance adopts the ABC (Aspirational, Basic, Conditional) approach to measures with ‘basic’ measures being a minimum standard.

The guidance is divided into five sections – four of which reflect the patient journey and the fifth concerns general management of the practice. These sections are assigned a risk status and ABC based risk mitigation measures to ensure safe practice and include:

  1. Pre-appointment – including the important role of digital communication to minimise contact time
  2. Patient attendance (pre-treatment) – including the communication of new infection control and prevention procedures to patients along with changes to waiting areas
  3. During treatment – including recommendations for approaches to aerosol generating exposures (AGEs) developed using a model based on risk continuum and recommendations for appropriate levels of PPE
  4. After treatment – including procedures to protect patients and staff and the use of an appropriate fallow period following high risk AGEs
  5. Management/governance tasks – including risk assessments for all staff members and awareness of the need to encourage staff to monitor and support if they feel unwell

Onkar Dhanoya, Chair of the Task Group, commented “These guidelines have been developed to address the specific needs of primary dental care. This includes the recognition that whilst safety of patients and team members is the priority, closure of practices is in itself harming patients, their oral health and psychological wellbeing. The use of the risk matrix tables within the guidance allows us to reflect the varied needs of practices and the fluid nature of the current situation.”

Roshni Karia, Junior Vice Dean, FGDP(UK) comments “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought uncertainty to a number of aspects of daily life. This guidance aims to help develop specific strategies for primary dental care with a realistic approach to what can be achieved in practice. It also provides guidance for supporting patients and staff who may be in greater risk categories. By working together as a team, we can all proceed with confidence and help to sustain trust in dentistry overall.”

Sign up to alerts and updates on our Guidance

College of General Dentistry News

National dental organisations join forces to agree return-to-work guidance

National dental organisations have joined forces to agree guidance for UK general dental practices on returning to work as the coronavirus pandemic eases.

The COVID-19 Future Planning Task Group, convened by the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK and College of General Dentistry, brings together senior members of a number of organisations, including the British Dental Association, the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, the Association of Dental Implantology and the newly-formed British Association of Private Dentistry.

Dental care professionals are represented to ensure all members of the dental team are able to contribute to this vital piece of work, and the Task Group includes patient representation as well as significant professional experience and expertise in a range of areas. These include infection prevention and control, practice management and emergency medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, and further individuals and organisations will be added or consulted over the coming weeks.

Minimising the risk of COVID-19 transmission within and outwith general dental practices as a result of re-opening will bring significant implications for patient care and practice management. The group aims to support and enable a return to practice as soon as it is safe to do so, focussing on key areas to address, identifying or developing practical solutions, and feeding into national planning.

It is highly likely that the measures necessary to safely resume general dental practice will carry substantial financial implications, which will have a profound impact on both NHS and private practices. The increased burden on the NHS will be considerable, and it is clear that the safe treatment of the oral health needs of much of the population will only be possible with significant additional public funding.

The general dental profession has already returned to work in many countries, and the group will draw upon the research, advice and resources already published around the world, as well as those within the UK, adapting and adding to them as necessary to create guidance which is relevant and applicable to primary dental care throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as soon as possible.

College of General Dentistry News

The Art & Science of Dentistry (Wales) Prize

Cymraeg

The College is pleased to sponsor this competition as an opportunity for students at the School of Dentistry at Cardiff University to showcase a dental topic or subject which may have an influence, or have had an influence on the improvement of oral health care for all. The work may be presented in the form of an investigation, a literature review or primary research.

You are invited to submit a VLOG or poster on an area or subject relevant to general dental practice, as 90% of dental care takes place in the primary care setting. Your entry may be relevant to Wales, the UK or more widely. 

Entry criteria

Individual or joint entries (from 2 students) will be accepted.

Entrants must be a current dental student at Cardiff University. This includes students who graduate in 2020.

Entries may be in English or Welsh.

The vlog may be no more than 5 minutes long. The poster must have no more than 500 words.

All entries must include a bibliography. (See ‘how to apply’ for details)

Copyright of the entries remain with the authors. However in entering the competition, the entrant agrees that the submission may be published digitally by the College, FGDP(UK), Y Gymdeithas Ddeintyddol Dental Society of Wales or Coleg Cymraeg to promote the prize and winners, and to promote the dental topic itself.

Prize: The winner will receive an award and £150, or if there are multiple stand out entries, a winner and runner up will receive £100 and £50 respectively.

Important dates: The closing date is 30 August, 2020. The prize will be presented at the Welsh Dental Society Annual Meeting at The Vale Resort in Cardiff on 17 October, 2020.

How to apply

Posters should be sent as an attachment to [email protected] with subject “Cardiff Prize” (PDF documents are preferred) Please remember to include your full name, contact details and your year of study.

Vlogs should be uploaded to a video sharing platform, eg Youtube or Vimeo, and the URL sent to [email protected], with your full name, contact details and year of study. If your vlog has privacy or access permissions, please remember to include the relevant password in your email. 

All entries must include a bibliography – which does not count towards the word count or vlog length. The awards committee expect there to be no less than 10 references to support your entry. This may be a combination of 5 references from refereed journals plus another 5 references from government statistics or publications from international bodies. References should follow the Harvard referencing system, and/or include hyperlinks where relevant.

Tips on what makes a good entry

Be clear on what your dental topic is. The ‘viewer’ needs to quickly know what you feel is important. 

Make your key messages clear – this includes in the language you use and the layout or structure of your entry

Provide evidence and interpretation relevant to the subject. Remember to support your conclusions with evidence.

Entries will be marked based on the criteria below, so take this into account when developing your entry. Marking will be based on quality, not only in appearance, but also in the content and the way your entry conveys the essential message quickly and accurately.

  • Comprehensibility and clarity of expression (the clarity of written/spoken English or Welsh)
  • Argument and critical thinking (the originality of thought in the topic/case presented)
  • Engagement with practice
  • Knowledge and understanding (the bibliography/documenting of source materials relevant to the presentation).

Gwobr Celf a Gwyddoniaeth mewn Deintyddiaeth

Mae’r gystadleuaeth hon yn rhoi cyfle i fyfyrwyr yn yr Ysgol Ddeintyddiaeth ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd I dynnu sylw at bwnc neu destun deintyddol a allai ddylanwadu, neu sydd wedi dylanwadu, ar wella gofal y geg i bawb. Gellir cyflwyno’r gwaith ar ffurf ymchwiliad, adolygiad o lenyddiaeth a astudiwyd neu ymchwil wreiddiol.

Rydym yn eich gwahodd i gyflwyno FLOG neu boster sy’n amlygu’r ymchwil a wnaethoch fel myfyriwr deintyddol. Mae’r gystadleuaeth yn canolbwyntio ar ymchwil sy’n berthnasol i bractis deintyddol cyffredinol, gan fod 90% o ofal deintyddol yn digwydd lle ceir gofal sylfaenol. Gall eich ymgais gynnwys ymchwil sy’n berthnasol i Gymru, i’r Deyrnas Gyfunol neu’r tu hwnt i hynny.

Meini prawf ceisiadau

Derbynnir ceisiadau unigol neu ar y cyd.

Mae’n rhaid i ymgeiswyr fod yn fyfyrwyr cyfredol ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd. Mae hynny’n cynnwys myfyrwyr sy’n graddio yn 2020.

Gall ceisiadau fod yn Gymraeg neu Saesneg.

Ni ddylai’r FLOG fod yn hwy na 5 munud o hyd. Ni ddylai’r poster gynnwys mwy na 500 o eiriau.

Mae’n rhaid i bob cais gynnwys llyfryddiaeth. (Gweler ‘Sut i ymgeisio’ am y manylion).

Mae hawlfraint y ceisiadau’n perthyn i’r awduron. Fodd bynnag, wrth gyflwyno cais i’r gystadleuaeth, mae’r ymgeisydd yn cytuno i’r cais gael ei gyhoeddi’n ddigidol gan CGDent, FGDP(UK), Y Gymdeithas Ddeintyddol yng Nghymru neu’r Coleg Cymr’aeg Cenedlaethol er mwyn hyrwyddo’r wobr a’r enillwyr ac i hyrwyddo’r ymchwil ei hun.

Dyddiadau pwysig: Y dyddiad cau ydi Awst 30, 2020. Bydd y wobr yn cael ei chyflwyno yn ystod Cyfarfod Blynyddol y Gymdeithas Ddeintyddol (yng Nghymru) yn y Vale Resort yng Nghaerdydd ar Hydref 17, 2020.

Sut i wneud cais

Dylid anfon posteri ar ffurf ffeil gyswllt (attachment) i’r egyfeiriad hwn: [email protected]. (Gwell gennym gael dogfennau.pdf). Cofiwch gynnwys eich enw llawn, manylion cyswllt a’ch blwyddyn astudio,

Dylid uwchlwytho Flogiau i gyfrwng rhannu fideo, e.e. Youtube neu Vimeo, gan anfon yr URL I’r egyfeiriad hwn: [email protected], gyda’ch enw llawn, manylion cyswllt a’ch blwyddyn astudio. Os oes gofynion cyfrinachedd neu fynediad ar eich flog, cofiwch gynnwys y cyfrinair perthnasol yn eich ebost.

Mae’n rhaid i bob cais fod â llyfryddiaeth – nad oes rhaid ei chynnwys wrth gyfrif geiriau na hyd y Flog. Mae pwyllgor y gwobrau yn disgwyl cael o leiaf 10 o gyfeiriadau i gefnogi pob cais. Gall hynny fod yn gyfuniad o 5 cyfeiriad wedi’u codi o gyfnodolion cydnabyddedig ynghyd â 5 cyfeiriad o ystadegau’r llywodraeth neu o gyhoeddiadau gan gyrff rhyngwladol. Dylai’r cyfeiriadau ddilyn y drefn a bennir gan system gyfeirio Harvard, a/neu gynnwys hypergyswllt lle bo hynny’n briodol.

Awgrymiadau ynghylch yr hyn sy’n gwneud cais da

Byddwch yn glir ynglŷn â beth ydi diben eich ymchwil. Mae angen i lygaid y gwyliwr ganfod yn syth beth yr ydych chi’n ei ystyried yn bwysig.

Gwnewch eich prif neges yn glir – mae hynny’n cynnwys yr iaith a ddefnyddiwch ynghyd â chynllun a strwythur eich cais.

Rhoddwch dystiolaeth a dehongliad o’r ymchwil.

Cofiwch gefnogi eich canfyddiadau gyda thystiolaeth.

Caiff ceisiadau eu marcio ar sail y meini prawf a nodir isod. Felly, cofiwch ystyried hynny wrth i chi ddatblygu eich cais. Seilir y marcio ar ansawdd nid yn unig o ran sut y mae’r gwaith yn edrych ond hefyd ar sail y cynnwys a’r ffordd y mae eich cais yn cyfleu’r neges hanfodol yn gyflym a chywir.

  • Dealladwyedd ac eglurder y mynegiant (eglurder y Gymraeg/Saesneg yn ysgrifenedig neu ar lafar).  
  • Cyflwyno dadl neu feddwl yn gritigol (gwreiddioldeb syniadol o ran y testun neu’r achos a gyflwynir).
  • Bod â chysylltiad â phractis.
  • Gwybodaeth a dealltwriaeth (llyfryddiaeth/dogfennaeth yn cofnodi ffynonellau’r deunydd sy’n berthnasol i’r cais).
College of General Dentistry News

Launching our first qualification with the IAS Academy

The College of General Dentistry (CGDent) – the first independent college for primary care dentistry and authoritative body for standards in practice –  this week announced that IAS Academy is to provide training for its Diploma in Primary Care Orthodontics (DipPCOrth) launching on February 3rd, 2020. This is an important step forward for the new College.

The academy will offer delegates a combination of hands-on and theoretical study delivered on-campus and online over 14 months in preparation for the diploma examination.

The advanced training syllabus covers assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning and provision using the complete range of orthodontic appliances. 

Students will also gain an understanding of the science of orthodontics, as well as the evidence and research underpinning care.

Chair of the College of General Dentistry, Prof Nairn Wilson CBE, has explained: “With its impressive breadth, scope and depth the IAS Academy’s advanced course is perfectly aligned to training in preparation for the DipPCOrth. 

“We are excited to be launching our new qualification. The involvement of IAS gives us confidence that those who take the examinations will be well prepared and set for professional success afterwards.”

The IAS Academy’s Advanced Training programme is now open for admissions. The course covers five modules over 14 months lasting 3-4 days each. Training takes place every 2-3 months, and the course also includes one-to-one mentoring of 20 cases for each student.

For more information, please email [email protected] or call Hannah Collman at IAS Academy on 01932 336 470.

About IAS Academy

IAS Academy is a global community of world-class teachers and colleagues who share a common goal:  To empower dentists to confidently treat their patients with the best and most ethical treatment options available. 

The academy promotes tooth-preservation dentistry through teaching, mentoring and supporting delegates for life in a journey of orthodontics and restorative dentistry.

IAS Academy holds regular training events across Europe and provides online mentoring through a dedicated forum.

For more information, visit www.iasortho.com

College of General Dentistry News

Trustees sought

Help us create a new Royal College for dentistry

Closing date 30 June 2019

Trustees are being sought for the new College of General Dentistry, which is currently being established with a vision to cultivate excellence in oral healthcare.

We will achieve this by fostering a strong and trusted professional community of practice, serving patients and public.  We will establish evidence-based guidance and standards for dentistry, and foster higher quality practice through education and training, career development and lifelong learning for dental professionals. Our work will build on the achievements of FGDP(UK), which is planned to transfer to the new College.

We aim to pursue a Royal Charter, elevating the standing of general dentistry alongside its medical professional peers.

This is consequently an exciting time for talented dentists to join us. You will help us to establish and shape the development of the new College – reflecting the interests of a diverse and dynamic profession. These are significant roles at a critical moment in developing the new College, and a momentous time for the Faculty and the wider profession.

We need dentist trustees to contribute to the development of the values of the organisation, demonstrating high standards of behaviour and attitude, reflecting the inclusive professionalism that we seek to embody. You will also be expected to contribute to effective custodianship of the organisation and have the ability to contribute effectively to the delivery of our ambitions, both as critical friend and, in the early stages of development, and as an active contributor to the task ahead. That might involve being an advocate for the new College in a variety of dental fora, advising on the development of the clinical quality to which we aspire, and shaping our thinking on the opportunities ahead.

We also need people who are commercially-minded, recognising the business imperatives that stand behind the delivery of our overall mission in the patient and public interest. We seek effective influencers, people able to coach, guide and support; people who will enable the College to build a strong position in an established professional and political environment.

We are particularly interested in attracting people who can help us to engage widely within the profession, amongst dentists at all stages of their career, and with a wide range of backgrounds and aspirations. The proportion of women and BAME dentists on the Register is growing and we want our trustee body to be truly inclusive and reflective of our community. We therefore welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and a wide range of perspectives.

A profile for the role of Dental Trustee is available here.

Applications (by CV and covering letter, which should address the requirements described in the role profile, citing two references) must be received by 30 June 2019, addressed to [email protected]. Prospective candidates are advised that interviews are planned to be held in early July in London. To be eligible, you must be a Full Member or Fellow of FGDP(UK) at the time of appointment. If you would like to know more, please contact Simon Thornton-Wood, Director of FGDP via [email protected] for a confidential discussion and guidance on the application process. Please note that this is a re-advertisement and earlier applicants need not reapply.

College of General Dentistry News

FGDP(UK) publishes revised Standards in Dentistry

The Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP(UK)) has published the second edition of Standards in Dentistry, its flagship publication for general dental practitioners and their teams which acts as a guide to personal or practice-based quality assessment.

A comprehensive compendium of guidance and standards relevant to primary dental care, it sets out specific standards covering consultation and diagnosis, paediatric dentistry, orthodontics, management of acute pain, periodontics, endodontics, removable partial dentures, complete dentures, minor oral surgery, implant dentistry, management of dental trauma, direct, coronal and root surface restorations and indirect coronal restorations.

It also summarises almost 70 standards and guidelines publications by the Faculty and 30 other organisations, encompassing emergency dental care, examination and record-keeping, infection prevention and control, medical emergencies, medications management, oral health, pathology, patient information, practice management, prevention, radiography, restorative dentistry, risk management and communication, sedation, special care dentistry and staff training.

The development of the second edition was carried out by Professor David Moles and his colleagues at Peninsula Dental School, Ewen McColl, Christopher Tredwin, Robert Witton and Lorna Burns, and its publication follows consultation with a wide range of national dental bodies. Professor Moles and his team have fully revised and updated Standards in Dentistry to reflect the contemporary clinical, organisational and dento-legal contexts in which dentistry is practised, as well as changes in the evidence base since the first edition was published in 2006.

The standards in the new edition are focussed on practitioner processes rather than treatment outcomes, descriptions of the ‘unacceptable’ have been dispensed with, and the book adopts the Faculty’s ‘ABC’ (Aspirational, Basic, Conditional) notation for the grading of recommendations. Standards for making and receiving referrals, and for oral medicine, are also included for the first time, and the book includes a section on keeping up-to-date with changing guidelines and standards over time.

Celebrating the publication of the new edition, Ian Mills, Dean of FGDP(UK), said:

“The Faculty’s core function is to raise the standards of care delivered to patients, and the provision of guidance and standards by dentists, for dentists, is central to this. On behalf of the FGDP(UK), I would like to thank David Moles and his colleagues for their tireless dedication in compiling the second edition of Standards in Dentistry. It is an indispensable reference guide which will assist the whole dental team in identifying appropriate standards for the delivery of high quality care.”

Professor David Moles FFGDP(UK), Editor of Standards in Dentistry, added:

“The team at Peninsula Dental School are honoured to have been offered the opportunity by the FGDP to undertake a comprehensive update of the standards. We would like to thank all the individuals and organisations that have generously given their time and expertise to comment on the drafts of the second edition. In some cases we have had to resolve strongly-held but contradictory views held by peer-reviewers. This is an indication of the extent to which members of our profession care passionately about the standards of care we all endeavour to provide, and it also illustrates the subjective nature of clinical practice. Whilst the evidence base for primary care dentistry is constantly improving, it is clear that much remains almost as much an art as a science.”

To mark the publication of Standards in Dentistry, the Faculty is distributing copies to all its members, and new members who join this year will be sent a copy with their welcome pack. Non-members can buy it for £44.99 from the FGDP website, and until the end of 2018 FGDP is also offering a 25% discount on its complete set of five guidance publications, which also includes Selection Criteria for Dental Radiography, Clinical Examination and Record-Keeping, Antimicrobial Prescribing for General Dental Practitioners and Dementia-Friendly Dentistry.