College of General Dentistry News

College Fellow awarded MBE

The College offers its congratulations to Professor Christopher Tredwin FCGDent, who has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to dentistry.

Professor Christopher Tredwin MBE FCGDent

Professor Tredwin is Dean and Director of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) Institute of Dentistry, as well as an Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry and Professor of Restorative Dentistry.

Born and educated in the South West, he graduated BDS from the Royal London Hospital Dental School in 1996, with a Distinction in Restorative Dentistry, later completing Specialist Registrar training in Restorative Dentistry at the Eastman Dental Hospital.

In 2010 he took up a Chair with the University of Plymouth before becoming Acting Head of its Peninsula Dental School in 2011 and Head of School in 2012. Over the course of ten years in this role, he oversaw the development of a five-year dental programme, a fully integrated dental hygiene and dental therapy degree programme and six clinical master’s programmes. He was also a Director of Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise, the school’s NHS arm.

Serving as Chair of the Dental Schools Council during the COVID pandemic, he oversaw the development of mitigations to safely return students to dental schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and negotiated emergency investment into dental schools as well as additional time for entry into Foundation Training. After the pandemic, he chaired national task and finish groups to establish the UK’s future undergraduate training requirements.

Since joining QMUL in 2023, he has overseen a full review of its BDS and BSc curricula, led the development of a new LDS qualification and established the North East London Dental Outreach Collaborative.

He holds a first-class BSc in Physiology with Basic Medical Science from the University of London, both an MSc with Distinction in Conservative Dentistry and a PhD in Clinical Dentistry (Biomaterials) from University College London, the Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) and the Diploma of Fellowship of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK. A Fellow of the College of General Dentistry since its inception, he is also a Fellow of both the Faculty of Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Higher Education Academy, as well as a Fellow in Restorative Dentistry of the RCS.

An active researcher with interests including nanomaterials and regenerative medicine, he has published almost 100 papers and supervised numerous PhD and Master’s students. He was also a co-editor of both the second (2018) and third (2025) editions of Standards in Dentistry, CGDent’s comprehensive collection of standards and guidelines for primary dental care.

A registered specialist in Endodontics, Periodontics, Prosthodontics and Restorative Dentistry, he has continued to practise both general and specialist dentistry throughout his career.

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College of General Dentistry News

Minister addresses dental leaders

Senior College representatives were among dental leaders recently addressed by the Minister of State for Health and Social Care, Stephen Kinnock MP.

College representatives at the Dentistry APPG event: (l-r) Charlotte Jeavons FCGDent, Bill Sharpling FCGDent, Roshni Karia MCGDent and Avi Banerjee FCGDent

Speaking on 9 December 2025 ahead of the government’s announcement of reforms to the NHS dental contract in England, the minister, whose remit includes dentistry, recognised the pressures the sector faces, including workforce challenges and patient access. He also acknowledged the need for a more coherent, long-term approach which makes better use of the whole oral health team, alongside prevention and realistic planning, rather than relying on quick fixes.

College attendees included Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent (College President), Professor Avijit Banerjee FCGDent (Chair of the Faculty of Dentists), Bill Sharpling FCGDent (Chair of the Faculty of Clinical Dental Technology & Dental Technology) and Professor Charlotte Jeavons FCGDent (Member of the College Council). College Fellow Dr Jason Wong MBE also attended in his capacity as Chief Dental Officer, England.

The event was hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Dentistry and Oral Health and was organised by the British Dental Association (BDA). Other speakers included MPs Yasmin Qureshi and Mary Kelly Foy, both Co-Chairs of the APPG, and Eddie Crouch (BDA Chair).



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College of General Dentistry News

New PDJ online: Leadership

The new issue of the Primary Dental Journal, on the topic of ‘Leadership’, is available to read online now.

This ‘Leadership’ issue of the PDJ has been brought together by Guest Editor Dr Sreenivas Koka FCGDent, co-founder of Executive Leadership Enterprises and the Future Leaders in Prosthodontics (FLiP) programme, and founder of both the Shaping the Future of Implant Dentistry (SHIFT) leadership workshop series and the non-profit Career Design in Dentistry organisation.

The focus of this issue is on helping every member of the primary oral healthcare team to become better leaders and better team members. A wide range of topics are explored, in both clinical papers and opinion pieces, including the hotelier secrets that can help us provide a five-star dental experience for our patients; professional parenting tips and how to juggle the demands of work and family life; how to successfully manage difficult conversations; identifying growth moments, negotiating and embracing your career transitions; and the power of emotional intelligence in leadership. A full list of papers can be found under ‘Issue Contents’ below.

Dr Koka outlines his ambition for this PDJ:

“As you progress on your leadership journey, I hope that you will find some valuable perspectives in this issue that can help you choose to be a wonderful leader; one who is followed because your team members want to follow you and not because they have to.”

Full online access to the majority of articles in this and previous issues is reserved for College of General Dentistry members and Primary Dental Journal subscribers, who can expect their printed copies to arrive by the end of December. New joiners wishing to receive a copy of this issue can let us know by emailing [email protected]

For non-members / non-subscribers, at least one paper in each issue is made available online free of charge, with all other articles available by becoming a member or by purchasing them individually via the links below.

An annual print subscription to the PDJ is included with membership of the College, which also includes online access to over 1,500 current and past articles in the PDJ Library and a range of other benefits.

On behalf of the College, the PDJ editorial team would like to express its gratitude to all the authors and peer reviewers who have contributed to this issue.

ISSUE CONTENTS:

  • Everyday leadership by Akira Maeda, Kohji Nagata, Elizabeth O. Carr, Sreenivas Koka, Sawako Yokoyama

CGDent members can view full articles by logging in via the yellow button below, then clicking ‘Access the PDJ Library’:

PDJ MEMBER ACCESS

The next issue of the journal, on the topic of TMJ, is due out in Winter 2025/2026.

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College of General Dentistry News

College members appointed to senior BADN roles

Members of the College have been appointed to the Executive Committee of the British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN).

(l-r): Preetee Hylton, current BADN President; Carolyn Roberts, BADN President-elect; Rebecca Silver AssocFCGDent, the new BADN Treasurer

Carolyn Roberts, an Associate Member of the College and Board Member of its Faculty of Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy, is the BADN’s new President-elect. Her career in dental nursing began in 1989 with Saturday work at a local practice, and she then spent a decade working in two NHS General Dental Services practices before joining the North Wales Community Dental Service (CDS) in 1999. She is now the Senior Dental Nurse for Anglesey and Gwynedd within Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, covering 21 CDS clinics, and is part of the North Wales CDS Senior Management and Improvement Team. She has developed a local CDS Dental Nurse Peer Review Group and remains clinical, with particular experience in supporting sedation, general anaesthetics, Special Care and also patient and staff wellbeing. A committed advocate for career development, she is currently studying for a BSc in Public Health and Wellbeing.

Preetee Hylton, also an Associate Member of the College, became BADN President last year and will remain so until 2026. A full-time dental nurse and safeguarding lead at a private dental practice in London, she is an Associate Examiner for the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses and delivers the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Principles and Practice in Dental Nursing. A former receptionist, practice manager, lead dental nurse and clinical mentor to student dental nurses, she holds the NEBDN National Certificate in Dental Nursing, BDA Education Certificates in Oral Health and Dental Radiography, a Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector qualification and a Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement, and in 2021 she completed the DDS Treatment Coordinator Programme. A founding member and the former Study Club Co-Director of the ITI UK & Ireland Dental Nurse community, she is an honorary ambassador for the Mouth Cancer Foundation, a member of the editorial board of Dental Nursing, and a past contributor to the Primary Dental Journal.

Rebecca Silver AssocFCGDent has become the BADN’s Treasurer. She has assisted in both NHS and private dental care since 2009, supporting the delivery of a wide range of general and specialist disciplines including endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, orthodontics, conscious sedation, prosthodontics and implant dentistry, as well as facial aesthetics. A Fellow of the BADN and Associate Fellow of the College, she passed her foundation degree in Advanced Dental Nursing with distinction and in 2021 achieved a merit in completing an MSc in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare (Applied to Dental Practice) at the University of Kent. She also holds post-qualification certificates in Oral Health Education and Conscious Sedation and a Level 3 award in Education and Training, and is currently studying to become an assessor. On the editorial board of Dental Nursing and the reader panel for BDJ Team, she has published articles in a variety of UK and international dental publications and her work has been referenced in the British Medical Journal. In November 2025, she won the first prize in the graduate category of the British and Irish Dental Editors and Writers Forum’s new communicator awards for her article, ‘Hierarchy in dentistry: A dental nurse perspective‘.1 

College membership is open to dental professionals in all team roles. Associate Membership is open to all registered dental professionals, with Full Membership, Associate Fellowship and Fellowship available based on further eligibility criteria. Dental nurses receive a two-thirds discount on standard membership fees, but receive the same benefits as all other members at each grade, including quarterly copies of the Primary Dental Journal and online CPD (all members), post-nominal recognition and a discount with Dental Protection (Full Members and above), and access to College Fellows’ Receptions (Associate Fellows and Fellows).

The Faculty of Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy comprises all dental nurse and orthodontic therapist members of the College, and its Faculty Board supports the College in developing career pathways for dental nurses and orthodontic therapists and contributes to the work of the College Council.

Founded in 1940, the BADN is the UK’s oldest and largest professional association for dental nurses.

  1. Silver R. Hierarchy in dentistry: A dental nurse perspective. BDJ Team 2025; 12: 38–39.

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College of General Dentistry News

Certified Practitioner status in Endodontics / Implant Dentistry / Oral Surgery – register your interest now

The College is now accepting registrations of interest for the first three of its Certified Practitioner schemes.

Dentists interested in the Certified Practitioner in Endodontics, Certified Practitioner in Oral Surgery and/or Certified Practitioner in Implant Dentistry schemes can now register their interest online, and will be emailed once detailed eligibility criteria and application requirements for the relevant scheme have been finalised and applications opened.

The Certified Practitioner programme will enable general dental professionals to have their enhanced skills, knowledge and experience in particular fields of practice recognised. Created in close consultation with stakeholders, including NHS authorities, it will provide authoritative validation of enhanced capability for patients, colleagues and commissioners.

Intended to support recognition across both NHS and private practice, Certified Practitioner statuses will be open to both UK-based dental professionals and those practising elsewhere, and a range of schemes will be developed covering roles across the oral healthcare team.

The Certified Practitioner schemes for dentists are benchmarked against Level 2 case complexity and will align with the capabilities achieved following successful completion of a skills-based, university-awarded postgraduate diploma. The College is working with partners across the professional community to determine appropriate requirements for training and clinical cases, and these will be published discipline-by-discipline in due course.

The first scheme to open will be Certified Practitioner in Endodontics – CertPract(Endo) – the requirements for which now been developed in consultation with the British Endodontic Society. This will be followed by criteria for Oral Surgery – CertPract(OralSurg) – and Implant Dentistry – CertPract(ImpDent) – with further disciplines expected thereafter.

It is anticipated that applicants will be required to have at least five years’ post-registration experience, of which at least two years should be providing general dental treatment. They will need to present a CV, training log and logbook of cases which meet the required standard. They will also need to submit a detailed portfolio of some of these cases, which will form the basis of a peer-reviewed assessment.

Successful applicants will be entitled to use the ‘CertPract’ post-nominal for the relevant discipline. Their Certified Practitioner status will also be published on a Register of Certified Practitioners, and the designation will feature in the College’s Register of Members & Fellows.

Certified Practitioner dentists will be eligible for Associate Fellowship of the College, and deemed to have fulfilled the requirements of the Clinical & Technical domain of College Fellowship. College members will receive a fee discount.

To register your interest in the Certified Practitioner in Endodontics, Certified Practitioner in Oral Surgery and/or Certified Practitioner in Implant Dentistry schemes, click the button below:

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST HERE

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College of General Dentistry News

Celebrating contributions to implant dentistry: past, present and future

An event will be held in the new year to celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of both the College and former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) to raising the quality of education and practice in implant dentistry.

Candidates awaiting conferral of awards by the former FGDP(UK) at a Diplomates’ Day

The event will take place 20 years after the publication by the FGDP of the first edition of Training Standards in Implant Dentistry. Recognised by the General Dental Council and now made available by the College, this document summarises the training that should be undertaken to carry out implant dentistry safely, and the standards which should be met by training courses.

Alongside the FGDP’s renowned Diploma in Implant Dentistry, which started in 2003, the Training Standards in Implant Dentistry have driven a significant improvement in the quality of postgraduate education in dental implantology in the UK over the last 20 years [i].

Led by Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent, the event will also highlight the College’s inheritance and continuation of this ambition through the publication of Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: good practice guidelines in 2022, the launch of the Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry and publication of dedicated journal issues in 2024, development of an updated and amalgamated Training and Mentoring Standards in Implant Dentistry (due in 2026), and plans to introduce the validation of high-quality postgraduate courses.

Dr Pal will also outline the emerging Career Pathway for Implant Dentistry – a progression from new practitioner in the field to Associate Fellowship (by portfolio), Certified Practitioner in Implant Dentistry and ultimately Recognised Mentor – through which implant dentists can develop their careers and gain recognition for the skills, knowledge and experience acquired at each stage.

Dr Pal is Principal of The University Dental and Implant Centre in Birmingham, editor of Training Standards in Implant Dentistry, co-editor of Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines, Immediate Past President of the College and a member of its Career Pathways Reference Group.

The event, Driving quality in implant dentistry, will take place from 3pm-5pm on Thursday 5 February 2026 at Cutlers’ Hall in London.

Tickets cost £20 and are currently available to Members & Fellows of the College. Secure your place via the button below:

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

Booking will be opened to College Subscribers on Monday 8 December 2025. Registering as a College Subscriber is free of charge and ensures you’ll be kept up to date through our regular newsletter and gain viewing access to our Standards & Guidance publications. Register via the button below:

REGISTER AS A COLLEGE SUBSCRIBER HERE

Booking will then be opened to non-members/non-subscribers on Monday 5 January 2026.

Driving quality in implant dentistry will be followed in the same venue at 6pm by the College’s Fellows’ Winter Reception, including the Presentations of Associate Fellows and Fellows. This is a chargeable event with separate ticketing arrangements. It will be preceded in the same venue by the Lindsay Society’s Lilian Lindsay Memorial Lecture. This is a free event but prior booking is required.

[i] Kim, N.Y., Stagnell, S. Postgraduate education in dental implantology in the United Kingdom: a review. Int J Implant Dent 4,8 (2018). Available at https://journalimplantdent.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40729-017-0115-1

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‘Act now: protect our present, secure our future’: UK dental organisations support World AMR Awareness Week

Thirty million deaths directly related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are expected globally in the period between 2025 and 2050, with an annual mortality rate by 2050 (8.2 million) approaching that of cancer (9.7 million).

The more we use antimicrobial agents, the more AMR is expected to develop. This is leading humanity to face a situation similar to the era before the discovery of antimicrobials, when it was not possible to treat even simple infections.

Dentists prescribe approximately 10% of antimicrobials in the UK and Ireland, and there is evidence of increasing rates of reported resistance to many antimicrobials in head and neck infections. It is important that the dental community acts now in response to this global health threat. Appreciating the requirement for system-level changes to facilitate the provision of best evidence practice, we need to take the lead and protect antimicrobial use to cases when it is justified based on evidence. This could be guided by the available resources in three major national platforms:

  1. Dental antimicrobial stewardship: toolkit (UK Health Security Agency; this includes a link to the Antimicrobial prescribing in dentistry guidance published by the College)
  2. Keep Antimicrobial Working website (British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy)
  3. Dental stewardship resources (Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group)

This year, the United Nations focus has been on non-communicable disease such as cancer, and diabetes. People with these conditions are susceptible to rapidly advancing infection.

Dr Wendy Thompson, the College’s AMR Lead, explained:

“Prevention is better than cure. Preventing non-communicable diseases, such as dental infection, reduces antimicrobial use and must be a global priority to secure our future. That is why, in New York for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly earlier this year, I emphasised that universal access to oral healthcare is an essential element of efforts to keep antibiotics working.”

World AMR Awareness Week, commemorated annually from 18 to 24 November, is a global campaign to raise awareness and increase understanding of AMR and to promote global action to tackle the emergency and spread of drug-resistance pathogens.

Twenty-three national dental organisations have come together to support the WAAW 2025 theme ‘Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future’:

  • Association of Clinical Oral Microbiologists (ACOM)
  • Association of Dental Groups (ADG)
  • Association of Dental Hospitals (ADH)
  • British and Irish Society for Oral Medicine (BISOM)
  • British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD)
  • British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN)
  • British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT)
  • British Association of Oral Surgeons (BAOS)
  • British Association of Private Dentistry (BAPD)
  • British Dental Association (BDA)
  • British Endodontic Society (BES)
  • British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC)
  • British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT)
  • British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD)
  • British Society of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry (BSP)
  • College of General Dentistry (CGDent)
  • Dental Schools Council (DSC)
  • Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG)
  • Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd)
  • Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FDS)
  • Oral Health Foundation
  • Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group (SAPG)
  • Society of British Dental Nurses (SBDN)

Dr Noha Seoudi of the Association of Clinical Oral Microbiologists, who co-ordinated this year’s statement, said:

“Working together is key to improving knowledge and raising awareness of AMR.”

ACCESS OUR ANTIMICROBIAL PRESCRIBING GUIDANCE

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College of General Dentistry News

College to host Lindsay Society lecture

The College will be hosting the Lindsay Society for the History of Dentistry for the delivery of the 31st annual Lilian Lindsay Memorial Lecture.

The lecture, entitled ‘Movers and shakers: remembered and forgotten‘, will take place on Thursday 5 February 2026 at the historic Cutlers’ Hall in London.

It will be delivered by Margaret Wilson, former Editor of the Dental Historian (the journal of the Lindsay Society). After graduating from the University of Liverpool Dental School in 1972, Lady Wilson worked in hospital and in Community Dental Services, later becoming a consultant in restorative dentistry and then clinical head of division at Central Manchester University Hospital NHS Trust, as well as an honorary senior lecturer in restorative dentistry at the University of Manchester and Honorary Curator of the city’s Dental Hospital Museum. She completed a PhD in biomaterial sciences, held a number of visiting professorships in the UK and the United States, and became Director of the National Advice Centre for Postgraduate Dental Education. After retiring in 2013, she served as President of the East Lancashire & East Cheshire branch of the British Dental Association (BDA) in 2015-2016, became Honorary Curator of the BDA Museum in 2016 and received Life Membership of the BDA in 2023. In 2024 she was awarded the Lindsay Memorial Medal for services to the history of dentistry.

The Lindsay Society for the History of Dentistry promotes interest, study and research into the history of dentistry and aims to bring together people who share these interests.

The Society is named after Lilian Lindsay (1871-1960), a leading dental historian and the first woman to be educated and trained as a dentist in the UK. After qualifying from Edinburgh in 1895, she went on to become the first female member, first librarian and first female president of the British Dental Association; President of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics; and President of both the Odontological Section and History of Medicine Society at the Royal Society of Medicine. She was also the author of A Short History of Dentistry and published the first English language translation of Pierre Fauchard’s Le Chirurgien Dentiste (The Surgeon Dentist).

The Lilian Lindsay Memorial Lectures have taken place annually since 1995, delivered around the UK by prominent members of the profession and other notable individuals.

The event is free of charge, with refreshments provided. Registration will open at 10.30am, with the lecture and post-lecture discussion taking place from 11am – 12.30pm.

The lecture will take place as part of a series of College events that day in the same venue. These include a forum, 20 years after the first publication of training standards, to discuss the College’s plans for structured career progression in implant dentistry; and the College’s Fellows’ Winter Reception, including the Presentations of Associate Fellows and Fellows. These are ticketed events, with further details and booking available on our Events page.

To attend the Lilian Lindsay Memorial Lecture 2026, reserve your place via the button below:

RESERVE YOUR PLACE HERE

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College of General Dentistry News

Recognition of Indian postgraduate qualifications

The College has published an updated policy on its acceptance of Indian postgraduate dental qualifications when determining eligibility for its highest grades of membership.

Dentists who have been awarded the Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) or a PhD by a higher education institution recognised by the Dental Council of India (DCI) are now eligible by default for Associate Fellowship of the College. The MDS is also recognised as fulfilling the requirements of the Clinical & Technical domain of College Fellowship, and a PhD as fulfilling the requirements of the Publications & Research domain.

The MDS is a three-year, full-time postgraduate degree which combines a wide-ranging post-BDS curriculum with additional study and research in a chosen specialist area. It is the accepted qualification for specialist practice in India, and candidates are selected via a competitive, nationally-set entrance examination.

Equivalence for other India-awarded qualifications will continue to be determined on a case-by-case basis, with applicants required to provide a Statement of Comparability from the UK National Information Centre for the recognition and evaluation of international qualifications and skills (UK ENIC, formerly UK NARIC). This can be obtained for a small fee.

A searchable register of recognised institutions in India is available on the homepage of the DCI website. Applicants are advised to search the full list for their institution rather than filtering for MDS courses; if the institution’s name cannot be found, they should provide a letter from the DCI stating its recognition of their institution and MDS speciality branch.

College membership marks a dental practitioner’s commitment to professional development and career progression. While the College welcomes all qualified and licensed dental professionals around the world into Associate Membership, postgraduate qualifications are required to enter into Full Membership and are the primary route to admission into Associate Fellowship and for satisfying the Clinical & Technical and Research & Publications domains of College Fellowship.

The College already recognises relevant Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, Master’s-level qualifications and PhDs awarded by recognised higher education institutions or regulated awarding bodies in the UK and the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Those awarded elsewhere, with the exception of an MDS or PhD from an institution recognised by the DCI, should be accompanied by a Statement of Comparability as above.

In all cases, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas and Master’s-level qualifications must provide, respectively, 60, 120 or 180 UK academic credits or their equivalent (60 UK credits is the equivalent to 30 ECTS or 15 US credits) at Level 7 (as defined by the relevant qualification frameworks in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or equivalent (e.g. Level 11 in Scotland).

The College also accepts a number of awards conferred by Royal Colleges and equivalent bodies in the UK and beyond.

Full details of eligibility for each type of membership are available here.

Members who practise wholly overseas and are not registered with the UK’s General Dental Council pay a concessionary membership fee which is one third of the standard rate.

Overseas members receive the same benefits as UK-practising members, including use of College postnominals and copies of the Primary Dental Journal by post.

Overseas-based Associate Fellows and Fellows are also eligible to attend the College’s biannual Fellows’ Receptions, which are usually held in London; those attending for the first time will also be ceremonially presented.

To apply to join the College, click the button below:

JOIN US

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College of General Dentistry News

Certified Practitioner scheme to recognise enhanced skills

The College has announced a new initiative enabling general dental professionals to have their enhanced skills, knowledge and experience in particular fields of practice recognised.

Created in close consultation with stakeholders, including NHS authorities, Certified Practitioner status will provide authoritative validation of enhanced capability for patients, colleagues and commissioners. Intended to support recognition across both NHS and private practice, they will be developed for all roles in the oral healthcare team and open to both UK-based dental professionals and those practising elsewhere.

Initially, a number of Certified Practitioner schemes will be opened to dentists. Benchmarked against Level 2 case complexity, they will also align with the capabilities achieved following successful completion of a skills-based, university-awarded postgraduate diploma. The College is working with partners across the professional community to determine appropriate requirements for training and clinical cases, and these will be published discipline-by-discipline in due course.

Applicants will be required to have at least five years’ post-registration experience, of which at least two years should be providing general dental treatment. They will need to present a CV, training log and logbook of cases which meet the required standard. They will also need to submit a detailed portfolio of some of these cases, which will form the basis of a peer-reviewed assessment.

Successful applicants will be entitled to use the ‘CertPract’ post-nominal for the relevant discipline. Their Certified Practitioner status will also be published on a Register of Certified Practitioners, and the designation will feature in the College’s Register of Members & Fellows.

Certified Practitioner dentists will be eligible for Associate Fellowship of the College, and deemed to have fulfilled the requirements of the Clinical & Technical domain of College Fellowship. College members will receive a discount on the credentialing fee.

Requirements for the first Certified Practitioner scheme, Certified Practitioner in Endodontics – CertPract(Endo) – have now been developed in close consultation with the British Endodontic Society, and will be published when applications open shortly. This will be followed by criteria for Oral Surgery and Implant Dentistry, with further disciplines expected thereafter.

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

“Getting a qualification is no longer enough to show your capability at a more advanced level, yet the dental profession has lacked a clear designation for those who have invested in high levels of skill development, beyond qualifications, for primary care practice. Our new Certified Practitioner scheme is the answer, enabling practitioners with an enhanced level of skill to demonstrate independent certification of their professional capabilities.”

Further details will be added to the Certified Practitioner page as they are announced.

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