College Council

The Council of the College of General Dentistry is elected by members and guides the Trustees on the development of the College to serve patients and the dental professions across general dentistry.

The Council was first formed in 2021 through the transfer of members of the board of the Faculty of General Dental Practice. These members then served out the remainder of their elected terms of office as members of College Council, and the last of these mandates ended in June 2024.

Fourteen seats on Council are elected from within geographic constituencies, thirteen of these representing regions of the UK and one representing our overseas members. Three additional seats to expand representation across the dental team, which have been appointed since 2021, were replaced in June 2024 by four elected seats representing each of our role-based faculties of membership.

The elected Council may also appoint additional individuals to serve it in non-voting capacities for renewable one-year terms. Current appointees, ex officio, are the College’s Patient Representative and the Editor-in-Chief of the Primary Dental Journal.

Seats on Council are elected on a rotational basis, with Council members serving three-year terms. Subject to re-election, Council members may serve up to three terms of office (i.e. nine years) in total. Two Vice Presidents are elected annually from within the Council, and Council members may serve up to two terms (i.e. two years in total) as a Vice President.

The President of the College is elected by and from within Council – from June 2024, appointed from within the Membership – for a three-year, non-renewable term.

College Council