College of General Dentistry News

New Certified Membership programme: enrolling now

The College has launched Certified Membership, a new, enhanced membership scheme offering elevated professional recognition and ongoing one-to-one career support.

In June 2022, the College published Career Pathways in Dentistry: Professional Framework, which sets out the attributes which define each of five career stages – safe, capable, experienced, enhanced and accomplished – for each role in the primary dental care team, and for each of five domains within each stage – clinical and technical, professionalism, reflection, development, and agency.

Using the Professional Framework, Certified Membership offers structured support for individuals to map out their career journey, working with a trained facilitator to plan and document the staged acquisition of the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours necessary to enable them to fulfil their professional ambitions. With flexible scheduling of support, it will enable dental practitioners to make the right investment in training, build confidence in their practice, and maintain momentum in their career, all while carrying on with their jobs and busy lives.

Their Certified Membership status will aid them in their journey, offering formal recognition of their capability at each stage of their career, demonstrating their commitment to professionalism and high standards of practice, and signifying their dedication to further professional development.

Phase 1 of the programme, with a limit of 50 places, is now open to dentists. For details of how to enrol, click here

Those who have successfully registered with the GDC (or an equivalent) are recognised as having reached the Safe Practitioner stage of the Career Pathway, and are eligible for Associate Membership of the College.

Those who have successfully completed Foundation Training (or equivalent) are recognised as Capable Practitioners, and once they have enrolled on the Certified Membership scheme, held an initial session with their facilitator and produced a personal development plan, are eligible for Certified Associate Membership of the College (Assoc.MCGDent(Cert.)).

Certified Membership has four components – formal qualification, ongoing self-reflective journal, online study and the structured facilitator support – which work together to support the practitioner, and require the self-discipline and personal insight needed to succeed in dental practice. The programme continues for as long as a Certified Member wishes to retain that recognition.

Those who meet the requirements for Full Membership of the College, complete a minimum of two years within the Certified Membership programme, and meet the requirements of Experienced Practitioner status, are eligible to become a Certified Full Member of the College (MCGDent(Cert.)) and to be listed as such in the College’s public Member Register.

Those who meet the requirements for Associate Fellowship of the College, have completed at least two years within the Certified Membership programme, and meet the requirements of Enhanced Practitioner status, are eligible to become a Certified Associate Fellow of the College (AssocFCGDent(Cert.)).

Enrolment in Certified Membership is an enhancement of standard membership at an additional annual fee of £150, which includes two half-day one-to-one sessions per year with a facilitator. Standard membership fees are available to view here

The scheme will be rolled out to other dental professional groups as soon as possible.

ENROL HERE
College of General Dentistry Blog

Shaping Faculties for the whole dental team

It has long been a vision for the College to form distinct Faculties for the different professions within the dental team. Faculty Chairs, Louise Belfield, Bill Sharpling and John Stanfield, update us on the progress they have made so far.

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Louise Belfield
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Bill Sharpling
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John Stanfield
Louise Belfield, Chair of the Faculty of Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy

I am delighted to announce the formation of the inaugural board for the Faculty of Dental Nursing and Orthodontic Therapy.  Combined, Dental Nurses plus Orthodontic Therapists make up around 50% of the dental workforce, and it is our privilege to represent our registrant communities at the College of General Dentistry.

Our Board brings together a wealth of knowledge and expertise, along with a broad range of experience in general dental practice and beyond, including practice management, NHS and private practice, civilian and military, workforce, postgraduate education, academia, and research, as well as representation from the United Kingdom nations.

Our Board members are:

  • Louise Belfield (Chair and member of the College Council)
  • Debbie Reed (Vice-Chair)
  • Jane Dalgarno
  • Angie Heilmann
  • Amanda Knight
  • Kathryn Marshall
  • Sharon Morrow

All of our Board members are passionate volunteers, dedicated to the advancement of career opportunities, recognition of achievement, and parity of esteem for our Dental Nurses and Orthodontic Therapists.

Developing our new Faculty board presents some unique challenges, and with those come unique opportunities. Perhaps more than other registrant categories, Dental Nurse training is varied and diverse; there are multiple qualifications that can lead to GDC registration, and they are typically delivered outside of Higher Education Institutions, which can funnel graduates into well-established career pipelines. Combined with the lack of an obvious direction for career development once qualified, these factors can make the waters of career advancement rather muddy. Therefore, a key objective for our inaugural Faculty board is to implement the newly developed Career Pathways framework, led by our Vice-Chair Debbie Reed.

We have also prioritised development of the Faculty membership pathways for Dental Nurses and Orthodontic Therapists. Our newly developing Faculty membership criteria uphold the highest clinical standards and are relevant and accessible to our community of professionals. It is also important to note that for the first time, all levels of membership and fellowship of the College are open to all dental professionals, and we encourage our eligible members to consider application. Our Career Pathways framework can support our members to meet the different levels of Faculty and College criteria.

However, our Faculty is only as strong as its membership. It is imperative that we work together with our members at all stages of their careers, including trainees and newly qualified members, to develop the Faculty in a direction that serves our community. We are determined that both registrant categories within the Faculty have equivalent voice, and as such we are especially keen to engage with our community of Orthodontic Therapists.  We know that amongst our Dental Nurses and Orthodontic Therapists there are many experienced, talented, highly achieving professionals who have made significant impact on patient and public health, and the dental profession. Our ultimate aim as a board is to provide means to fully recognise those contributions, in parity with other registrant categories, and to provide support and guidance for our members to realise their career ambitions to their fullest potential.

Louise Belfield AssocFCGDent is a dental nurse, research scientist, lecturer, Health Education England Dental Clinical Fellow, and National Examination Board for Dental Nurses Trustee. Louise is a member of the College Council, the Professional Affairs Committee and the Membership Admissions Panel.

Bill Sharpling, Chair of the Faculty of Clinical Dental Technology & Dental Technology

It has been a pleasure to be involved in the College of General Dentistry since its very early days, after registering as a supporter in 2018. In 2020, I was invited to join the College Advisory Strategy Group and I built a team of Clinical Dental Technicians (CDTs) and Dental Technicians (DTs) who were keen to work together for the greater good of the College and the profession. I Chair the CDT and DT Working Group that has contributed to the development of the Career Pathway and Professional Framework and am a member of the College Council.

As soon as the opportunity arose to progress the creation of the four College Faculties, work began on assembling what would become the Board of our own Faculty, the Faculty of Clinical Dental Technology and Dental Technology (FCDTDT). It is worth noting that the actual final title of the Faculty is still under discussion by the Board and has not yet been finalised.

The Faculty Board members are:

  • Bill Sharpling (Chair and member of the College Council)
  • Steve Taylor (Vice Chair)
  • Mike Brindle
  • Lee Butler
  • Tony Laurie
  • Jiri Matl
  • Caroline Persaud
  • Emily Pittard
  • David Reay

The Board are a great bunch with a real mix of experience and huge amounts of enthusiasm to see real progression for our CDT and DT professions. Each member has shown such dedication to their role and have all taken on specific positions to enable progress. With such a small group it is not possible to replicate the structure and member roles of the full College Council but we have hopefully been able to cover most elements with this select group.

Each of the devolved nations has representation should it be needed. Mike, Jiri and Caroline have made themselves available to consider issues relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland respectively. Tony and Steve are overseeing the faculty’s CPD activities and Emily is the Early Careers representative. Membership admissions will be managed by Lee and David with Caroline and Mike having the extra responsibility for Career Pathways activity.

The Board has met a couple of times and is scheduled to meet at least three times each year just ahead of Council meetings. Each meeting will have a principal theme. So far, the schedule has included CPD, membership levels and Career Pathway work. During the CPD meeting, Board members were joined by Robert Dyas from ProDental CPD and good progress was made regarding arranging a CPD programme for both DTs and CDTs.

DTs and CDTs are encouraged to join CGDent and once they have done so, will automatically also become a member of the Faculty. Members will be able to apply to join the Faculty at a certain level which is dependent on qualifications and/or experience. The level that one can join then determines the post nominals that a Faculty member is entitled to use. Members will also be able to join a Certified Membership Scheme which will enable them to be supported and mentored at the same time as progressing through the Career Pathway, mapped against certain criteria.

These are very early days for the Faculty, but with the continued support from the Board and the guidance and direction from the College, progress will continue to be made and the profession will see significant benefits for the long term.

Bill Sharpling FCGDent is Associate Dean (CPD) and Director of the London Dental Education Centre (LonDEC) at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London and Honorary Professor at RAK College of Dental Sciences, UAE. Bill is a member of the College Council and the Careers and Training Committee.

John Stanfield, Chair of the Faculty of Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy

Throughout the formation of the College of General Dentistry, the creation of Faculties supporting each of the dental team groups, with membership levels that are attained by progression through the Career Pathway, has been a key vision.

The work that has been ongoing in a multi-threaded stream, has now allowed us to start to form the faculties.  To this end, we have appointed an inaugural board to the Faculty of Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy which will guide the Faculty until we have enough members to have elections.

The Board members are:

  • John Stanfield (Chair and member of the College Council)
  • Frances Robinson (Vice Chair)
  • Sarah Hill
  • Laura McClune
  • Sarah Murray
  • Fiona Sandom
  • Miranda Steeples
  • Deborah Stratford
  • Kirstie Thwaites

The Board, as you can see, brings together a huge amount of experience and qualifications to lead us forward in this historic and bold move for the profession.  Our tasks, as we go forward, enthuse each of us, knowing this can only improve our standing both within the dental profession and that of the general public.

Our Faculty has to grow, we require members to become part of our community, to set and raise standards, and to have input into how the Faculty and the College are run.  We have our voice on the College Council, with full voting rights, this task has been appointed to me until we vote for a chair of the Faculty who will then join the Council. 

Previously I had been involved with FGDP, both as a member and vice-chair of the DCP committee and as the editor of ‘Team in Practice’.  However, we couldn’t be full Members, nor did we have any voting rights.  I took on this role to support the vision of a College that would represent the whole dental team with an opportunity for all to be full Members.  We all have the same chance to be admitted to the community as Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows of the Faculty and the College.  Many have already been admitted as Associate Fellows of the College and we have just had our first Faculty member admitted as a Fellow of the College – my congratulations go to Fiona Sandom.

Currently, the Board is working on adapting the Career Pathways in Dentistry Professional  Framework to meet the needs of our constituents, mapping this against the expected career stages.

The Faculty will be expected to contribute to College publications, standards and guidance, to any of the press releases which involve our members and to this end we will be bringing on board those of you with particular experience and expertise.  We are very aware of the increasing academic achievements of our constituents and the research they are carrying out and want to make the most of this.

Joining the faculty and the college brings with it certain benefits:                                              

  • Recognition of postgraduate training and experience, your pathway from Safe Practitioner to Accomplished Practitioner
  • CPD via ProDental CPD (over 1000 hours)
  • Primary Dental Journal
  • Certified Membership Scheme
  • Belonging to a community of like-minded professionals

John Stanfield AssocFCGDent has over 40 years’ experience as a dental hygienist, and works in private dental practice in Cheshire. He was Editor of the FGDP’s Team in Practice journal and Vice-Chair of its DCP Committee, and now serves on the College’s Membership Affairs Committee. John is also a member of the College Council.

College of General Dentistry Blog

My journey to College Fellowship

In March 2022, the College launched its landmark new route to fellowship based on experience, and invited dental professionals to apply. We asked four members who recently gained Fellowship through the new “by experience” route, to tell us about their professional journey and how their experience led them to Fellowship.

Anoup Nandra FCGDent
Wendy Thompson FCGDent
Peter Martin FCGDent
Kaushik Paul FCGDent

Anoup Nandra FCGDent

Q. Can you tell us about yourself and your career?

A. I graduated from Birmingham Dental School in 2002 and completed my vocation training in London. I returned to Birmingham to become an associate in a mixed practice, Edgbaston Dental Centre, becoming a partner in 2006. Later in 2014, I set up Rock Dental, a private practice.

I’ve been fortunate to have amazing colleagues around me, and together we have pursued various forms of post graduate education. Over the years I’ve completed restorative training at the FDGP/RCS, along with implant training at the Eastman. I became involved in vocational training early in my career, and through this was encouraged to complete a certificate in medical education. Most recently, I have started an LLM in medical law. I guess I could be described as a bit of a dental geek!

I still have a huge passion for clinical wet fingered dentistry with my main interests being surgical dentistry and restorative dentistry. Over the years, I have learned about the management side of the business and how to adapt to the changing climate in dentistry.

Outside of dentistry, I can usually be found playing cricket somewhere, or watching my children play cricket!

Q. Why did you decide to apply for Fellowship of the College?

A. Very early on in my career, I embarked upon the FGDP career progression pathway with the ultimate aim of Fellowship being a personal ambition of mine.

Throughout university and my early career, I was mentored by amazing clinicians, many of which were Fellows, or had encouraged me to aim to achieve Fellowship in the future.

On multiple occasions I enrolled onto the FGDP fellowship programme, but for various reasons I simply did not have the time to begin. Life got in the way, and I had almost given up on having the time to complete my Fellowship.

When the College of General Dentistry was formed, naturally, being a huge supporter of the College, I transferred over my membership and joined the College. At this point, I was approached by one of my mentors who suggested that I look at the “by experience” route. I looked at the criteria, and realised that, over the years, I had gained quite a bit of the required experience, and now, I would meet almost all the criteria. Naturally, I jumped at the chance and the rest is history!

Q. Which three of the five fellowship domains does your professional experience meet?

A. Although meeting the requirement of only three domains out of the available five was required, I attempted to meet the criteria of all five.

For the Clinical Domain, I was able to use my MSc in Implant Dentistry along with evidence of having worked as a referral practitioner to meet the requirements.

I satisfied the criterial for the Teaching, Learning & Assessment Domain as I had completed a PG Certificate in Medical Education and could provide evidence of my role as an educational supervisor / trainer in the West Midlands Deanery for at least four years.

To meet the requirements of the Leadership & Management Domain, I used a reference from my practice accountant showing that I had been a principal for at least ten years, along with evidence of my practice meeting the BDA Good Practice Scheme over the last three years.

As evidence in the Publications & Research Domain, I used my Master’s research dissertation.

For the Law & Ethics Domain, I was able to demonstrate that I had completed the first two years of an LLM in legal aspects of medical practice (to certificate level) and was able to provide evidence of having completed at least 60 expert witness reports.

Q. What would you say to others who are considering applying for Fellowship through the experience route?

A. For all of you that meet the qualification criteria, the Fellowship is a great way of supporting your College and a way of recognising all the effort you have put into your career over the years!

To anyone considering applying for Fellowship through the experience route, I would say go for it! Give it a go, you will be amazed, as I was, how much relevant experience you will have gained over the years. The process of collating all the evidence itself is valuable – you will find that you have probably achieved so much more than you realise! The application route is fair and allows you to use a wide range of evidence to support your case. The College is also incredibly helpful in guiding you through the process and making sure that you are directing your efforts correctly.

I remain grateful for the guidance that I have been given over the years by my mentors, and by my peers. Although achieving the level of a Fellow was a personal goal, I think it also reflects the support I have received when following this structured career pathway over the last 20 years. I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone considering this route.

Wendy Thompson FCGDent

Q. Can you tell us about yourself and your career?

A. I have been a general dental practitioner based in Cumbria for ten years, but dentistry is actually my second career.

I started my working life as a Fast Stream Scientist at the Ministry of Defence, after graduating from the University of Warwick with a degree in microbiology. At MOD, I delivered policy and big projects, such as being project planner for the new aircraft carriers and establishing the missile defence centre (a government-industry partnership).

After my family and I decided to move back to Lancashire, I spent some time working for Lancashire County Council on partnerships and community engagement. During this period, I decided to do some serious soul searching about what I valued and wanted out of life.

That was when I decided to embark on a new career and go back to university. Luck was on my side because UCLAN is not far down the M6 from home and they had just set up a new BDS course with University of Liverpool. It’s now ten years since I graduated and I still love treating patients. But just treating patients five days a week was never going to completely fulfil me. As a foundation dentist, I undertook an audit about antimicrobial prescribing, which due to my background became something of a route map for dental antimicrobial stewardship. It wasn’t long before I became a member of the NICE antimicrobial stewardship guideline development. And then someone said ‘You should do a PhD!’. Ha! Me? A PhD??

Anyway, next stop was a PhD at University of Leeds with Prof Gail Douglas, supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) through a doctoral research fellowship (the first GDP to receive one). In hindsight, my PhD had the most ironic title – “Antibiotic prescribing towards a reduction during urgent dental care in England”. The pandemic hit just a few months after I graduated and antibiotic prescribing rose dramatically.

Throughout my PhD I continued to deliver clinical dentistry, as a GDP in Bradford, and feel that my academic work really benefitted from my clinical work (and vice versa). Following my PhD, I moved to University of Manchester as an NIHR clinical lecturer in primary dental care . The post is essentially 50% academic and 50% clinical dentistry (as a GDP in Kirkby Lonsdale). My first week coincided with the national COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. What an interesting time to start a new job – especially when your research interest is antibiotic prescribing and urgent dental care!

Over the years, I’ve taken on various national and international roles, including the College’s lead on Antimicrobial Resistance, a member of the College’s research panel and a College Ambassador.

Q. Why did you decide to apply for Fellowship of the College?

A. Fellowship of the College has a kudos; it’s a mark that you have achieved a certain level of expertise and breadth in your career. College Fellowship is valued in academia and demonstrates I have a broad influence within the profession. I went for the Fellowship by experience route because I could see that I would meet the criteria needed to qualify and it would be a straightforward process.

Q. Which three of the five Fellowship domains does your professional experience meet?

A. I chose the Publications & Research Domain, the Teaching, Learning & Assessment Domain and the Leadership & Management Domain. I managed to achieve the gateway criteria in all three domains which meant I didn’t need to provide a full portfolio of evidence.

On taking up an academic post at the University of Manchester, the New Academics Programme (NAP) is provided which leads to Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Having submitted my NAP portfolio in January, I was pleased when my FHEA was confirmed as I could use it as part-qualifying for the Teaching, Learning & Assessment domain. The other part was providing evidence that I have been a visiting lecturer on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses at UCLan since 2015.

For the Leadership & Management Domain, I was able to reference my international work, including as a Fellow of the International College of Dentists (ICD). In addition, I referenced my work with the FDI World Dental Federation; I am a member of its science committee and chair of its antibiotics working group and early career research network, as well as lead author of its white paper on the essential role of dental teams at tackling antibiotic resistance which I’ve  repurposed as an online course (free via the FutureLearn website).

The Publications & Research Domain was achieved through evidencing my PhD.

Q. What would you say to others who are considering applying for Fellowship through the experience route?

A. Do it! The journey to fellowship has been hard work and enormous fun. Working towards gaining Fellowship through the experience route is a great way to plan out your career progression as you work towards broadening your skills, becoming a more rounded dentist, and enabling you to have a lasting impact on the profession.

Peter Martin FCGDent

Q. Can you tell us about yourself and your career?

A. After growing up in Portsmouth I moved to Liverpool to study dentistry, graduating in 1986. I became a father as an undergraduate and went into practice as an associate in a high-needs part of north Liverpool where I stayed for five years working almost entirely in the highly pressured NHS.

After this grounding and helping a colleague setting up a practice, I became a practice owner, buying a single-handed practice in St Helens in 1992. I was invited to be a Clinical Assistant in Orthodontics and expanded the practice by becoming a Vocational Trainer in 1998. After much toil and sacrifice, including a partial Denplan conversion in 2000, the practice grew. A part-time salaried position in a Dental Access Centre for three years helped to pay the tax bill.

I continued in Vocational Training and then Foundation Training and became a postnominal collector. I achieved membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) in 2002 and MFDSRCS(Eng) the following year. In 2004-6, I was in Cohort 1 of the DipRestDent at MANDEC. Lots of CPD and tutoring later, I still work in St Helens with a five-surgery practice, have a grown-up daughter, and live with my partner, while spending my little free time walking, quizzing and living a simple life.

Q. Why did you decide to apply for Fellowship of the College?

A. As mentioned above, I like to collect letters after my name. I received an email from the newly formed CGDent with details of the fellowship by experience path (having already been awarded AssocFCGDent because of my Postgrad Diploma), realised that I could tick the relevant boxes and applied. It is a nice feeling to be told that I am officially a senior member of the profession, despite still having a degree of imposter syndrome after more than 35 years in practice.

Many of my closest friends at Dental School had sat FDSRCS (the main means to have a career path prior to the FGDP) and developed specialist hospital careers before “specialties” existed. A feeling of inferiority was natural – it was implied that GDPs were lesser beings by our hospital-based undergraduate teachers – but it was also motivational.

 I have experienced many changes in dental practice – the expectations in 1986 were a job as an NHS dentist, possibly practice ownership, until retirement. Now we have huge opportunities to acquire skills and training and to enjoy fulfilling careers – the letters after our names massage egos, but the real joy is in knowing we have progressed in ways earlier generations couldn’t.

Q. Which three of the five fellowship domains does your professional experience meet?

A. The Domains I chose were Clinical; Teaching, Learning & Assessment; and Leadership & Management.

Having a large appetite for CPD meant I could demonstrate externally-verified clinical skills via the DipRestDentRCS(Eng).

To demonstrate my commitment to education I showed that I was awarded a PGCert in Teaching & Learning in Clinical Practice in 2017 and was Postgraduate Tutor in the Mersey Deanery/HEENW for 11 years. I was a Vocational Trainer/ FD Educational Supervisor for 20 graduates and a letter from Anne, one of my former Training Programme Directors was needed to verify this. I am also a member of the Faculty of Dental Trainers RCS(Ed).

Having been a practice owner since 1992, served on an LDC and experienced new contracts imposed by the NHS, the invention of the CQC, changes to employment law, the rise of the corporates and imposition of clinical governance, I had some experience of leadership and management in dental practice. This was accepted as satisfying the Leadership & Management Domain requirements. I also had membership of the BDA Good Practice Scheme and obtained a Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Health Service Leadership & Management from the FGDP(UK) in 2010.

Q. What would you say to others who are considering applying for fellowship through the experience route?

A. The application process was straightforward and open, not like my experience of the assessment for Fellowship of the FGDP(UK). The criteria are clear and I believe, highly suitable for the purpose of demonstrating the range of skills and experience expected of “senior” practitioners. I would advise anyone with a suitable career history to apply and for those at an earlier stage to use the domains as a guide to career development.

Kaushik Paul FCGDent

Q. Can you tell us about yourself and your career?

A. I am a General Dental Practitioner in the Midland and London areas and the Clinical Director for MyDentist for the North West and Central regions, covering 150 practices.

Previously to this, I was an associate dentist at High Street Dental Practice for the past 11 years and have been a Foundation Dentist Trainer in general practice. I was also a Tier 2 Oral surgery Provider involving sedation in various practices within the Midlands region. I work part time at the Birmingham Dental Hospital as Speciality Dentist in Oral Surgery and as Clinical Lecturer in Oral Surgery at the School of Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham.

In these clinical roles, I am actively involved in the delivery of General Dental Services along with Minor Oral Surgery services.

I completed my BDS in India and then undertook the IQE examination in 2005 to register to work in the UK. Following this, I completed a Diploma in Conscious Sedation from Newcastle University and my MFDS and MJDF from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and Royal College of Surgeons of England respectively. I gained the Certificate in Dental Practice Appraisal and Certificate in Minor Oral Surgery from the FGDP, along with a MSc in Oral Surgery from UCLAN.

I also hold a Post Graduate certificate in Dental Practice Appraisal and Leadership and Management. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy having undertaken a PG Certificate in Education.

I have a great passion for teaching and am actively involved in teaching, assessments, career planning and supporting undergraduate teaching and recruitment within Dental school and in Dental Foundation training and have taught on the MSc programmes at Warwick University. I’ve also tutored for the MJDF and am now on the Advisory Board for the MFDS examination with the RCSEd. I am currently involved in shaping the delivery of local dental services in the Staffordshire and Shropshire area as a member of the local LPN.

 I have been closely involved in mentoring and have worked as a Clinical Practice Advisor for 18 practices and as the CPD tutor within the Rodericks Group. Further, I have worked closely with the deanery to support colleagues through design and delivery of individualised mentoring pathways for clinicians with varied needs.

Outside of work, I relish food, traveling and shopping. I support a number of charities and am passionate about equality of opportunity for all.

Q. Why did you decide to apply for Fellowship of the College?

A. The fellowship of a college usually signifies a recognition of years of work and dedication to one’s professional career and also to the wider profession. Having been associated with the College from its inception and indeed from the times when it was FGDP, it was but natural that I seek to be a member and when the opportunity arose, aspire to be a fellow of the College. The “by experience” route allowed me to showcase years of work and use it to gain the fellowship.

Q. Which three of the five fellowship domains does your professional experience meet?

A. I applied for the fellowship under the Clinical; Teaching, Learning & Assessment; and Leadership & Management Domains. In the Clinical Domain, I was able to meet the gateway criteria based on achieving a Masters in Oral Surgery, along with other qualifications. Similarly, my teaching experience allowed me to meet the gateway criteria for the Teaching, Learning & Assessment Domain. My work as a clinical director and as a clinical advisor within corporate dentistry meant that I met the gateway criteria for the Leadership & Management Domain.

Q. What would you say to others who are considering applying for Fellowship through the experience route?

A. I think it is a fantastic opportunity for practitioners who have diverse and enhanced careers in general dental practice, to be recognised for it through the fellowship by experience pathway. Additionally, gaining fellowship associates them to a College that is progressive, inclusive and recognises all members of the dental profession. As a young College that is seeking to enhance and widen its membership and scope, this is the time for members of the GDP community to contribute through their experience and skills and make a difference in the dental landscape.

Congratulations to new Fellows Anoup Nandra, Wendy Thompson, Peter Martin and Kaushik Paul, and to all those who have been awarded Fellowship of the College of General Dentistry.

Dental professionals can apply for admission to Fellowship of the College – the mark of accomplishment in dentistry – by two routes: Fellowship by Experience and Fellowship by Equivalence.

To apply for Fellowship by the Fellowship by Experience route, you will need to submit a CV and detailed evidence showing how you meet the eligibility criteria for three of the five fellowship domains. The domains are: Clinical; Teaching, learning & assessment; Leadership & management; Publications & research; Law & ethics. We have “Gateway” criteria which require less evidence and will be processed more quickly, if you meet all these requirements.

Full details about routes to Fellowship and how to apply are available here.

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College of General Dentistry Recent event

Fellows’ Winter Reception

Wednesday 18 January 2023, Manchester

The inaugural College of General Dentistry Fellows’ Winter Reception took place on Wednesday 18 January 2023 at Whitworth Art Gallery, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER.

The event included a welcome by the President setting out progress to date in realising the vision for the College, as well as the admission of new Fellows – including all those whose applications succeed prior to the event – and the presentation of President’s Commendations and Honorary Fellowships.

An opportunity to network with peers, as well as to meet College Trustees, Council members and staff, the reception was open to all Fellows, Associate Fellows and those due to be presented with an Honorary Fellowship or President’s Commendation.

Fellowship (FCGDent) is available by experience or by equivalence, and Associate Fellowship (AssocFCGDent) is open to those who hold the MGDS, a Specialty Membership of a UK dental faculty, or a Postgraduate Diploma level or Masters level qualification in a subject relevant to oral healthcare.

Photo © Dave Pickersgill (cc-by-sa/2.0)

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College of General Dentistry Recent event

1992 Circle, inaugural gathering

Wednesday 18 January 2023, Manchester

An inaugural gathering of the College of General Dentistry’s ‘1992 Circle’ took place on Wednesday 18 January 2023 at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, 84 Plymouth Grove, Manchester M13 9LW.

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

Thirty years on, the 1992 Circle aims to bring together, and recognise, those whose vision put the general dental profession in the UK on a journey towards independent collegiate status, and those whose ongoing commitment carried this through to the establishment of the College of General Dentistry.

The group will gather periodically for social events, typically linked to the College’s main activities, and all those who are retired from practice and were a Fellow of the FGDP, or are or were a Fellow of CGDent, are eligible to attend the inaugural gathering. There is no charge to become a member of the 1992 Circle or to attend the event.

Please note that the College does not hold contact details of all retired Faculty Fellows, who are encouraged to make themselves known to the College, whether or not they can attend the inaugural event. College members are also encouraged to get in touch with retired Faculty Fellows with whom they are acquainted to this end.

Attendees at the 1992 Circle gathering who are members of the College were also invited to join the CGDent Fellows Winter Reception later the same evening

This event was previously advertised as taking place at the Whitworth Art Gallery.

College of General Dentistry News

College launches Professional Framework for dental careers

The College has launched its much-anticipated Professional Framework, which describes the expected level of a dental practitioner’s capabilities at each stage of their careers.

Aimed at providing recognition of professional development and promoting job satisfaction and workforce retention, Career Pathways in Dentistry: Professional Framework sets out the knowledge, skills and other attributes which define each of five career stages – safe, capable, experienced, enhanced and accomplished – for each role in the primary dental care team, and for each of five domains within each stage – clinical and technical, professionalism, reflection, development, and agency.

The framework has been mapped out by four working groups – representing dentists, dental hygienists & therapists, dental nurses & orthodontic therapists, and dental & clinical dental technicians – working together through a programme board and reference group.

The creation of career pathways for general dental practice was a key founding purpose of the College, and the Professional Framework provides the intellectual foundation of our Career Pathways in Dentistry programme, which is supported by Colgate.

The College is also developing a Certified Membership scheme, which will provide dental professionals with the tools to guide their individual postgraduate development journey. This will present the opportunity to embark on a pathway that fits in with personal learning and training goals using a flexible, modular approach supported by a facilitated, reflective personal development plan. It will also provide a structure through which those already established in their careers can further develop their career aspirations and/or mentor less experienced colleagues. This unique proposition, which will be for all members of the dental team, will enable dental professionals to demonstrate that they have met the capabilities for each career stage as defined in the Professional Framework. Progressing along the scheme will be a journey of professional development, rather than an end-point examination, and one in which the individual will be supported.

Dr Abhi Pal, President of the College, and Professor Avijit Banerjee, Chair of the College’s Career Pathways Programme Board, said:

“Those who carve out a career in the primary dental care sector have been almost unique within healthcare professions in not having defined career structures to support their professional development, despite the presence of multiple training opportunities.

“The CGDent Professional Framework adopts an innovative approach which encourages flexibility for dental professionals to meet their practice and career aspirations, whilst recognising milestones along their often varied professional journeys, by providing a clear and coherent supporting structure.

“It is a product made for dental professionals and by dental professionals, and the College owes its thanks to the many dentists, hygienists, therapists, nurses and technicians who have contributed to it, as well as to Colgate for their generous support that has enabled it to be completed.”

Career Pathways in Dentistry: Professional Framework is available for all dental professionals to download free of charge.

The College is inviting feedback on the Professional Framework in order to refine it and make it as robust as possible, and encourages dental professionals to explore it, test it out, and consider how they might use it to support their own development as well as that of colleagues. Feedback should be submitted online here

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College of General Dentistry News

College anniversary journal issue free for all dental professionals

The College of General Dentistry is marking its first anniversary by offering all dental professionals and dental students a free print copy of the Primary Dental Journal.

Primary Dental Journal (PDJ) is the College’s quarterly, peer-reviewed member publication.

Featuring clinical articles, editorials and updates from the College, the PDJ is a leading resource for General Dental Practitioners and Dental Care Professionals working in primary care, and has as its Clinical Editor and Editor-in-Chief Igor Blum, Clinical Professor of Primary Dental Care & Advanced General Dental Practice at King’s College London.

Unique in its dedication to general dental practice, its general issues include a range of papers on a variety of topics of interest and relevance to the primary care dental team, and its themed issues explore subjects in depth and are guest edited by a renowned expert in their field.

Recent titles include Leadership and Professionalism, Paediatric Dentistry, Urgent Dental Care and COVID-19 and the Spring 2022 General Issue.

The Summer 2022 General Issue marks the anniversary of the College’s establishment, and to commemorate this milestone, the College is offering dental professionals a free print copy, worth £36.

The offer is available to all dental professionals and dental students, throughout the UK and beyond, including those who have previously received a promotional issue of PDJ through either their membership of one of the College’s partner organisations or their subscription to the College’s free monthly newsletter.

In addition to celebrating progress made in the College’s first full year of operation, articles in the anniversary issue include:

  • Medical Device Regulations and custom-made device documentation: ten frequently asked questions and their answers by James IJ Green DipSci (Den Tech), HNCSci (Den Tech), LBIDST, FOTA, MDTA
  • Occlusion on a single implant-supported crown: any differences? by Ziad Al-Ani BDS MSc PhD MFDS RCS (Ed) FHEA and Hassan Maghaireh BDS, MSc Dental implants (Manchester)
  • Health and wellbeing of clinical dental care professionals: a systematic review by Layan Kaki MSc, BSc; Sukriti KC MPH, BSc(Hons) Psych, RDN; and Jennifer E. Gallagher MBE, PhD, MSc, BDS, DDPH, DTMM, FDS RCSEng, FHEA
  • A large lipoma of the tongue: a case report by Adam Shathur BDS(Hons) MFDS PGCertMedEd(Merit); Arif Rashid MBBS BDS(Hons) MJDF MRCS (Eng); Vishal Patel BDS MJDF; Lorrette Ffolkes MRCP FRCPath DipRCPath; and Rahul Jayaram MBBS BDS(Hons) MFDSRCS MDS(OMFS) FRCS(OMFS)
  • A modified Newton classification for denture stomatitis by Karin Hermana Neppelenbroek DDS, MSc, PhD; Andréa Lemos Falcão Procópio DDS, MSc, PhD; Anna Clara Gurgel Gomes DDS, MSc; Carolina Yoshi Campos Sugio DDS, MSc; Amanda Aparecida Maia Neves Garcia DDS; Vinicius Carvalho Porto DDS, MSc, PhD; and Vanessa Migliorini Urban DDS, MSc, PhD
  • Moving from analogue to digital workflows in dentistry: understanding undermilling and overmilling as detrimental factors in fabricating CAD/CAM crowns by Ilser Turkyilmaz DMD, PhD; Gregory Neil Wilkins MBA; and Sarah Yun
  • Dentistry where there is no dentist: a retrospective analysis of urgent dental care reported through the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit (BASMU), 2015–2020 by Ewen McColl BSc (Hons), BDS, MFDS, FDS RCPS, MCGDent, MRD RCS Ed, MClinDent, FDS RCS (Rest Dent), FHEA, FDTF (Ed); Rob Witton MPH, BDS, DPDS, MFDSRCS (Eng), FDS (DPH), RCS (Eng), MCGDent, CertPerio, FDTF (Ed), FHEA; Tanya Lommerse BDS, MFDS RCS Ed; and Matt Warner BSc (Hons) MB BS FRCEM Dip IMC Dip RTM
  • Book review: A practical approach to operative dentistry (Gordon B Gray and Alaa H Daud) by R Graham Chadwick BDS, PhD, FDSRCPS, FDS (Rest Dent) RCPS, FHEA 

Those wishing to receive a free print copy will need to sign up by Sunday 29 May 2022.

Following the free Summer 2022 General Issue, forthcoming issues for 2022/23 include Oral Surgery, Digital Dentistry, the Spring 2023 General Issue, Aesthetic Dentistry and Dental Trauma, and those wishing to receive these can either subscribe to the PDJ or join the College.

Membership of the College is available from £94 for dentists and £33 for all other registered dental professionals, and includes a print subscription to the PDJ, online access to the PDJ Archive of over 1,300 articles, and a range of other benefits.

Click here for further information on the benefits of joining the College of General Dentistry.

Click here for information on subscribing to the Primary Dental Journal.

Non-members of the College can also keep up to date with its news, events, guidance and offers by subscribing to its free monthly newsletter.

In the run up to its anniversary, the College has also released a short film setting out its vision and purposes, Your College: Empowering Dental Professionals.

* Subject to availability; a subsequent issue will be sent if stocks run out

REGISTER HERE FOR YOUR FREE JOURNAL ISSUE

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College of General Dentistry News

Vote now for your College Council representatives

Voting is now open for seats on the Council of the College of General Dentistry, and all eligible members are encouraged to cast their vote.

The Council is the voice of our members, overseeing our role as a professional body and guiding the development of the College to fulfil its mission. Council members serve three-year terms and elections are held annually on a rotational basis. Seven seats are being elected this year, with elected candidates due to serve from June 2022- June 2025.

 A ballot of eligible members is required for three of these seats:

  • National representative
  • Wessex & Oxford representative
  • Overseas representative

All Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College are eligible to vote, and have until 2359 on Friday 27 May 2022 to do so.

Members who have registered a UK address with CGDent are entitled to vote in the election of the national representative, and those within the College’s Wessex & Oxford region are also invited to elect their regional representative. Those whose College address is outside of the UK are entitled to vote for the overseas representative.

All eligible members as of 14 March 2022 were sent an email on Wednesday 27 April 2022 by the College’s election services provider, Mi-Voice, to the email address which the member has registered with the College. This email confirms the election(s) for which the member is eligible to vote, and contains a unique link through which they can complete and submit their vote(s) online.

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

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

The candidates are listed below with their election statements.

Following the election, the results will be announced on Wednesday 1 June 2022.

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

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

Please note, if a candidate standing for both a national and regional seat were to receive the most votes in both elections, they would be deemed to be elected to the regional seat, and their name withdrawn from the contest for the national seat.

Candidates for the National seat

Kashif Hafeez

“I want to play my part in delivering education for the college, establishing courses for GDPs.  I want to initiate a mentoring platform for the College, so the GDPs are looking towards the college in the times when they need help and support.”

Candidate statements

Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your professional and personal interests.

I am a practising implant dentist and most of my working week is spent treating my patients and mentoring young dentists for MOS procedures & Dental Implantology. I teach on different courses  and help young dentists to improve their skills. In addition to being the fellow of this institution I am also a fellow of Royal college of Surgeons Edinburgh and Ireland and also examine for these colleges. I have completed my post graduate certificate in mentoring, coaching and leadership, I often help dentists in difficulty during the stressful times in their career. I am involved in teaching and training as an honorary clinical teaching fellow for UCL, Eastman Dental Institute and visiting lecturer for Kings College London. I am also performing my duties as Dental Ambassador, Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh for the South West region. I am also a fellow of the faculty of dental trainers, RCSEd.

Why did you decide to stand for election?

I feel that I can bring my experience and exposure with different organisations to the college and play a part in establishing and strengthening the college’s ambition of training and helping the dentists to grow. I am one of the few dentists in UK who have a formal post graduate qualification, a certificate from Chartered management Institute in mentoring, coaching and leadership, a post graduate certificate in medical & dental education from Oxford Brookes University. I want to strengthen the education platforms offered by the college and initiate the concept of supporting the general dentists through the college platform. I think continuous support and mentoring is an aspect most of the other colleges lack and our college can actually take the lead and establish as a college which support the members with mentoring & coaching. As an international lecturer, I can represent college at International platforms and deliver the college message internationally.

What are your ambitions for the organisation?

I want to play an active part in the delivery of education through the college platform, develop and establish delivery of continuous support for the members and fellows of the college. We as dental professionals have a high level of stress in our professional life, I have experience of dealing and helping dentists in difficulty. I want to initiate a platform in the college which will help the general dentists if they are undergoing difficult circumstances, this platform can truly make this college the representative of the general dentist and an organisation they can look towards. 

I also think there is a huge gap in the delivery of education, as this responsibility is taken up by the course run by different academies and  individuals, which are useful. However, this college as an institution can play its part in delivering quality educational courses for all of the dental profession. 

Give some examples from your professional or personal life that show you have the right skill set to make a contribution to the work of the Council.

I have been involved in teaching and training for many years, I am the founding course tutor for the MOS for GDPs course at Londec, Kings College. We established this course 8 years back and this course has been running successfully since then. I have been running MOS for GDPs courses for HEE for many years and have been running them in London and in Thames valley region. We have just initiated a new MOS for GDPs course with NIMDTA Belfast from last year and have been very successful. 

Two days of my working week is helping other dentists, mentoring them for MOS and Dental Implantology, during this time the dentists have the chance to improve and recognise their shortcomings.

I with other mentors as a group ran a successful mentoring  program for dentists in difficulty in Thames Valley and helped dentists during the stressful times.

Helen Kaney

“I am knowledgable, hard working and committed to CGDent and would be very grateful and honoured to receive your vote. I believe that I can use my knowledge, skills and experience for the benefit of CGDent, and the whole profession, and I will work tirelessly, with other colleagues, if re-elected.“

Candidate statements

Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your professional and personal interests.

I am a Glasgow University graduate, qualifying in 1987, and spent many years in general dental practice. As a student and young dentist I always had an interest in law and ethics and later studied law before training and working as a solicitor for several years, acting for dentists (and occasionally doctors) on the instructions of their indemnity provider/defence organisation. I have also worked as a clinical assistant at Guy’s Hospital and at Glasgow Dental Hospital in restorative dentistry, teaching and supervising students. 

I am now involved at senior level at MPS/Dental Protection, leading a team of dentolegal consultants who help members in the UK, Ireland and other countries. My professional interests primarily involve the interpretation of the law as it relates to dentistry and the effective defence and representation of dentists who are facing claims and regulatory hearings. Personal interests include travel and looking after young nephews. 

Why did you decide to stand for election?

I have now been a FGDP (UK) Board/CGDent Council member for 3 years and I have worked hard in the interests of members with other FGDP (UK)/CGDent Council colleagues, especially during the challenges of exiting from RCS England in 2021, together with the challenges of the pandemic. 

I and am very keen to continue this involvement in the profession, on the Council of CGDent, and to continue to work in the interests of dentists and the dental team in as many ways as I can. I would be honoured to be re-elected to CGDent and to help the organisation build on the success that has already been achieved. I believe that there are exciting times ahead, as we work together with the dental profession as a whole, and key stakeholders, in evolving and developing a modern, progressive College that will benefit the whole dental team for the future.

What are your ambitions for the organisation?

The possibilities for CGDent are endless and extremely exciting and I would encourage all members of the dental team to become involved. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the dental profession to develop a College that has the interests of general dental practice, and all team members, as its main reason d’etre and to become involved and to shape what the future looks like in terms of the career pathways and future guidance documents which are to be updated and developed. There is the opportunity for the dental profession to become involved as individuals from the beginning, to enable a whole team approach to career development, and to assist the evolution of a modern progressive College for a modern progressive dental profession. We have never had this opportunity before and we must work together to ensure that CGDent becomes the voice of the profession for the future.

Give some examples from your professional or personal life that show you have the right skill set to make a contribution to the work of the Council.

I have had a varied and very interesting career to date, combining my professional loves of dentistry and law in a way that has allowed me to help members of the dental profession when they have been in difficulty, as a dually qualified dentist and solicitor, and it has been my absolute privilege to do so. 

I have to date been involved in various CGDent committees, particularly the Professional Affairs Committee, which is tasked with overseeing the development of the professional guidance documents that were produced by FGDP (UK), the responsibility for which has been assumed by CGDent. I believe that my legal knowledge and training and my experience of working with Dental Protection will enable me to continue to contribute effectively to the work of both the Professional Affairs Committee, and the Council in general, as we move into the future as a College for the whole dental team.

Fiona Sandom

“I am passionate about career development for the whole dental team, and would bring that energy and commitment to encouraging the whole dental team to join the college, to develop themselves and their careers to benefit patient care and the motivation to contribute fully to the aims of the College.“

Candidate statements

Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your professional and personal interests.

I began in dentistry as a trainee dental nurse in 1990. I moved on to Manchester to train as a dental hygienist, on qualification from Manchester Dental Hospital in 1993, I returned to Anglesey and worked as a hygienist until I  qualified as a dental therapist in 1999. In 2013, I gained my MSc in Medical Education from Cardiff University. I currently work part-time in general dental practice, for HEIW as PLVE Chair and Dental Professional Support Unit Lead and as North Wales Regional Lead Dental Educator. I hold a post at Bangor University, in the AWFDCP. I am also an Education Associate with the GDC, an Examiner for the RCS Edinburgh an External Examiner for Diploma in Dental Nursing Programme Trinity College Dublin and a Past President of the British Association of Dental Therapists.

In my spare time, I enjoy swimming, cycling and running and compete in triathlons.

Why did you decide to stand for election?

Starting my career as a dental nurse and have been fortunate expand my career by skills escalators, I would like to join the council to use my experience within dentistry and education to meet the vision of College of General Dentistry. 

I was proud to have been invited to be a member of the College of General Dentistry Reference Group for the career pathway work and excited by the vision and thoroughly enjoyed contributing. 

I am passionate about patient access to care and believe that enhancing educational opportunities, promoting interprofessional care for the dental team is one way that we are able to contribute to achieving this.

In order to address the dental manpower issues, we are facing, it is also important that we are able to retain all members of the dental team and by providing career pathways and cultivating a passion for learning.

What are your ambitions for the organisation?

I would like the organisation to be the first thought when dental professionals think of education and training for their careers in dentistry and as the point of reference for standards within dentistry.

I would like the college to do this by providing a professional home for all members of the dental team to enhance their careers, from undergraduate and trainee to experienced dental professionals and those who have had career breaks or returning to the profession. As well as supporting dental professionals coming to work in the UK for  the first time, to develop professional socialisation and understanding of the dental systems in the UK. In turn the aspiration would be to enhance the quality of dental provision through education and standards, personal and career development and retention.

In addition the development of research in Primary care, ensure research is relevant and pragmatic for use in primary care.

Give some examples from your professional or personal life that show you have the right skill set to make a contribution to the work of the Council.

I am used to attending and contributing to committee and council meetings as well being a chair. I have a background in education and as Education Associate for the General Dental Council. I am currently at Bangor University, carrying out Health Service Research evaluation at Bangor University for my PhD and could use my learning and experience to feed into Council and it’s aim of driving the college forward with education and training, and professional development as well as supporting the development of standards.

As Past President of the British Association of Dental Therapists I have experience of working on a National level and understand the differences in the four Nations of the United Kingdom, this has been particularly relevant working on the proposal for the use of exemptions in medicines legislation by dental hygienists and dental therapists across the United Kingdom with NHS England. 

Candidates for the Wessex & Oxford seat

Kashif Hafeez

“I want to play my part in delivering education for the college, establishing courses for GDPs.  I want to initiate a mentoring platform for the College, so the GDPs are looking towards the college in the times when they need help and support.”

Candidate statements

Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your professional and personal interests.

I am a practising implant dentist and most of my working week is spent treating my patients and mentoring young dentists for MOS procedures & Dental Implantology. I teach on different courses  and help young dentists to improve their skills. In addition to being the fellow of this institution I am also a fellow of Royal college of Surgeons Edinburgh and Ireland and also examine for these colleges. I have completed my post graduate certificate in mentoring, coaching and leadership, I often help dentists in difficulty during the stressful times in their career. I am involved in teaching and training as an honorary clinical teaching fellow for UCL, Eastman Dental Institute and visiting lecturer for Kings College London. I am also performing my duties as Dental Ambassador, Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh for the South West region. I am also a fellow of the faculty of dental trainers, RCSEd.

Why did you decide to stand for election?

I feel that I can bring my experience and exposure with different organisations to the college and play a part in establishing and strengthening the college’s ambition of training and helping the dentists to grow. I am one of the few dentists in UK who have a formal post graduate qualification, a certificate from Chartered management Institute in mentoring, coaching and leadership, a post graduate certificate in medical & dental education from Oxford Brookes University. I want to strengthen the education platforms offered by the college and initiate the concept of supporting the general dentists through the college platform. I think continuous support and mentoring is an aspect most of the other colleges lack and our college can actually take the lead and establish as a college which support the members with mentoring & coaching. As an international lecturer, I can represent college at International platforms and deliver the college message internationally.

What are your ambitions for the organisation?

I want to play an active part in the delivery of education through the college platform, develop and establish delivery of continuous support for the members and fellows of the college. We as dental professionals have a high level of stress in our professional life, I have experience of dealing and helping dentists in difficulty. I want to initiate a platform in the college which will help the general dentists if they are undergoing difficult circumstances, this platform can truly make this college the representative of the general dentist and an organisation they can look towards. 

I also think there is a huge gap in the delivery of education, as this responsibility is taken up by the course run by different academies and  individuals, which are useful. However, this college as an institution can play its part in delivering quality educational courses for all of the dental profession. 

Give some examples from your professional or personal life that show you have the right skill set to make a contribution to the work of the Council.

I have been involved in teaching and training for many years, I am the founding course tutor for the MOS for GDPs course at Londec, Kings College. We established this course 8 years back and this course has been running successfully since then. I have been running MOS for GDPs courses for HEE for many years and have been running them in London and in Thames valley region. We have just initiated a new MOS for GDPs course with NIMDTA Belfast from last year and have been very successful. 

Two days of my working week is helping other dentists, mentoring them for MOS and Dental Implantology, during this time the dentists have the chance to improve and recognise their shortcomings.

I with other mentors as a group ran a successful mentoring  program for dentists in difficulty in Thames Valley and helped dentists during the stressful times.

Sami Stagnell

“Dentistry is capable of being bigger and better than it ever has been. My drive and ambition to realise this is matched by my passion for our profession and fuelled by the experiences I’ve gained over the last decade. Realising a real home for dentistry is my priority.”

Candidate statements

Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your professional and personal interests.

Following graduation I was fortunate to gain a broad experience between primary and secondary care settings. I recognised early on that dentistry required a pragmatic and expansive skillset and so threw myself into gaining as much experience as possible, This lead me to holding posts in general practice (NHS and private) and also hospital where I eventually specialised in oral surgery. Amongst my clinical practice I have trained extensively across subspecialties such as facial aesthetics and Implantology and now lecture to postgraduates too. Since specialising I have continued to work mostly in primary care but maintain intermediate and secondary care posts which has given me a good grasp of what clinicians in all areas face as well as the demands placed on those across the whole profession.

In my spare time you’ll find me in the South Downs cycling or on the coast kitesurfing.

Why did you decide to stand for election?

There are multiple societies that exist for the profession, but none whose purpose has an opportunity to polarise general dentistry like this one. Here I stand for re-election; I was fortunate to be involved with the college during its transition from FGDP through to the CGD and I see my mission as still ongoing. We are in an infant stage of the new college and to be able to continue supporting work on the exciting projects at this fundamental time is important to me.

There is an incredible opportunity for the college to be a true home to general dentistry, incorporating the whole team. Never has such a chance existed – the energy that exists in the council and the faculty as a whole is driving incredible change and it feels right to continue to fuel this momentum whilst it exists in the way that it does.

What are your ambitions for the organisation?

In its new state, the chance to be a driving force for general dentistry has never been so important. The pandemic realised much anxiety around the profession and identified more than ever that all members of the team feel regularly isolated. By driving a collective mentality forward and a sounding board that recognises and validates the contribution of other societies and faculties too, we can encourage generalists to realise inspiring and empowering careers.

Using the incoming career frameworks and the new fellowship model, we can blow old ideals and false values out of the profession and foster stronger and robust relationships between peers and within the whole team. 

Dentistry has to reconsider its image publicly and with other medical specialties too: here we have a chance to evolve our reputation so others can see the value generalists bring to the table.

Give some examples from your professional or personal life that show you have the right skill set to make a contribution to the work of the Council.

I am fortunate that over the last decade I have held posts throughout different political groups and these include – 

  • BDA Young Dentists and Central Committee for Hospital Dental Services
  • Honorary Secretary to the Odontology section at the Royal Society of Medicine
  • National Trainee representative for British Association of Oral Surgery
  • One of the first Clinical Leadership Fellows with Health Education England
  • Young ITI ambassador
  • Met Branch president BDA
  • LDN observer
  • member of 3 MCN groups

I also hold postgraduate teaching roles privately and also with the University of Manchester and previously with KCL.

Furthermore I am a practice owner and recognise the very real, daily struggles that many have to deal with.

Candidates for the Overseas seat

Eldo Koshy

“Become the bridge between the College, dentists and institutions outside the UK. To promote and establish the objectives of the College. To uphold the position of the College among the dental community outside the UK thus uplifting the standard of the profession.”

Candidate statements

Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your professional and personal interests.

I obtained BDS degree in 1995 and Masters in Prosthodontics in 2000. I practice in Cochin,Kerala,India.

I practice general dentistry along with Prosthodontics and Implantology.

I am a Fellow of the College of General Dentistry, Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) and an ITI member.

I have been teaching as a faculty in Prosthodontics for undergraduate and postgraduate students in various dental colleges in India for thirteen years and was the Head of the department of Prosthodontics and Implantology for several years. Currently I train dentists in Prosthodontics and Implantology in my academy.

I am keen in upgrading my professional knowledge and skills at the same time building healthy relationships with colleagues that I meet. This has helped me personally and also resulted in benefitting my peers personally and professionally.

Why did you decide to stand for election?

Dentistry is practiced differently in different parts of the world. CGDent provides opportunities for dentists like me practicing outside the UK to attain high professional standards and top quality postgraduate education in dentistry. CGDent has set gold standards for clinical and non clinical aspects for practicing dentistry. CGDent also offers a range of career pathways to dental professionals and a facility to obtain knowledge and skills at any stage of their career. This method for lifelong learning is unique. By becoming a board member I could effectively disseminate this information to those practicing outside the UK through my association with dentists and dental organisations.

 As a board member I will be able to

  • Help to initiate and develop dental programmes internationally
  • Help the members practicing outside the UK to become Certified Members / Fellows of CGDent
  • Help to find acceptance for international courses
  • Help international dentists to obtain recognition 

What are your ambitions for the organisation?

CGDent is about supporting careers and setting standards. My ambition is to support the professional development of dentists and provide recognition for their achievements irrespective of where they practice.  

I envision to cultivate and nurture a strong dental community that strives for continuous improvement in every aspect of patient care through effective education and training extending throughout their career. Lifelong learning with the support of CGDent for personal growth and skill development of international dentists is also my goal.

This would help to establish a professional standing for the dental practitioners and develop excellence in the treatments delivered.

Give some examples from your professional or personal life that show you have the right skill set to make a contribution to the work of the Council.

As an Associate member I had organised two cohorts of hands-on courses for dentists living outside the UK. During my tenure as a Board member though Covid restrictions prevented the commencement of the third batch, I organised an online CPD programme for international dentists on ‘Safe returning to practice’ by eminent speakers in the UK.

My submission before the board regarding the reduction of membership fee for international dentists was well considered. The present discounted membership fee for dentists practicing outside the UK testifies it.

My experience as Review Board Member of the Journal of the Indian Prosthodontic Society and Editorial advisor of the Kerala Dental Journal could be utilised by the board.

I regularly conduct CPD programmes for the Indian Dental Association and have conducted hands on dental training in Sri Lanka and the UAE. I can contribute this experience to organise such training by the board outside UK.

Pankaj Patel

“I have a zeal for promoting oral care and education, both internally and abroad, as recognised by my posts with a string of International Organisations. Hopefully, my involvement will be beneficial to the progression of the college as I am dedicated to the aims and objectives of CGDent.“

Candidate statements

Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your professional and personal interests.

I am a diplomat and was a Board Member (First Overseas Representative) of the FGDP (UK), a Fellow of the International College of Dentists, a Fellow of the Academy of Dentistry International, a Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and a Fellow of the American College of Dentists.

I was awarded the National Honor – The Order of Grand Warrior of Kenya (OGW) by his Excellency, the President of Kenya in recognition of outstanding and distinguished services rendered to the nation in Dentistry. 

I am a Specialist in General Dental Practice, have a busy private practice and have contributed a vast amount of my time and expertise to actively aid in the development of dentistry in Kenya as well as admirably participating and shaping continuing education in the profession. I was a lecturer and examiner in Restorative Dentistry at Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Nairobi for over 15 years.

Why did you decide to stand for election?

I was elected the first Overseas Board Member of FGDP(UK) in May 2016.

I am one of the five nominated Founder Trustees of the College of Dental Surgeons of Eastern Africa ( a virtual college, with the principal objective of promoting the advancement of Dentistry in Kenya and the Region through post-graduate training in various Dental Specialities) which is in the final stages of formation. 

Kenya has adopted Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as one of the big four priority agenda with the aspiration that all persons in Kenya will be able to use the essential services they need for their health and well being through a simple unified benefit package.

Oral health is a key determinant of overall health and socio-economic development as outlined in the Kenya Oral Health Survey Report of 2015. 

Affiliations with CGDent and RCS will be beneficial.

What are your ambitions for the organisation?

I have carried out regular  and extensive postgraduate studies in the UK, Europe and the USA to enable me to continue providing very comprehensive oral care at both primary and secondary care levels at the highest standards in Kenya. I have also had a life-long involvement in the building up of health care facilities in Kenya.

I have been a lecturer and examiner at the University of Nairobi Dental School and also been involved with the training of nurses.

I have a zeal for promoting oral care and education, internally and abroad as proved by my posts with a string of international organizations. 

I initiated early links with FGDP RCS Eng and set up the first MFGDP study group in Nairobi. I continued my close involvement and support resulting in being elected the first ever overseas member of the FGDP(UK) board.

I hope similar links with FCGDent.

Give some examples from your professional or personal life that show you have the right skill set to make a contribution to the work of the Council.

FGDP(UK) Board Member 2016-2019

Academy of Dentistry International – Regent for Africa and Middle East

Vice President International Affairs
Chaired various committees.

Pierre Fauchard Academy –     International Section Chairperson

Trustee Region 11-Africa
International Vice President 2021-2022
President-elect 2022-2023
President 2023-2024
Chaired various committees.

International College of Dentists-     Regent, East Africa

International Councillor- Africa
Chaired various committees.

Conducted ICD Convocation/Induction Ceremonies in – Cape Town, South Africa
Alexandria, Egypt
Mombasa, Kenya (twice)

University of Nairobi Dental School-     Lecturer for over 15 years

Internal Examiner for BDS

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dental Council- Registered as the only Specialist in General Dental Practice.

Upper Hill Medical Centre (a purpose-built building completed in 2001 is wholly owned by 30 prominent doctors)- Founder Board Member

Jalaram Medical Services ,an ultra-modern charity medical facility- oversee the Dental Department. 

College of Dental Surgeons of Eastern Africa (final stages of formation)-
One of the five Founder Trustees

REMINDER: VOTES SHOULD BE CAST THROUGH THE UNIQUE LINK SENT TO ELIGIBLE MEMBERS BY MI-VOICE BY EMAIL, AND VOTING CLOSES AT 23:59 ON FRIDAY 27 MAY 2022

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College of General Dentistry News

College invites dental professionals into Fellowship by experience

The College of General Dentistry has launched a landmark new route to fellowship based on experience, and has issued an open invitation to suitably experienced dental professionals to apply.

The community of Fellows lies at the heart of the College, providing leadership and collectively supporting the development of dentistry, as well as reflecting the values of the organisation and its focus on professionalism.

In line with the College’s ambitions and inclusive approach, applicants do not need to be an existing member of the College, and fellowship is open to all members of the dental team should they meet the criteria. However, a minimum of ten years’ practice as a registered dental professional is required for the application to be considered.

The College has set out transparent criteria for its new by experience route to Fellowship, so that prospective fellows can be confident in their application. A straightforward application process has also been designed to suit the busy modern dental professional, with applicants needing to submit only their CV, registration certificate and evidence of meeting the requirements of three of five fellowship domains.

For each of the five domains – Clinical; Teaching, Learning & Assessment; Leadership & Management; Publications & Research; and Law & Ethics – two sets of criteria have been published.

Evidence for capability in a domain using the standard criteria will need to be accompanied by a reflective account of professional development covering that domain, which will be assessed by the College’s Membership Admissions Panel.

However, meeting the ‘gateway’ criteria will automatically qualify the applicant under that domain.

For example, automatic satisfaction of the Clinical domain of fellowship is available to anyone who holds the FGDP(UK) Diploma in Implant Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry or Minor Oral Surgery, a Masters in Clinical Dentistry (MClinDent), RCS Edinburgh’s Diploma in Implant Dentistry or Membership in Advanced General Dental Surgery (MAGDS), a Membership in General Dental Surgery from any UK Royal College or RCS Ireland (MGDS), membership of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgery, a Specialty Membership of a UK Royal College, Accredited Full Membership of the British Association for Cosmetic Dentistry, or any UK-regulated Postgraduate Diploma or Masters in a clinical subject qualifying as at least 120 Credits in the UK CAT scheme.

Anyone who already holds a fellowship with one of the UK or Ireland Royal Colleges or their faculties of dental surgery or dentistry, with the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgery, or with the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, will not need to apply for Fellowship based on experience, but can instead apply for Fellowship by equivalence, which succeeds the Faculty’s Fellowship ad eundum route.

Successful applicants will be entitled to use the postnominal designation ‘FCGDent’, and as members of the College will receive access to live CPD events and an online library of over 900 hours of content, an online Personal Development Planning tool, quarterly print copies of the Primary Dental Journal and online access to an archive of 90 past issues, heavily discounted access to study days and local and national networking opportunities.

Those applying in the coming weeks will have the opportunity to have their Fellowship conferred by the College President at the CGDent Fellows’ Summer Reception in London on Wednesday 15 June 2022.

The College has also recently launched its innovative new Associate Fellowship membership grade, which acts as a stepping stone to Fellowship. This confers the postnominal designation ‘AssocFCGDent’, and is open to those who hold the MGDS, a Specialty Membership of a UK dental faculty, or a Postgraduate Diploma level or Masters level qualification in a subject relevant to the enhancement of oral healthcare.

Full details are available at https://cgdent.uk/fellowship/

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