College of General Dentistry News

In memory of Kevin Lewis, 1949-2025

We regret to report the passing of Kevin James Lewis FCGDent, former Trustee, Ambassador and Founder of the College.

Born in Hounslow, Middlesex, in May 1949, he qualified BDS from The London Hospital in 1971 and LDS in 1972, worked full-time as a general dental practitioner and practice owner for 20 years, then part-time for another ten years while he developed his interests in the dento-legal field.

In 1989 he began a 27-year career at Dental Protection, initially as a member of the Board of Directors, then as a dento-legal adviser, and as Dental Director between 1998 and 2016, serving on the Council and Executive of the Medical Protection Society.

In the 1980s and 1990s he was involved in broadcasting, being the monthly dental contributor on a BBC Radio 2 programme and a regular contributor on both BBC and commercial local radio in the East Midlands and East of England. He also gave a number of TV interviews, participated in dentistry-related documentaries and was the host of The Dental Channel.

Better known to many now for his writing, he was a long-serving Associate Editor of Dental Practice, Consultant Editor of Dentistry from 2006 and a contributing author to The Technologist since 2018, providing the profession with contemporary, insightful political commentaries, editorials and dento-legal articles for over forty years. He also wrote two textbooks on dental practice management and guest chapters in several others.

He enjoyed some part-time teaching and supervision of undergraduate students, and lectured throughout the UK and internationally, presenting at seven FDI World Dental Congresses as well as regional or national conferences in almost 30 countries, including regular lectures in Australia, New Zealand, North America and South East Asia.

In the early part of his career, he was heavily involved in the British Dental Association up to Branch Council level and in Local Dental Committee matters, and for some years was a Vice President of the British Association of Dental Therapists. He was a Trustee of the Oral & Dental Research Trust and a past Trustee of the Cordent Dental Trust, a Special Consultant to BDA Indemnity and he provided consultancy and advisory services to a variety of organisations in dentistry and wider healthcare.

In 2017, following the decision of the national board of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) to build an independent college for general dental practitioners and the whole dental team, he was appointed a founder member of the Transition Board tasked with creating what became the College of General Dentistry. He subsequently served as a Trustee of the College until 2022, then as a College Ambassador. He was a College Fellow, College Founder and College Donor, presented College webinars on dento-legal topics, and wrote for the Primary Dental Journal.

He was also a Fellow of the International College of Dentists and of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, achieved the Diploma of Fellowship of the former FGDP, and was awarded Honorary Membership of the British, Irish and New Zealand Dental Associations. He was an Honorary Member, and past Council Member, of the British Society for Restorative Dentistry.

Last month he was awarded the College Medal, the College of General Dentistry’s most prestigious honour, in recognition of his consistent championing of general dental practice during a career spanning over half a century, and for his contributions to the establishment and development of the College from its formative stages.

He passed away peacefully in Peterborough Hospital, with his family around him, on Wednesday 30 July, aged 76. He is survived by his wife Rhiannon (formerly Head Dental Nurse of the Department of Periodontology at The London Hospital), son Nick (a College Fellow and former Course Director of the FGDP Diploma in Restorative Dentistry), daughter Angharad Sian (a solicitor in Hong Kong) and daughter-in-law Jane (a GDP in Hampshire).

Paying tribute to his legacy, the President of the College, Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent, said:

“Kevin was a great champion of general dental practice. As a young graduate, I was inspired in so many ways by the humility, insight and expertise which were the hallmarks of his lecturing, and I know that his loss will be felt by many others in our professional community. He will be dearly missed.”

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College of General Dentistry News

Donations sought for Coat of Arms Fund

The College has launched a fundraising appeal to support the full adoption of its Coat of Arms, Badge and new colours following its recent Grant of Arms.

(l-r): The College’s recently-granted Coat of Arms; Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent receiving the Grant of Arms; the College Badge

Donations to the Coat of Arms Fund will be used specifically to realise the privileges of being granted Arms to best possible effect in order to further enhance recognition of the College, the status of Members and the standing of the general dental profession in the UK and elsewhere. 

The appeal has been kick-started by Mick Horton FCGDent, Chair of CGDent’s Trustee Board, who has generously agreed to fund the design and production of a run of College Medals – the College’s most prestigious honour, awarded annually for exceptional service to the profession.

In addition, Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent, the Honorary Founding President of the College and Chair of College Fundraising, has made a donation which will cover the cost of designing and producing a number of Past President’s medals.

A key ambition for further donations is the design, production and distribution of a new College lapel pin for every Member and Fellow featuring the College Badge – an opinicus rampant holding a giant pearl of wisdom – granted by the College of Arms. It is intended that the College’s Arms and Badge will soon become recognisable symbols of College membership, raising the profile and impact of the College across the UK and around the world as the only independent collegiate home for all members of the dental team.

The Coat of Arms Fund will also be used to have the College’s Grant of Arms by Letters Patent professionally mounted for permanent display.

Subject to the donations received, the Fund will also enable the design and production of other regalia to incorporate the Coat of Arms, Badge and new College colours, including membership and diploma certificates; an embossed leather-bound Fellows’ Register; ceremonial gowns for use by serving College Officers; and a special medal to be worn by the sitting President, which in recognition of the College’s history will be hung on the Chain of Office previously worn by Deans of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) [FGDP].

Another significant use will be to fund an application for the matriculation of the College’s Grant of Arms by the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh. The Letters Patent by which the College has been granted Arms provide official recognition in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but as a UK-wide organisation, parallel recognition in Scotland is a priority for the College and will be important in the future application for Royal Charter.

Over 120 individuals and organisations from across the UK and beyond have so far donated to support the establishment and development of the College. These are listed on the College website’s donors page, and in launching the Coat of Arms Appeal the College would like to thank a number of these whose generous contributions covered the £22,500 required for the processes which culminated in the Grant of Arms:

  • Dr Ali Al Bayati FCGDent
  • Col John Anderson FCGDent
  • Dr Tariq Ashraf FCGDent
  • Dr Christine Breare FCGDent
  • Dr John Gamon CBE FCGDent
  • Prof Stanley Gelbier FCGDent
  • Dr Edgar Gordon FCGDent
  • Dr Andrew Hadden FCGDent
  • Dr Robert Hensher FCGDent
  • Dr Stuart Johnston FCGDent
  • Dr Anthony Kravitz OBE FCGDent
  • Dr Abhijit Pal FCGDent
  • Mr William Sharpling FCGDent
  • Smile Academy
  • Dr Christopher Turner FCGDent
  • Prof Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent

The College is now seeking an additional £28,000 to fully realise the benefits of the Grant of Arms, and all Members and Fellows, supporters and supporting organisations of the College are encouraged to give generously to enable this to happen.

All donors, existing and new, will be acknowledged in the Autumn 2025 issue of the Primary Dental Journal and in perpetuity on the College website, with their cumulative donations, including to the Coat of Arms Fund, categorised as follows:

  • Major benefactors (>£50,000)
  • Benefactors (>£25,000)
  • Major donors (>£10,000)
  • Donors (>£5,000)
  • Major contributors (>£1,000)
  • Contributors (<£1,000)

Sir Nairn said:

“Donating to the Coat of Arms Fund is a special opportunity to go down in history as having contributed to the realisation of a historic milestone in the development of the College. This is a one-off opportunity to contribute to a lasting legacy which recognises the origins of dentistry as we know it today, and signifies the purpose, aims and aspirations of the College.”

All those wishing to secure a special place in the history of the development of the College should contact Sir Nairn, who will be pleased to assist you in becoming a Coat of Arms donor, and, if you are so minded, a College legator or regular donor. Please email [email protected]

CONTACT SIR NAIRN

A description of the symbolism and meaning behind each of the heraldic elements in the College’s Coat of Arms is here

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College of General Dentistry News

Education partnership with Dentistry Show London 2025

The College will once again be an education partner at Dentistry Show London this year.

CGDent speakers at Dentistry Show London 2025: Preetee Hylton RDN (left) and Helen Kaney FCGDent (right). Centre: College representatives at the CGDent stand

The College will be a partner in two CPD theatres, delivering one lecture in each; the Dental Care Professionals Hub, which has a programme created specifically with dental hygienists, therapists, nurses and the wider team in mind; and the new Keynote Theatre, which brings together the latest policy updates with advances in technology and technique. Both lectures will be free of charge for members and non-members of the College alike:

AI in dentistry – an indemnity perspective*

Friday 3 October 2025, 9.15am-10.00am

Helen Kaney FCGDent, Senior Dento-legal Advisor with the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, will deliver this lecture in the Keynote Theatre. A dually qualified dentist and solicitor, Helen graduated BDS from Glasgow University in 1987 and spent many years in general dental practice as well as working as a clinical assistant in conservative dentistry and prosthodontics at Glasgow Dental Hospital and at Guy’s Hospital in London. She developed an interest in law and ethics early in her career and studied law, obtaining an LLB, and then trained and worked as a solicitor for several years, acting for doctors and dentists in clinical negligence claims, regulatory matters and Fatal Accident Inquiries (Coroner’s Inquests) on the instructions of UK indemnity providers. She has significant experience in advising and assisting dentists in the UK and Ireland and in several international jurisdictions, and spent 14 years at Dental Protection as a Dentolegal and Senior Dentolegal Adviser and latterly as Medico and Dentolegal Services Team Lead and Head of Dental Services, Scotland. She completed an MBA at Strathclyde Business School, is a Fellow of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians, and served as an elected National Representative on the College Council from 2019-2025.

From disclosure to action: domestic abuse and the dental professional’s duty

Saturday 4 October 2025, 3.15pm-4.00pm

Preetee Hylton RDN, President of the British Association of Dental Nurses, will deliver this lecture in the Dental Care Professionals Hub. A full-time dental nurse and safeguarding lead at a private dental practice in London, Preetee 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 in Dental Radiography, a Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector qualification and a Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement, and in 2021 completed the DDS Treatment Coordinator Programme. A founding member and the former Study Club Co-Director of the ITI UK & Ireland Dental Nurses community, she is an honorary ambassador for the Mouth Cancer Foundation, a member of the editorial board of Dental Nursing, an Associate Member of the College and a past contributor to the Primary Dental Journal.

College representatives will also be available throughout the show at the College’s exhibition stand (B29) to talk to attendees about all aspects of membership, fellowship and the College’s vision for the profession.

It is not possible to register for any specific lecture in advance, however those wishing to attend will need to register for Dentistry Show London 2025, which is free for all dental professionals. Conference attendees will have access to up to 100 CPD lectures, as well as 180 exhibiting suppliers, and the opportunity to network with 4,000 dentists, practice managers, hygienists and therapists, dental nurses, technicians and laboratory owners.

REGISTER HERE FOR FREE

*This title was updated on 22 August 2025; it was originally titled ‘AI and social media in dentistry – an indemnity perspective’

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College of General Dentistry News

Ian Dunn and Jim McCaul to lead study day

The College has announced Dr Ian Dunn FCGDent and Professor Jim McCaul as the speakers at its next annual study day in Glasgow.

l-r: Dr Ian Dunn FCGDent and Professor Jim McCaul

Dr Dunn will deliver Passionate Perio for the Dental Team, a series of sessions covering all aspects of contemporary periodontal management from the latest concepts of aetiology to assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning, including the S3 Treatment Guidelines and minimally invasive periodontics such as non-surgical regeneration and MINST.

Professor McCaul will then deliver the annual Caldwell Memorial Lecture, entitled Oral Cancer: What you need to know, what you need to do!

The annual study day, organised by CGDent Scotland, takes place at Glasgow Science Centre on the first Friday in December – 5 December this year. With six hours of CPD, the day is attended by up to 400 dental professionals from across the UK, and finishes with a drinks reception which marks the start of the festive season for its many regular attendees.

Ian Dunn is a specialist periodontist working in private practice in the North West of England, taking referrals for all aspects of periodontology. A Fellow of the College, he qualified BDS from the University of Leeds in 1998, was awarded Membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK in 2001, gained an MSc in Periodontology in 2010 and completed specialty training in 2013. He runs the Short Course in Periodontics of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and has recently been appointed Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in Periodontics at the University of Central Lancashire.

He was on the teaching staff in the Periodontology Department at Liverpool Dental Hospital for sixteen years, including as Undergraduate Teaching Lead and five years as a Senior Clinical Teacher. He was elected to the Faculty of the British Society of Periodontology in 2014, serves on the organisation’s Council as Honorary Treasurer and is its regional representative for Merseyside and Cheshire. He was the Deputy of the European Federation of Periodontology Communications Committee and is on the editorial board of Dental Update.

Jim McCaul is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Professor Emeritus at the University of Bradford Institute for Cancer Therapeutics and Assistant Editor of the International Journal of Surgery and IJS Case Reports. Dual-qualified in medicine and dentistry, he was previously a Consultant Surgeon in Yorkshire and at the Royal Marsden and Northwick Park hospitals in London, and completed a PhD in Cancer Science at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute. His private practice encompasses all aspects of facial surgery including removal of facial lesions, skin cancer surgery, facial plastic surgery, salivary gland surgery and dentoalveolar surgery. He is a former Associate Editor of the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, reviews for 14 other international medical research journals, and is author of the book Face to Face as well as five book chapters, 105 peer-reviewed research papers and over 160 abstracts.

With 13 national and international awards for research, he is currently Chief Investigator of the Lugol’s iodine in head and neck cancer surgery and Lugol’s Iodine in Surgical Treatment of Epithelial Dysplasia in the Oral Cavity and Oropharynx trials with the aim of minimising impacts and optimising outcomes from head and neck cancer surgery and effectively treating after-effects such as osteoradionecrosis. He is also investigating dysbiosis in the microbiota in the gut, circulation and oral cavity in oral cancer patients. He is a past winner of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons’ President’s Award, Surgery Prize and Norman Rowe Clinical Research Prize.

The Caldwell Memorial Lecture is held in memory of Robert Craig Caldwell, who graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1950 and became a much-loved Dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, before he died of leukaemia at the age of just 44.

The study day is open to all dental professionals, and can be attended in person or virtually.

Fee discounts are available to College members as follows: College dentist members can buy their tickets for just £149 (£249 once ‘early bird’ places are sold out), compared to the full rate for non-member dentists of £349. The concessionary rate for dental technicians, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental nurses, practice managers and retired practitioners is £149, but for College members in these categories it is just £129.

Breakfast rolls, a two-course lunch, refreshments throughout the day and evening drinks are all included in the attendance fee, and there is an accompanying trade exhibition to visit.

Attendees at the CGDent Scotland Study Day 2024

Other discounts to the full rate are available to Foundation Dentists / Vocational Trainees and their trainers, as well as members of the Glasgow Odontological Society and the Royal Odonto-Chirurgical Society of Scotland.

For further information, visit our events pages.

SECURE YOUR PLACE HERE

A review of the CGDent Scotland 2024 Study Day is available here

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College of General Dentistry News

Kevin Lewis awarded College Medal

Kevin Lewis FCGDent has been awarded the College Medal, the College’s most prestigious honour. 

Reserved for no more than one recipient per year, the College Medal is awarded for exceptional service to the dental profession and its patients in a manner aligned with the values and mission of the College. Dr Lewis has received the award in recognition of his consistent championing of general dental practice during a career spanning more than half a century, and for his contributions to the establishment and development of the College of General Dentistry from its formative stages.

After qualifying from The London Hospital in 1971, he worked full-time as a general dental practitioner for 20 years, then part-time for another ten years while he developed his interests in the dento-legal field. In 1989 he began a 27 year career at Dental Protection, initially as a member of the Board of Directors, then as a dento-legal adviser, and as Dental Director between 1998 and 2016, serving on the Council and Executive of the Medical Protection Society.

In 2017 he was a founder member of the Transition Board, which was tasked with creating what became the College of General Dentistry following the decision of the national board of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) to build an independent college for general dental practitioners and the whole dental team. He subsequently served as a Trustee of the College until 2022, and thereafter as a College Ambassador. He is a Founder and Donor of the College, has written for the Primary Dental Journal and has presented College webinars and lectures on Duty of candour: the legal and regulatory risk, Professionalism in dentistry and Preventing wrong tooth extraction.

A long-serving Associate Editor of Dental Practice, and Consultant Editor of Dentistry since 2006, he has provided the profession with contemporary, insightful political commentaries and editorials for over forty years and writes extensively on dento-legal topics. He has also lectured all over the world, provides consultancy and advisory services to a variety of organisations in dentistry and wider healthcare, and is a Special Consultant to BDA Indemnity and a Trustee of the Oral & Dental Research Trust.

He is a Fellow of both the College of General Dentistry and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, achieved the Diploma of Fellowship of the former FGDP, and has been awarded Honorary Membership of the British, Irish and New Zealand Dental Associations and of the British Society for Restorative Dentistry.

The College will soon cast its medals following the recent receipt of a Grant of Arms by Letters Patent, and Dr Lewis will be presented with his College Medal in due course. Previous winners (including of the preceding Faculty Medal) were Shelagh Farrell, Mike Mulcahy, Nikolaus Palmer, Professor Ken Eaton, Ian Mills, Andrew Hadden and Ario Santini.

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College of General Dentistry News

College Vice-Presidents 2025-26

Nicola Gore and Matthew Collins have been elected as the College’s Vice-Presidents for 2025-26.

Vice Presidents of the College: Matthew Collins FCGDent (l) and Nicola Gore FCGDent (r)

Nicola Gore FCGDent is Principal of a dental practice in north London. Since qualifying as a dentist from the University of London in 1993, she has held various general practice and hospital maxillofacial posts within the UK and Australia, has taught undergraduate and graduate dental students and has trained over 25 Foundation Dentists. She holds the MJDF, a Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Education from the University of Bedfordshire and an MClinDent in Fixed & Removable Prosthodontics from the Royal London, and has also undertaken postgraduate training in orthodontics. Co-founder and President of the British Iranian Dental Association, she is a past committee member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and a member of the British Society of Prosthodontics. She is co-author of Dentistry in a Nutshell, and among the authors of the third edition of the College’s Standards in Dentistry publication, which is in the process of being published. She has represented the North Thames region on the College Council since 2024.

Matthew Collins FCGDent is a general dental practitioner in Batley with a particular clinical interest in dental rehabilitations for patients with worn and missing teeth. He graduated from Leeds University in 1998 and has undertaken extensive postgraduate training in composite techniques, aesthetic dentistry and dental implantology, holding both a Master’s degree in Clinical Dentistry from the University of London and the Diploma in Implant Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He joined the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) in 2001, achieved Fellowship in 2010, and was later a Facilitator for the Faculty’s ‘Preparing for Fellowship’ programme and a member of the Faculty Academy. He was elected as a National Representative in 2021; has served as a member of the College’s Membership Admissions Panel, Regional Funding Panel, and as a Vice President in 2023-24; and has been the elected representative of the College’s Faculty of Dentists since 2024. He is also Chair of Calderdale and Kirklees Local Dental Committee and a member of the International Team for Implantology.

The College’s Vice-Presidents are elected annually by, and from within, the College Council, and support the President of the College in the delivery of the Council’s strategy and policy.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT COLLEGE GOVERNANCE

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College of General Dentistry News

College granted Arms

The College has been granted Arms by Letters Patent.

The Grant of Arms by Letters Patent to the College of General Dentistry

The Grant of Arms has been made under Crown authority by the College of Arms, the heraldic authority for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Coming less than four years since CGDent opened its doors to members, it is a highly significant step towards fulfilment of the College’s aspirations to be incorporated under Royal Charter and to create a Royal College for dental professionals.

The Grant includes a Coat of Arms, Crest and Badge, which will soon start to be incorporated into the College’s certificates and awards, publications and a re-designed logo. Behind the distinctive design of the heraldic elements lies a rich story dating back to the 15th century, which has been documented by Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent, Honorary Founding President of the College. This will be published shortly on the College website, alongside the full text and images of the Grant.*

The Grant also includes the College’s motto, Sanitate oris venit fortitudo (“Strength through oral health”).

Signed and sealed on vellum by the Kings of Arms – the King’s three most senior heralds – the Grant was recently received on behalf of the College by Sir Nairn, who called on the profession to support its mission through membership:

“It was truly a privilege to take receipt of the Grant of Arms on behalf of the College. This is a hugely significant moment not only for the members, who have supported the College to date, but for each and every existing and future dentist, dental therapist, dental hygienist, dental nurse, orthodontic therapist, dental technician and clinical dental technician with roles and responsibilities in oral healthcare throughout the UK and beyond. My message to all these colleagues is that the College of General Dentistry is now all the more established, and by joining the College you can be part of the historic mission to give our noble profession the independent, influential Royal College it has deserved and needed for so long.”

The Grant will be on display at the College’s Summer Reception which takes place on Friday 13 June 2025 in Sheffield. This is open to all dental professionals and others with interests in the future of dentistry, with discounted tickets for College members. For further information, and to book, click the button below.

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

*Update 9 July 2025: Sir Nairn’s description of the heraldry behind the design of the College’s Coat of Arms is now available here. The full text of the Grant of Arms is available here.

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College of General Dentistry News

College Council election results

The College has announced the results of recent elections to six seats on its Council, with five new members elected and one re-elected.

(l-r, top row first) Re-elected CGDent Council Member Eldo Koshy and newly-elected Council Members Martin McKinstry, Charlotte Jeavons, Pejman Khaki, David Offord and Laurie Powell

Charlotte Jeavons FCGDent, Head of the School of Human Sciences at the University of Greenwich, has been elected to the National seat, which represents College members from across the UK. She began her career as a dental nurse before moving into oral health improvement with the Community Dental Service, and has been a Dental Public Health Lead and Dental Services Manager for two NHS Primary Care Trusts. With 25 years’ experience of teaching and academic leadership, she was previously the Programme Lead for Greenwich’s BSc in Public Health and MSc in Global Public Health. She holds a Certificate in Oral Health Education, a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical and Dental Teaching and Learning and an MSc in Public Health (all from Queen Mary University of London), as well as a BSc in Health and Social Care from the Open University and a PhD in Dental Public Health Ethics from City University. A Fellow of the College, she is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, an Honorary Member of the Faculty of Public Health, a past Chair of the National Oral Health Promotion Group and current President of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry.

She succeeds Helen Kaney FCGDent, who is standing down after six years’ service on the College Council and its predecessor, the national board of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP).

Dr Jeavons is the first Dental Care Professional in the history of the College to be elected in a seat representing members in all dental team roles. All registered dental professionals are eligible to become Associate Members of the College, and can qualify for Full Membership, Associate Fellowship and Fellowship – which enable them to stand and vote in elections to regional seats – on equal terms.

There are two other dental nurses on the College Council, both in role-based seats –  Jane Dalgarno AssocFCGDent, the elected Dental Nursing and Orthodontic Therapy representative, and Debbie Reed FCGDent, Chair of the College’s Faculty of Dental Nursing and Orthodontic Therapy.

Pejman Khaki FCGDent, Principal Dentist at a private general practice in Crawley, has been elected to the South Thames (formerly South East and South West Thames) seat. Having initially graduated with a BSc in Neuroscience from King’s College London (KCL), he qualified BDS from Bart’s and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry in 2004 before working in corporate dental practice. He has since gained Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPS), both a Postgraduate Diploma and MSc in Dental Implantology from the University of Salford, and Fellowship of both CGDent and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS). Actively involved in dental education, he has been an Educational Supervisor for Dental Foundation Training, ITI study club director for West Sussex, an MJDF examiner, deputy lead for the MFDS Part 2 examination and an undergraduate teacher at KCL.

He succeeds Roshni Karia MCGDent, who represented the seat on the FGDP Board and Council from 2017 until becoming President of the College last year.

Martin McKinstry FCGDent, a general dental practitioner and owner of a mixed NHS-and-private practice in Glasgow, has been elected to represent West and North Scotland. A Fellow, Foundation Member and Certified Membership Facilitator of the College, he is also a committee member of CGDent Scotland, an MFDS tutor, a VT Trainer (Educational Supervisor) and VT Adviser (Training Programme Director), and a committee member of Greater Glasgow and Clyde LDC. He graduated BDS from Glasgow in 2006 and also holds certificates in orthodontics and dental sedation, the Diploma of Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties of the RCS, a Master’s in Medical Education from the University of Sunderland, an MSc in Advanced Restorative Dentistry from the University of Manchester, and both the Diploma in Implant Dentistry and the Membership in Advanced General Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

He succeeds Patricia Thomson FCGDent, who is standing down after completing the maximum nine years’ service, which included two terms as Vice President of the College.

David Offord FCGDent, CEO of a large referral-only dental practice with clinics in Edinburgh and Kelso, has been elected to the East of Scotland seat. Born and bred in Greenock, he was in the last year group to graduate from the University of Edinburgh Dental School in 1994 and is a specialist oral surgeon. In addition to working in general practice in Edinburgh, he has been a Senior House Officer in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery units, held staff grade roles in a District General Hospital, spent two years working as a dentist in Australia and Singapore, and for five years combined oral surgery staff grade jobs with working in specialist practice. A Fellow of CGDent, he holds a Diploma in Conscious Sedation from the University of Newcastle and the Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the RCPS, and is currently working towards a PhD at the University of Ghent. For four years, he represented Scotland on the board of the Association of Dental Implantology.

He succeeds Yann Maidment FCGDent, who has represented the region since 2016 and has served as the College’s (and former FGDP’s) Research Lead since 2017.

Laurie Powell FCGDent, a GDP and partner in a three-surgery, mixed NHS-and-private practice in Bicester, has been elected to represent Wessex and Oxford. He qualified from Sheffield Dental School in 1993 and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Restorative Dentistry from the University of Bristol, where he was also a part-time clinical lecturer for undergraduate dentists and dental therapists for five years. A keen advocate of clinical research, he has been Principal Investigator for three practice-based University of Dundee studies into treatments for toothache and deep tooth decay, and is the Primary Dental Care Research Champion for Thames Valley and South Midlands. He is also currently an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Primary Care Dentistry, studying for a research-based Master’s in Primary Care at the University of Manchester. He is a Fellow of both the College and the Higher Education Academy, Chair of Oxfordshire LDC and represents primary care on the NHS Integrated Care Board for Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West.

He succeeds Sami Stagnell AssocFCGDent, who has represented the seat since 2019 and is currently leading a revision of the College’s Training Standards in Implant Dentistry publication.

Eldo Koshy FCGDent, a prosthodontist and implant dentist in Kerala, India, has been re-elected to the Overseas seat, which he has represented since the College opened, having previously held the same seat on the FGDP Board from 2019-2021.

The other members of the Council are listed here.

The Council is the voice of the College’s members, overseeing its role as a professional body and guiding its development to fulfil its mission. Elections are held annually on a rotational basis, with the Northern Ireland seat due for election in 2026.

Elected Council members serve three-year terms, and are then able to stand for re-election – subject to a lifetime limit of nine years’ service on the Council, including any past service on the FGDP Board.

Those elected this year will be inaugurated at the next Council meeting, which takes place in Sheffield on Friday 13 June on the day of the Inaugural College Lecture and Summer Reception.

Roshni Karia MCGDent, President of the College, said:

“Many congratulations to Martin, Charlotte, Pejman, David and Laurie on their election to Council, and to Eldo on his re-election. My sincere thanks on behalf of the whole College to Patricia, Yann, Helen and Sami, all of whom have served on Council since its establishment and on the FGDP Board before that. They have all remained dedicated to the College and I am grateful to them all for their hard work and steadfast commitment. I look forward to working with our new representatives of our growing membership as we continue to build the College the general dental professions need and deserve.”

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College of General Dentistry News

Diploma in Restorative Dentistry reunion

The College has issued an open invitation to all those who participated in the Diploma in Restorative Dentistry programme of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) to join a special gathering of alumni.

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

The gathering will mark 20 years of the landmark programme, and past candidates and diplomates will be joined by a number of past directors and examiners of the programme, including Paul Brunton, David Cheshire, Phil Dawson FCGDent, Nick Lewis FCGDent, Mike Mulcahy FCGDent and Ian Wood FCGDent.

The reunion will take place on Friday 13 June 2025 in The Old Banqueting Hall within the historic Cutlers’ Hall in Sheffield, and will be incorporated within both the Inaugural College of General Dentistry Lecture and College Summer Reception.

The lecture, ‘Satisficing’ standards in dentistry: Who decides? Who benefits?, will be delivered by Martin Kelleher FCGDent, Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at King’s College Dental Hospital. Registration on the day opens at 2pm, with the lecture starting at 2.30pm and the event concluding at 4.30pm after Q&A/discussion.

FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE COLLEGE LECTURE

The Summer Reception will follow from 5pm to 8pm, with registration from 4.30pm. Incorporating the fourth annual College Fellows’ Summer Reception, this is an opportunity for dental professionals to network with their peers and will include the ceremonial admission of new Fellows and Associate Fellows, the presentation of the President’s Award and the announcement of the 2025 winner of the College Medal (tbc). There will be an opportunity for a range of alumni photos, and photos with other guests, all of which will be made available to attendees shortly afterwards to download free of charge.

FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE SUMMER RECEPTION

The FGDP(UK) Diploma in Restorative Dentistry brings automatic eligibility for Associate Fellowship of the College and also satisfies the Clinical Domain of Fellowship, and alumni are encouraged to join the College in order to support its historic mission to build a Royal College for dentistry.

Associate Fellows are senior members of the College who are recognised as Enhanced Practitioners on the College’s Career Pathway, and their professional standing is marked with the use of the postnominals ‘AssocFCGDent’. Eligible to attend the College’s biannual Fellows’ Receptions, they also receive quarterly print issues of the Primary Dental Journal, a 5% reduction in their dental indemnity fees with Dental Protection (8% for Fellows), and are eligible to enrol on a ‘top-up’ MSc in General Dental Practice which can be completed during a single year of part-time distance learning.

Anyone successfully completing an application to join the College as an Associate Fellow or Fellow (or to upgrade their existing membership to become an Associate Fellow or Fellow) before 30 April will have the opportunity to be ceremonially admitted at the Summer Reception and will be able to book their reception ticket at no charge. (It is advised to submit applications as soon as possible in order to allow enough time for admissions procedures to be completed.)

Alumni and tutors are encouraged to pass on information about the reunion to others who were involved in the programme.

To secure your place at current ‘Early Bird’ rates, click the button below:

BOOK YOUR PLACE

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College of General Dentistry News

Dentistry Show lectures

The College has confirmed its programme of CPD lectures for the British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show (BDCDS), which is taking place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 May 2025.

The College is an education partner for the Enhanced CPD Theatre, where it is hosting four lectures. Members and non-members alike will be welcome to the College’s sessions, in which experts in their fields will share their knowledge and give advice on a range of subjects supporting clinical dentistry and professionalism. Lectures include:

Friday 16 May:

Saturday 17 May:

Staff and senior members of the College are also looking forward to meeting members and prospective members at Stand Q01, and to answering any queries you may have about the College and membership.

BDCDS is the UK’s largest dental event, attracting 10,000 dental professionals with its offer of 11 CPD theatres, 200 CPD lectures and 400 exhibiting suppliers.

Attendance is free for all registered dental professionals – register now via the link below.

REGISTER HERE

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