Fellows’ Winter Reception

Thursday 30 January 2025, 6-9pm, London

The Livery Hall, Cutlers’ Hall, Warwick Lane, London EC4M 7BR

The College of General Dentistry 2025 Fellows’ Winter Reception took place on the evening of Thursday 30 January in the historic Cutlers’ Hall in London.

The event included a welcome by the Chair of the College, the first address to Fellows by the new President since taking up office, the admission of new Fellows and the presentation of College diplomas.

An opportunity to network with peers, as well as to meet College Trustees and members of the College Council and Faculty Boards, the reception was open to all Fellows, Associate Fellows and those enrolled in Certified Membership.

Priority for tickets were given to new Fellows as well as individuals who applied for the most recent Fellows’ Summer Reception but were unable to be accommodated.

Information on eligibility for Fellowship of the College (FCGDent) and Associate Fellowship (AssocFCGDent) is available here

This event was preceded in the same venue by a reception to mark the impending 50th issue of the Primary Dental Journal, for which there are separate ticketing arrangements.

Fellows and Associate Fellows may also wish to take note that the next Fellows’ Summer Reception will take place on Friday 13 June 2025 in Sheffield.

The Primary Dental Journal: celebrating 50 issues

Thursday 30 January 2025, 4-5.30pm, London

The Court Room, Cutlers’ Hall, Warwick Lane, London EC4M 7BR

All past authors, guest editors, peer reviewers, book reviewers, editorial board members, production staff and other contributors to the Primary Dental Journal were invited to attend a reception marking the journal’s impending 50th issue.

The event, The Primary Dental Journal: celebrating 50 issues, took place on the afternoon of Thursday 30 January 2025 in the Court Room of the historic Cutlers’ Hall in London.

It was hosted by Sir Nairn Wilson CBE, the founding editor of the PDJ and President Emeritus of the College, and the current editor-in-chief, Professor Igor Blum.

Eligible individuals for whom we hold a functioning email address were sent an email inviting them to book their place.

Detailed information on eligibility, who we have emailed invitations to, and how eligible individuals who have not received an invitation can get in touch with us, is available here.

Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College attending this reception – and those eligible to join or upgrade to become one – may wish to note that it will be followed at 6pm by the Fellows’ Winter Reception upstairs in the Livery Hall. This is a chargeable event with separate ticketing arrangements of which all Associate Fellows and Fellows have been notified by email.

Editor sought for Primary Dental Journal

The College is recruiting a new Editor for the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ).

As it approaches its 50th issue, the journal’s longstanding Editor, Professor Igor Blum, will be standing down in 2025, and the College is now seeking a highly accomplished individual to succeed him.

The Editor is the academic lead of the PDJ. They commission individual themes and papers, appoint guest editors, authors and peer reviewers, and act as decision maker in editorial matters, giving final approval of all content and issues. They are also the public face, representative and main spokesperson for the PDJ, helping to ensure that it continues to be seen as a leading journal for primary dental care and that it fulfils its aims as well as those of the College.

The ideal candidate for the role will be a clinically active dental professional who is qualified to consultant level and has experience encompassing primary care, secondary care and academia. A full person specification and role description is available below:

Applications should be made by CV and a covering letter addressing the requirements described in the role profile. This must be received by Friday 18 October 2024, addressed to [email protected]. Interviews will then be held.

There is no fixed term for the role, and it is intended that the successful candidate will be in place by December 2024. Initially this will be as Editor designate to work with the current Editor on the development of journal issues for publication in the second half of 2025.

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Education partnership with Dentistry Show London

The College will once again be an education partner at the upcoming Dentistry Show London 2024.

CGDent speakers at Dentistry Show London 2024: Helen Kaney (bottom left), Kaushik Paul (top left), Andrew Gulson (top right) and Sukhvinder Singh Atthi (bottom right). Top centre: representatives at the College exhibition stand

The College will be a partner for the Enhanced CPD Theatre, which will feature 11 lectures over the two-day conference, with experts in their fields sharing their extensive knowledge, and offering practical advice, on an array of important CPD areas. All lectures will be free of charge for both members and non-members of the College. Four of these lectures will be delivered by College representatives:

Medical emergencies

Friday 4 October, 9.15am – 10.00am

Dr Kaushik Paul BDS, MFDS, MJDF, Cert (MOS), Cert (Dental Practice Appraisal), PgCert (Leadership and Management), PgCert (Education), Dip (Con. Sed.), MSc (Oral Surgery), FCGDent, FHEA; accredited Tier 2 Oral Surgery provider and sedation trainer, Clinical Director for MyDentist in the North West.

The Dental Guidance Notes, 2nd edition – what you need to know 

Friday 4 October, 1.15pm – 2.00pm

Andrew Gulson, Principal Radiation Protection Specialist and Dental X-ray Protection Services Technical Manager at the UK Health Security Agency; Specialist Radiation Protection Scientist; certified Radiation Protection Adviser; editor of Guidance Notes for Dental Practitioners on the Safe Use of X-Ray Equipment

Obtaining patient consent: how to protect yourself 

Friday 4 October, 2.15pm – 3.00pm

Dr Helen Kaney BDS, LLB, MBA, FCGDent, FFFLM; dually qualified dentist and solicitor; Dento-Legal Advisor with the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland

Intravenous sedation governance: update for the dental team

Saturday 5 October, 2.15pm – 3.00pm

Dr Sukhvinder Singh Atthi BDS, MFDS, Cert (MOS), Cert (Dental Practice Appraisal), PgCert (Conscious Sedation), PgCert (Leadership and Management), PgCert (Learning & Teaching in Higher Education), Dip. FFGDP(UK), MSc Oral Surgery, MSc Orthodontics, FCGDent, FHEA, ILM; Lecturer in oral surgery, University of Birmingham; Tier II-accredited oral surgeon 

Full details of all the College lectures are available via the above links, and details of the full programme for the Enhanced CPD Theatre and other theatres are available here.

College representatives will also be available throughout the conference at Stand F61 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 2024, 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.

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Avijit Banerjee appointed Chair of Faculty of Dentists

Professor Avijit Banerjee FCGDent has been appointed as the first Chair of the Board of the College’s Faculty of Dentists.

The Faculty of Dentists comprises all dentist members of the College, and the Faculty Board advances the interests of dentists as a discrete professional group. The Chair is appointed for a three-year term, advises and reports to the College Council, and works closely with the President and other Faculty Board Chairs in realising College priorities.

Professor Banerjee is Professor of Cariology and Operative Dentistry, Clinical Lead for Undergraduate Education, and Honorary Consultant and Clinical Lead for Restorative Dentistry at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at King’s College London (KCL) and Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals Trust. 

He is also KCL’s Head of Conservative & Minimum Intervention (MI) Dentistry, Programme Director of its distance-learning MSc in Advanced MI Dentistry, leads its Cariology & Operative Dentistry research programme, and continues to work in private practice in north London as a specialist in restorative dentistry, prosthodontics and periodontics.

Born in Kuala Lumpur and raised in Bolton, after graduating in 1993 from the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals (UMDS, now part of KCL), he became a House Officer in oral surgery and orthodontics at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, then a Senior House Officer in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Mount Vernon, Hillingdon and Watford General Hospitals.

With thirty years’ experience as a researcher, teacher and examiner, he has worked at KCL since returning to the then-UMDS as a Clinical Training Fellow in 1995, becoming a Clinical Lecturer in 1998, Senior Clinical Lecturer in 2005, and Reader, then Professor, in 2011. He holds an MSc in Mineralised Tissue Biology and a PhD in Cariology, and in 2022 received the International Association of Dental Research’s William H Bowen Distinguished Scientist Award for Research in Dental Caries.

Editor-in-Chief of the journal Oral Health & Preventive Dentistry, he is an Associate Editor of the British Dental Journal, an editorial board member of the International Journal of Adhesion & Adhesives and of Dental Update, and a peer reviewer for thirteen dental journals. He is also the author of 158 published peer-reviewed papers covering cariology and MI operative dentistry, microscopy, dental biomaterials science and dental education research, and author or editor of seven books (and a number of book chapters), most recently A Clinical Guide to Advanced Minimum Intervention Restorative Dentistry.

A Fellow of CGDent and Chair of its Career Pathways Programme Board, he is a reviewer of the forthcoming third edition of Standards in Dentistry, and has previously served on the editorial board of the Primary Dental Journal and as a subject matter expert for the Diploma in Restorative Dentistry of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP).

He has also gained Fellowship of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, of the Higher Education Academy, of the International College of Dentists and of the former FGDP.

He is Deputy Lead of the NIHR Clinical Research Network Oral & Dental Specialty, a Council Member of the European Federation of Conservative Dentistry, and a member of the BDA Health and Science Committee and BDA Indemnity Advisory Panel. He has previously served as a Council Member of the British Society of Restorative Dentistry and of the British Society of Oral & Dental Research, and as President of the BDA Metropolitan Branch.

A member of the European Organisation for Caries Research and of the British Association for Teachers of Conservative Dentistry, he is also an Honorary Member of the Association of Consultants and Specialists in Restorative Dentistry and of the British Association of Dental Therapists, and an Honorary Fellow of the Society of British Dental Nurses.

He is an Honorary Consultant Advisor to the Office of the Chief Dental Officer for England, Visiting Professor at CEU Cardinal Herrera University in Valencia, and Distinguished Adjunct Professor at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University in Bhubaneswar and at Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals in Chennai. He was previously a Visiting Professor at Oman Dental College, and an Honorary Professor at Hong Kong University.

At 7pm on Monday 22 July 2024, Professor Banerjee will be presenting a live CGDent webinar entitled Minimum intervention oral care (MIOC): making caries prevention pay in primary care, which will be free to view all dental professionals. College members will also have free access to the recording of the webinar and can claim CPD hours for free.


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College Medal awarded to Ario Santini

Professor Ario Santini FCGDent has been awarded the College Medal, the College’s most prestigious honour. 

Prof Santini being presented with the certificate formalising his award by outgoing College President, Dr Abhi Pal

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. Professor Santini has received the award in recognition of his considerable contributions to postgraduate dental education and dental research, including through the College and the former FGDP, during a career spanning more than half a century.

After graduating BDS from the University of Edinburgh in 1966, he studied statistics for a further year, and was a House Officer at Edinburgh Dental Hospital. He was then a general dental practitioner (GDP) in the Lothian region, and partner in a mixed NHS-and-private practice in Edinburgh, for 33 years, and was one of the first GDPs to engage in and publish practice-based research outcomes. For fifteen of these years, he was also a visiting dentist for the Scottish Prison Service, and for ten he was a Clinical Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer, in restorative dentistry and latterly also forensic medicine, at the University of Edinburgh. He was also the first GDP to obtain the DDS degree by thesis from Edinburgh, and later completed a Diploma in Forensic Medicine from the University of Glasgow and a PhD from the University of Nijmegen.

He was a Council member of the Lothian Area Dental Committee for over ten years, including a period of service as Chair, as well as a member of Lothian Health Board and Chair of its General Dental Practitioners sub-committee. He has also served on committees for the National Association of Prison Dentistry, the Oral & Dental Speciality Group of the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme.

For almost 20 years, he served the British Dental Association in a number of local, regional and national roles including election to the Scottish Council, the General Dental Services Committee and the Presidency of the East of Scotland Branch.

A founding member of the FGDP, he has been involved with the Faculty, now College, ever since. He achieved the Diploma in General Dental Practice in 1992 and Fellowship in 2010, was appointed to the Faculty Academy in 2020, and is now a Fellow of CGDent.

A member of the Faculty Board for many years, he served on the External Affairs and Quality Control committees and was elected Vice Dean. He also established the FGDP Research Committee, and as Chair for six years was the driving force behind numerous lectures, study days and other initiatives. He was also co-author of the Faculty’s Introduction to research for primary dental care clinicians guidance, which remains available through the College, and which he has recently updated and expanded (together with Professor Kenneth Eaton FCGDent) into a comprehensive 300 page guide. Most recently, he was co-author of The history of the College of General Dentistry: the formation of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners, which was published in the Dental Historian.[1]

He was also a co-organiser for the Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education of MGDS exam preparation courses, a lecturer in endodontics and research methodology to Vocational Trainees, a scholarship assessor for the British Society of General Dental Surgery, examiner for the MJDF and MGDS, Honorary Professor at the University of Belgrade and a Visiting Professor at the University of Sassari.

For over a decade he was Director of Biomaterial Research at the Edinburgh Postgraduate Dental Institute, lecturing in research methodology and statistics to postgraduate MSc and PhD students and supervising MClinDent and PhD projects, and for four of these he was also a visiting lecturer in research methodology for undergraduate veterinary students.

From 2010 until his retirement in 2022, he was Professor of Postgraduate Medical Studies at the University of Târgu Mureș, Romania, where he developed and led a course in research methodology for medical students studying for MSc and PhD degrees.

He has been awarded Fellowships of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow, the Academy of Dental Materials, the Academy of Facial Aesthetics and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. He is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Edinburgh, and has received Life Membership of the British Dental Association and the prestigious Doctor Honoris Causa from the George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology. 

He is also a primary author of three books and over 200 published papers and abstracts, and has been a peer reviewer and editorial board member for a wide range of academic journals. He was among those who created the FGDP’s Primary Dental Care journal, and later Primary Dental Journal, which is still published quarterly by the College. Setting out the latest evidence in the evolving art and science of general dentistry, these journals have formed the intellectual backbone of the Faculty and College, complementary to its guidance and standards publications, through 120 issues to date over 30 years – and in his role as Research Editor, Prof Santini has contributed to every one.

A certificate formalising the award of the College Medal was presented to Prof Santini at the CGDent Fellows’ Summer Reception, which was held at Cutler’s Hall in London on Thursday 20 June. The College has deferred the casting of medals pending grant of a Coat of Arms, which is expected soon. Previous winners (including of the preceding Faculty Medal) were Shelagh Farrell, Mike Mulcahy, Nikolaus Palmer, Professor Ken Eaton, Ian Mills and Andrew Hadden.

Dr Abhi Pal, who conferred the award in one of his final duties as President of the College, said:

“Ario is an extraordinarily committed and accomplished colleague whose contributions to supporting the provision of high quality oral healthcare have been significant and exceptional. The College Medal is the highest honour we bestow, and it is my privilege to be able to confer upon him this most deserved recognition of his remarkable career, and of his record of service to the Faculty, College and profession as a whole.”

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[1] Gordon E, Santini A, Wilson N. The history of the College of General Dentistry: the formation of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners. Dental Historian, 2024 69 (1) 7-15.

London meet-and-greet

Friday 4 – Saturday 5 October 2024, 9.00am – 5.00pm, London

Hall N9, ExCeL LondonRoyal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL

The College invited all dental professionals to visit its exhibition stand (F61) at Dentistry Show London 2024.

College members and non-members alike were encouraged to come and introduce themselves, to find out more about the College and have their queries answered.

Perhaps you have questions about your membership or how to access your benefits? Or want to know whether you’re eligible for Full Membership, Associate Fellowship or Fellowship? Or you wonder what Life Fellowship is, or how to add your qualifications to the Member Register?

Maybe you’re a former member of FGDP(UK) uncertain of your College status, or the correct way to present your Faculty post-nominals?

Or perhaps you’re a non-member who’s not yet heard much about the College and just wants to find out why we were set up, what our plans are or how we can help you in your career?

Whatever your query, senior College members and staff were there throughout the conference to help you out, and had live access to College systems to help solve membership queries on the spot.

Or even if you don’t have a query, we were be delighted to meet you!

The College was also an education partner for the Enhanced CPD Theatre, where it hosted four lectures.

Dentistry Show London gives you access to over 180 exhibitors and 4,000 fellow dental professionals, and also offers 100 CPD lectures. It’s FREE to attend for all registered dental professionals.

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Dentistry Show London 2024

Friday 4 – Saturday 5 October 2024, 9.00am – 5.00pm, London

Hall N9, ExCeL LondonRoyal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL

The College was an education partner for Dentistry Show London 2024 once again, hosting four lectures in the Enhanced CPD Theatre during the two-day conference.

The College welcomed members and non-members alike to its sessions, with experts in their fields sharing their knowledge and giving advice on a range of subjects encompassing clinical dentistry and professionalism:

Friday 4 October:

Saturday 5 October:

**Registration was free for all dental professionals**

Delegates had access to over 100 CPD lectures in all across multiple lecture theatres, as well as over 180 exhibiting suppliers, and the opportunity to network among 4,000 dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, practice managers, dental technicians and laboratory owners.

College representatives were available throughout the conference at the CGDent stand (stand F61) to talk to delegates about our vision for the profession, the benefits of membership and fellowship, and to answer your questions.

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Council election results 2024

The College has announced the results of recent elections to eight regional and four new role-based seats on its Council, with nine new members elected and three re-elected.

(l-r, top row first) New CGDent Council Members-Elect Steve Campbell, Jane Dalgarno, Stuart Ellis, Nicola Gore, Fazeela Khan-Osborne, Anoup Nandra, Thomas Stapleton, Miranda Steeples and Janine Yazdi-Doughty, and re-elected Council Members Matthew Collins, Ewen McColl and Dalip Kumar

Steve Campbell FCGDent, Managing Director of Nexus Dental Laboratories in Ripon, is the first elected representative of the College’s Faculty of Dental Technology & Clinical Dental Technology (FDTCDT), a constituency comprising all College members who are dental or clinical dental technicians. Starting out as a trainee technician in a local dental lab in 1992, he was promoted to Laboratory Manager in 2003 and Managing Director in 2013. With particular interests in dental implantology and the integration of digital and CAD/CAM workflows, in 2015 he established Nexus as a fully digital lab supporting restorative dentistry. He has been President of the Dental Laboratories Association since 2016, serves on the Executive Council of the British Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry (BAAD), and served two terms as Technical Representative on the Board of the Association of Dental Implantology (ADI).

He succeeds Bill Sharpling FCGDent, Associate Dean and Director of the London Dental Education Centre at King’s College London’s Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, who had been the appointed Dental Technology & Clinical Dental Technology Representative since 2021. Mr Sharpling will continue to attend Council meetings in his role as Chair of the FDTCDT Board.

Jane Dalgarno AssocFCGDent, Clinical Workforce Development Lead at Community Dental Services CIC, is the first elected Council representative of the College’s Faculty of Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy (FDNOT). A past President of the British Association of Dental Nurses, she began her career in general dental practice as a trainee dental nurse in 1986 and completed the National Certificate for Dental Surgery Assistants in 1993. An examiner for the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses, and past Programme Director for the HEE Foundation Degree in Advanced Dental Nursing, she holds certificates in education, oral health education, sedation and dental radiography, as well as the A1/A2 assessors award, a BSc in Primary Dental Care and an MSc in Applied Dental Professional Practice from the University of Kent. She has been on the Board of the FDNOT since it was first convened in 2021, and was a member of the Dental Nursing and Orthodontic Therapy Working Group which co-developed the College’s Professional Framework for Career Pathways in Dentistry.

She succeeds Debbie Reed FCGDent, Reader and Lead for Faculty Development at King’s College London’s Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, who had been the appointed Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy Representative since 2023. Dr Reed will continue to attend Council meetings in her role as Chair of the FDNOT Board.

Stuart Ellis FCGDent has been elected to represent Trent and East Anglia. Clinical Director of a five-surgery general dental practice in Cambridge, where he has practised for over thirty years, he previously spent two years working in maxillofacial units in Belfast and London. Director of the Cambridge Academy of Dental Implantology, he is Course Lead for both the MSc in Advanced Dental Implantology and MSc in General Dental Practice at Aston University, and for ten years was an examiner for the former Membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (MFGDP) and Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties (MJDF) awards. He holds a Diploma and a Master’s in Postgraduate Dental Studies from the University of Bristol, a Master’s in Medical Law & Ethics from the University of Edinburgh and a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Education from the University of Cambridge, where he is currently completing his third Master’s degree. He acts as an expert witness in the UK and Ireland and as an advisor to the GDC’s Professional Conduct Committee, holds the Diploma of Fellowship of the former FGDP, and is a Fellow of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS). He succeeds Jonathan Farmer FCGDent, who stood down after serving on the College Council and former FGDP Board since 2015.

Nicola Gore FCGDent, Principal of a dental practice in north London, has been elected to represent the North Thames region. 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 trained 25 Foundation Dentists. She holds the MJDF, a Master’s in Clinical Dentistry in Fixed & Removable Prosthodontics from the Royal London and a Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Education from the University of Bedfordshire, 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 (BACD) and a member of the British Society of Prosthodontics. She is co-author of Dentistry in a Nutshell, and among the authors of the forthcoming third edition of the College’s Standards in Dentistry publication. She succeeds Victor Gehani FCGDent, who was appointed to the seat in 2023 pending this year’s election.

Fazeela Khan-Osborne FCGDent has been elected to represent College members in Central London. Principal of a general dental practice in London for 25 years, she has a special interest in full mouth rehabilitation, both surgical and restorative. Initially graduating with a BSc in Medical Biochemistry and Physiology from Queen Mary University, she qualified as a dentist at the Royal Hospital London in 1994 and undertook training in oral and maxillofacial surgery. She holds a Diploma in Restorative Dental Practice and an MSc in Restorative Dentistry from the Royal London, and completed the FGDP(UK) Diploma in Implant Dentistry, later becoming a lead tutor. Founding Course Lead of the One to One Implant Education programme, she teaches and lectures on implant dentistry worldwide. She also sits on the Executive Council of the BAAD, is Immediate Past President of the London Dental Fellowship, and is a fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and a member of the ADI. She succeeds Subir Banerji FCGDent, who had held the seat since 2022.

Anoup Nandra FCGDent, Principal Dentist at a mixed NHS-and-private practice in Edgbaston and a private dental practice in Wolverhampton, has been elected in the West Midlands. He graduated from Birmingham in 2002 and completed Vocational Training in London before returning to the Midlands, where he has practised for twenty years. He has served as a clinical lecturer at the University of Birmingham and as a Foundation Dental Trainer, and is a member of Birmingham Local Dental Committee as well as the BACD, the ADI, the Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry and the British Society of Restorative Dentistry. He holds both the MJDF and MFGDP, and has completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Implant Dentistry from University College London, an MSc in Dental Implantology from the University of Central Lancashire and a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education from the University of Wolverhampton. He also holds the Cardiff University / Bond Solon Expert Witness Certificate and is pursuing an LLM in legal aspects of medical practice. He succeeds Kanwar Ratra MCGDent, who had been the region’s representative since 2021.

Thomas Stapleton AssocFCGDent, Clinical Lead at a group of private dental practices in north Yorkshire, has been elected to the Yorkshire and Northern seat. Beginning his career as a research scientist after completing a BSc in Microbiology with Immunology and PhD in Tissue Engineering at the University of Leeds, he qualified as a dentist in 2013 and has worked in general dental practice ever since. With a special interest in endodontics, he holds a Postgraduate Diploma from the University of Chester, is a member of the British Endodontic Society and receives external referrals. He has also undertaken advanced training in restorative dentistry, completed the MJDF, and is the local Study Club Lead for Dentinal Tubules. He succeeds Sagi Shavit, who had held the seat since 2022.

Miranda Steeples AssocFCGDent is the first elected Council representative of the College’s Faculty of Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy (FDHDT). A dental therapist and hygienist working in general dental practice in Hastings, Eastbourne, and Hailsham, she qualified from the University of Leeds in 2009 with a Graduate Diploma in Dental Hygiene and Therapy, having previously worked as a dental nurse. She was elected to the South East regional committee of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy in 2014, joined the Executive Committee in 2018 and became President in 2022. She holds a Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring from the Institute of Leadership and Management and an MSc in Advanced Specialist Healthcare from the University of Kent, is a member of the UK co-ordinating committee for the Alliance for a Cavity Free Future and enjoys volunteering for Mini Molars Cambodia. She has been a member of the FDHDT Board since it was first convened in 2021, and was also on the Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy Working Group which co-developed the College’s Professional Framework.

She succeeds Frances Robinson AssocFCGDent, a dental hygienist working in private practice in London and oral health practitioner in NHS community outreach, who had been the appointed Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy Representative since 2023. Ms Robinson will continue to attend Council meetings in her role as Chair of the FDHDT Board.

Janine Yazdi-Doughty FCGDent, a partner and clinical lead for paediatric dentistry, sedation and research at a referral practice in Sandbach, has been elected to represent members in the Mersey and North West region. Since qualifying from Bristol in 2010, she has also worked with adults and children with anxieties, special educational needs and other vulnerabilities in primary, secondary and tertiary care in London and Nottingham as well as for several dental charities. She has completed the RCS Diploma in Dental Public Health, a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Research from Queen Mary University of London, a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education and Leadership from the University of Bedfordshire, and both an MSc and PhD in Dental Public Health from University College London. She is a clinical lecturer at the University of Liverpool and primary care dentistry research champion for the North West Clinical Research Network. She has published over 30 papers, is on the BDA Central Committee for University Dental Educators and Researchers and is an Associate Editor for the Community Dental Health Journal. She succeeds Andrew Parashchak MCGDent, who stood down after six years on the Council and former FGDP Board.

Matthew Collins FCGDent, a general dental practitioner in Batley and Chair of Calderdale and Kirklees Local Dental Committee, has been elected as the first ever representative of the College’s Faculty of Dentists. He has been a national representative on the Council and former FGDP Board since 2020, and served as Vice President from 2023-24.

Ewen McColl FCGDent, Head of Plymouth University Peninsula School of Dentistry, Co-Editor of Standards in Dentistry and a former general dentist in the British Army, has been re-elected in the South West region, which he has represented since 2021.

Dalip Kumar AssocFCGDent, Principal of a mixed NHS-and-private general dental practice in Swansea, has been elected in Wales after serving a year as the appointed representative for the seat.

Other members of the Council are Patricia Thomson FCGDent, Helen Kaney FCGDent, Eldo Koshy FCGDent, Yann Maidment FCGDent, Susan Nelson MCGDent and Sami Stagnell AssocFCGDent.

An announcement will be made shortly confirming an appointment to the new post of Chair of the Faculty of Dentists, the holder of which will also attend Council meetings.

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 National seat and regional seats representing West & North Scotland, East of Scotland, Wessex & Oxford, South East & South West Thames and overseas members due for election in 2025, and the Northern Ireland seat 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(UK) National Board. Those elected this year will be inaugurated at the next Council meeting, which takes place in London on Friday 21 June.

Abhi Pal FCGDent, President of the College, said:

“Many congratulations to Steve, Jane, Stuart, Nicola, Fazeela, Anoup, Thomas, Miranda, Janine and Dalip on their election to Council, to Matt on his new seat and to Ewen on his re-election. As my own time on Council comes to a close, it is wonderful to see such experienced and knowledgeable practitioners elected by our members to continue to fulfil the College’s historic mission and to support my successor.

I would also like to thank Jonathan and Andrew for their longstanding commitment to the College Council and Faculty Board, and Victor, Subir, Kanwar and Sagi for their service to the College Council. Finally, I would like to express my thanks to all those who have served on the Council over the last three years for their support and counsel throughout my Presidency.”

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Ilser Turkyilmaz and Amin Aminian to edit PDJ implant issues

The College has announced that Professor Ilser Turkyilmaz and Dr Amin Aminian FCGDent are the guest editors on an upcoming two-part special issue of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ) dedicated to implant dentistry.

(l-r) Professor Ilser Turkyilmaz and Dr Amin Aminian FCGDent

The double issue, which will be published in September and December 2024, will include clinical articles and updates from the UK and around the world on the latest evidence informing dental implantology and the practice of implant dentistry within general dental practice.

Anticipated papers (to be confirmed) include:

  • The role of the general dental practitioner in the care of the implant patient
  • The biomechanical principles of restoring a dentition with dental implants: a general dental practitioner’s perspective
  • Communication in implant treatment planning, placement and reconstruction in the digital age: a technologist’s perspective
  • Dental Nursing in implant dentistry: a skillset apart and how to get there
  • The hygienist’s role in the management of the implant patient in primary care
  • The impact of implants on a patient’s quality of life
  • Dentolegal aspects of dental implants
  • Developing implant mentoring programmes: breaking down the components
  • Mentoring in dental implants: from mentee to mentor
  • Imaging techniques in dental implant planning: Understanding the paradigm shift from periapical radiograph to cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)
  • Restoratively-driven digital dental implant planning and its clinical execution
  • Full-mouth rehabilitation of a patient with implant-supported fixed dental prostheses using CAD-CAM frameworks
  • Persistent numbness of the lower lip and chin due to inferior alveolar nerve injury after implant placement: a clinical report
  • Prosthetic considerations and strategies for single tooth implants in the aesthetic zone: a review
  • Current status and management of peri-implantitis: a systematic review
  • Fabrication of three implant-supported crowns using a digital workflow: a case report

The special issues will also feature, in print for the first time, the complete text of the College’s Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines. Setting out the details of the requirement in Training Standards in Implant Dentistry to have an experienced clinician acting as a mentor, it is endorsed by the Association of British Academic Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the British Association of Oral Surgeons, the Foundation for Oral Rehabilitation, the International Team for Implantology and the Platform for Exchange of Experience, Research and Science.

Also included will be full details of the College’s Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry, which is expected to be launched soon.

Ilser Turkyilmaz is Clinical Professor and Digital Dentistry Coordinator at the Department of Prosthodontics of New York University College of Dentistry, and also works part-time in private practice in Manhattan. After obtaining his dental degree (DDS) in 1998 from Hacettepe University, Ankara, Prof Turkyilmaz completed a PhD in Prosthodontics in 2004. He became a researcher in the Department of Biomaterials at Gothenburg University Institute of Clinical Sciences in 2005, later undertaking a fellowship programme in implant dentistry at Ohio State University in Columbus. In 2008 he became Assistant Professor in Prosthodontics at the University of Texas in San Antonio, where he also served as Director of the Dental School Implant Clinic from 2011-14 and maintained a private practice specialising in implants and fixed and removable prosthodontics. In 2016 he completed the Advanced Standing programme at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine and became a Clinical Associate Professor in Prosthodontics at NYU.

He achieved Diplomate status in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists in 2011, is an active member of the Academy of Osseointegration, and is a committee member of the Implant Research Group of the International Association of Dental Research. He has edited and written chapters for several books on contemporary practice and the use of technology in implant dentistry, and has published over 100 clinical papers. He is a reviewer for several journals, an Editorial Board member for the Journal of Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research and the Journal of Implant and Advanced Clinical Dentistry, and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice. He has previously contributed to three issues of PDJ and guest-edited the Winter 2022 issue on the theme of Digital Dentistry.

Amin Aminian qualified from Liverpool University in 1993 and completed his Vocational Training in a rural dental practice in North Wales. He then moved to the Falkland Islands as Chief Dental Officer, providing dental care to the local population in Stanley and across the islands. After returning to the UK, he completed a Master’s degree in fixed and removable prosthodontics at the University Dental Hospital of Manchester in 2000, and gained Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow the same year. In 2004 he completed four years’ specialist training in prosthodontics and was awarded a Membership in Restorative Dentistry at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He has worked in general dental practices in London and Manchester, as a locum consultant at Blackburn Royal Infirmary, and at specialist practices in Cheshire. His practice is limited to prosthodontics, and he accepts referrals from across the North-West and wider UK.

He led the module in Removable Prosthodontics on the Diploma in Aesthetic and Restorative Dentistry programme of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP), and co-organised the 13-module Aesthetic Restorative Course. As an Honorary Teaching Fellow at Manchester University Dental Hospital, he supervised research projects in dental implants and aesthetic aspects of restorative dentistry. His other teaching posts have included Senior Lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire and Visiting Lecturer on the University of Birmingham’s MSc programme in Advanced General Dental Practice. Dr Aminian was also a panellist on the College’s webinar, How to get the best from your career in dentistry.

Primary Dental Journal is the College’s quarterly peer-reviewed journal. Unique in its dedication to general dental practice, it is a leading resource for GDPs and DCPs working in primary care, and has as its Clinical Editor and Editor-in-Chief Igor Blum, Clinical Professor of Primary Dental Care and Advanced General Dental Practice at King’s College London. Two themed issues in each annual volume explore topics of interest and relevance to the primary care dental team, led by an invited Guest Editor who is a renowned expert in the field, with two ‘general dentistry’ issues covering a wide range of topics.

College members are sent a print copy of each issue, and non-members can purchase individual issues or an annual subscription in print. Some individual articles are made available online free of charge.

The two upcoming issues of PDJ (volume 13, numbers 3 and 4) will be the first to be dedicated to implant dentistry since volume 2, issue 2 (June 2013), which is available to members in the PDJ Archive.

This article was updated in August 2024 to include the list of anticipated papers.