College of General Dentistry News

Voting open for College Council elections

Voting is now open for seats on the College Council, and all eligible members are encouraged to cast their vote(s).

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. Six regional seats are being elected this year, with elected candidates due to serve from June 2025 – June 2028. A ballot of eligible members is required for three of these seats: National, Overseas and South Thames.

All Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College are eligible to vote in the election to either the National or Overseas seats (depending on the address they have registered with the College), and those registered within the South Thames region (formerly South East and South West Thames) are eligible to vote both in that election and for the National seat.

College Council elections employ the Alternative Vote (AV) system, under which eligible members rank candidates in order of preference. A candidate receiving over 50 per cent of first preference votes is elected. Otherwise the candidate with the fewest first preference votes is eliminated and their second preference votes are reallocated to the remaining candidates until one candidate has more votes than the other remaining candidates put together.

All eligible members have been sent an email (on Wednesday 26 March 2025) 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. The deadline to cast votes is Friday 2 May 2025.

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 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 here

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; their election statements can be read via the email(s) from Mi Voice.

National seat

Overseas seat

South Thames

Following the election, the results will be announced in late May or early June.

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.

REMINDERS: VOTES SHOULD BE CAST THROUGH THE UNIQUE LINK SENT TO ELIGIBLE MEMBERS BY MI-VOICE BY EMAIL; VOTING CLOSES ON FRIDAY 2 MAY 2025

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College of General Dentistry News

Roy Bennett appointed College Trustee

Dr Roy Bennett FCGDent, a Merseyside-based dentist with a special interest in the care of anxious patients, has been appointed as a Trustee of the College.

With over 35 years’ experience, including 15 years part-time in NHS hospital-based special care dentistry, Dr Bennett has undertaken thousands of sedation cases including intravenous, inhalation, oral, intranasal and hypnotherapy, and has accepted referrals and supported practices across the North West of England.

Director of Mellow Sedation Training Services, he is a highly experienced undergraduate and postgraduate teacher and is accredited as a course organiser by the Intercollegiate Advisory Committee on Sedation in Dentistry. He is a member and mentor of both the Dental Sedation Teacher Group and the Society for Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry, a past board member of the Association of Dental Anaesthetists and a Senior Clinical Adviser for UK Sedation.

He graduated from Liverpool Dental School in 1987, completed postgraduate training in conscious sedation and holds the Diploma of Membership of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP), a Diploma in Dental Science from the University of Liverpool and a Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Odontology from the University of Hertfordshire. He is a Fellow of the College and of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Dr Bennett succeeds Dr Janet Clarke MBE FCGDent, former Deputy Chief Dental Officer for England, who served on the Board of Trustees from 2019 to 2024, including three years as Chair.

Trustees, who serve three-year terms of office, are accountable for the fulfilment of the College’s legal and regulatory duties as a charity, and for ensuring the proper running of the organisation.

The other members of the Board of Trustees are former FGDP Dean Dr Mick Horton FCGDent (Chair), former FGDP Vice Dean Onkar Dhanoya FCGDent, UCL Hygiene and Therapy Programme Deputy Director Marie Parker FCGDent, governance specialist Jane Clarke, experienced CFO Neil Sawbridge and solicitor Fred Thomson.

Dr Bennett is co-presenter of the College’s CPD webinar, Introduction to Remimazolam in Procedural Sedation in Dentistry, which is free for members to watch online.

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College of General Dentistry News

Martin Kelleher to deliver inaugural College Lecture

The College has announced that Martin Kelleher FCGDent will be delivering the inaugural College Lecture on 13 June 2025.

‘Satisficing’ standards in dentistry: Who decides? Who benefits? will challenge the notion of the ‘ideal treatment plan’ and contend that subconscious bias and possible self-interests can lead some supposed experts to confuse their version of a questionable ‘gold standard’ with what is really in a patient’s overall best interests and with what the law expects.

Intended to stimulate and provoke healthy debate, the lecture will build on the rich legacy of the Malcolm Pendlebury Lectures hosted by the College’s predecessor organisation, the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP).

Martin Kelleher has been a Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at King’s College Hospital, London since 1984 and has well- known interests in solving seemingly complex dental problems with various minimally destructive approaches. He is on the GDC specialist lists for Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics and owned his own practice in Bromley, Kent for nearly 40 years.

He is a Fellow of the Faculties of Dental Surgery at the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Edinburgh and England, as well as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He is also a Fellow of the College of General Dentistry, a Fellow and former President of the British Society for Restorative Dentistry, and a former Chairman of the Southern Counties Branch of the British Dental Association. 

Mr Kelleher graduated from University College Dublin in 1971, holds a Master’s degree in Conservative Dentistry and is the author or co-author of very numerous peer-reviewed articles on a wide variety of topics, as well as chapters in dental textbooks and a book on dental bleaching. He served on the board of Dental Protection for a decade, including three years as Chair of its Advisory Committee for Dental Claims. He is a renowned speaker, having lectured to many national dental associations and specialist societies as well as internationally for over 40 years.

The inaugural College of General Dentistry Lecture will take place in the historic Cutlers’ Hall in Sheffield, and will be followed by the College’s Summer Reception. CPD certificates will be provided.

All dental professionals, and others with professional interests in contemporary dental practice, are eligible to attend both events. Discounted places are available to College members.

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

BOOK YOUR PLACE

For further information, visit the College’s events pages.

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College of General Dentistry News

Candidates for election to the College Council 2025

Nominations recently closed for seats on the College Council and verification of candidates has now taken place.

 A ballot of eligible members is required for three of the seats being decided this year:

  • National
  • Overseas
  • South Thames

The candidates for these seats are as follows:

National seat

Overseas seat

South Thames

Eligible members will receive the candidates’ election statements, with instructions on how to vote, when voting opens on Wednesday 26 March 2025. These will be sent by the College’s election services provider, Mi-Voice, to the email address which the member has registered with the College. Members will then have until Friday 2 May 2025 to cast their vote(s).

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College of General Dentistry News

Recruitment of Board member (Faculty of Dental Technology and Clinical Dental Technology)

The College is seeking a new board member for its Faculty of Dental Technology and Clinical Dental Technology, and all dental technicians and clinical dental technicians are invited to apply.

The Faculty of Dental Technology and Clinical Dental Technology is a constituency of the College automatically comprising all members who are dental technicians or clinical dental technicians. Advising and reporting to the elected College Council, the Faculty Board advances the interests of these members within the College as a discrete professional group.

Faculty Board members are appointed for renewable three-year terms, and the appointee will be expected to attend at least three Faculty Board meetings per year from June 2025 – June 2028.

Candidates will need to be an Associate Member, Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College at the time of application, and anyone interested in applying who is not yet a member of the College is advised to allow at least two weeks for their membership application to be fully processed prior to applying for this role.

The role is voluntary, with any essential expenses covered. A role profile is available below.

ROLE PROFILE

Applications should be made by email, headed “Board member (Faculty of Dental Technology and Clinical Dental Technology)”, to [email protected], attaching a CV and covering letter addressing the person specification. 

The closing date for applications is Sunday 4 May 2025.

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College of General Dentistry News

Recruitment of Board Chair (Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy)

The College is seeking the next Chair of the Board of its Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy, and all dental hygienists and dental therapists are invited to consider applying.

The Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy is a constituency of the College automatically comprising all members who are dental hygienists or dental therapists. The interests of these members as a discrete professional group are advanced within the College by both a voting representative on the elected College Council and by a Faculty Board which advises and reports to Council.

Membership of the Faculty Board is appointed by Council, including the Chair, who works closely with the President and other Faculty Board Chairs in realising College priorities.

The Chair will be appointed for a non-renewable three-year term from June 2025 – June 2028, during which they will be expected to attend the three formal meetings of Council each year, and to coordinate at least three meetings of their Faculty Board annually with these dates. Council holds full day hybrid meetings, with attendance in person preferred.

Candidates will need to be an Associate Member, Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College at the time of application, and anyone interested in applying who is not yet a member of the College is advised to allow at least two weeks for their membership application to be fully processed prior to applying for this role.

The role is voluntary, with essential expenses covered. A role profile is available below.

ROLE PROFILE

Applications should be made by email, headed “Board Chair (Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy)”, to [email protected], attaching a CV and covering letter addressing the person specification.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 4 May 2025.

Interviews will be held online from the week beginning 12 May (tbc) with a selection panel convened by Council, and the appointee should be available to attend the College Council meeting on Friday 13 June 2025.

If you have questions or would like a confidential discussion about the role, please contact Simon Thornton-Wood PhD, Chief Executive of the College, at [email protected]

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College of General Dentistry News

Nominations open for Council elections

Nominations are now open for elections to six seats on the College Council, and all Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College are invited to nominate themselves as candidates.

Nominations are sought for the following seats:

  • East of Scotland
  • National representative
  • Overseas representative
  • South East & South West Thames
  • Wessex & Oxford
  • West & North of Scotland

Candidates for regional seats must live or work within that region, and be registered with that region with CGDent. Candidates for the National seat must live or work in the UK, and have a registered UK address with CGDent. Candidates for the Overseas seat must practice dentistry wholly outside the UK, and have a registered overseas address with CGDent.

All eligible members as at 16 January 2025 have been emailed a link to the nominations website by the College’s election services provider, Mi-Voice. If you are interested in standing for election, you will need to complete the nomination process via that link, where you will be asked for further information, the names of two supporting members, and to submit an election statement.

Members may stand simultaneously for both the National seat and the regional seat for which they are eligible (if applicable) by submitting a separate nomination form for each seat.

Further information on the role, nomination requirements and the election timetable can be found via the button below.

FURTHER INFORMATION

The deadline for receipt of nominations is Sunday 16 February 2025.

If you think you might like to put yourself forward as a candidate and would like further information before deciding, we would be pleased to have a confidential discussion and to answer any questions you may have about the role and the process. Please get in touch via [email protected]

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College of General Dentistry Event

20 years of Training Standards in Implant Dentistry

Thursday 5 February 2026, London

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

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

This event will mark 20 years since first publication of Training Standards in Implant Dentistry by the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP).

It will also celebrate the Faculty’s significant contribution to postgraduate education through its Diploma in Implant Dentistry programme, and highlight the College’s role in raising standards in the field through the publication of mentoring guidelines and dedicated journal issues, the launch of the Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry, and the creation of a Career Pathway for Implant Dentistry (details of which will be announced in due course).

Tickets for this event are not yet available; a booking link will be added shortly.

This event will be followed at 6pm by the College’s Fellows’ Winter Reception and Presentations of Associate Fellows and Fellows upstairs in the Livery Hall. This is a chargeable event with separate ticketing arrangements.

FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE FELLOWS’ WINTER RECEPTION

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College of General Dentistry News

Parliamentary briefing on preventative oral healthcare

Earlier this week, the College and Haleon presented The Dental Health Barometer – the organisations’ joint report on improving the provision of preventative oral healthcare – at a breakfast briefing held in Parliament.

Jon Elliott, Roshni Karia MCGDent, Simon Thornton-Wood PhD, Kate Fabrikant FCGDent

The meeting was one of a series of discussions being held with stakeholders to communicate and gather support for the recommendations identified in the report, which are based on the experience and insight of general dental professionals on how to bridge the gap between intentions and practical delivery of preventative care.

The research underlying the report included a survey of 2,000 UK dental patients and over 500 dental professionals which highlighted inconsistencies in the provision of preventative oral healthcare advice, and rich discussions held with 77 oral health professionals, in all dental team roles, in focus group meetings hosted at eight general dental practices throughout the UK.

Attendees at the meeting were:

  • Sadik Al-Hassan MP (Labour, North Somerset)
  • David Arnold (Director of Communications, Oral Health Foundation)
  • Lewis Atkinson MP (Labour, Sunderland Central)
  • Professor Avijit Banerjee FCGDent (Professor of Cariology & Operative Dentistry at King’s College London and Chair of the College’s Faculty of Dentists)
  • Jon Elliott (Head of Corporate Affairs for Northern Europe, Haleon)
  • Dr Kate Fabrikant FCGDent (Medical Affairs Director for Northern Europe, Haleon)
  • Dr Elizabeth Fisher (Programme Lead for Children and Young People’s, Nuffield Trust)
  • Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent (President of the College)
  • Professor Philip Preshaw (President, British Society of Periodontology)
  • Simon Thornton-Wood PhD (Chief Executive of the College)
  • Dr Jason Wong MBE FCGDent (Chief Dental Officer, NHS England)
  • Philip Worsfold (Head of Dental Public Health, Department of Health and Social Care)



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College of General Dentistry Blog

Why I became a College benefactor and philanthropist

Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent, founder of the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Education Foundation and a major donor to the College, talks to Professor Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent, President Emeritus, about his motivation to put something back into the profession

Tom Bereznicki FCGDent (left) and Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent (right)

Nairn Wilson: Tom, what motivated you to become a Founder of the College, the College’s first major benefactor, and a significant College legator? 

Tom Bereznicki: In recent years, I have been increasingly anxious to find ways to put something back into the dental profession, with emphases on making good some of the deficiencies in undergraduate dental education, encouraging early career dentists to develop their skills and knowledge to better meet the ever-increasing expectations of patients, and to enhance the standing and status of dentistry, both in healthcare in general, and in the eyes of the public.

The creation of the College, intended Royal College of General Dentistry, was a bold move to give oral healthcare professionals the benefits enjoyed by all those in healthcare who have their own independent Royal College – career pathways with recognition of enhanced skills, standards set by the profession for the profession, and a community of practice, together with, and very importantly in the case of CGDent, a much-needed, unified voice for the whole of the profession.

Also, I share the vision of the College to elevate the importance of oral health in the eyes of other healthcare professions, politicians and the public. The College initiative was one I identified with and considered worthy of my support, both to get it started and help secure its future.

Nairn Wilson: What are the aims, objectives and aspirations of your Educational Foundation?

Tom Bereznicki: My Foundation was created to support recently graduated and early career dentists and therapists to acquire knowledge and skills they were unlikely to have acquired in their undergraduate training, but which are needed to succeed in everyday practice. The focus is on aesthetic dentistry, occlusion and related aspects of periodontal health, all of which are fundamental to contemporary routine dental care.

Given my experience as a part-time clinical teacher and the interactions I have with newly qualified colleagues, I am increasingly concerned by the disconnect between undergraduate curricula and the reality of everyday clinical practice. Graduates who have not been instructed in at least the basics of aesthetic dentistry, underpinned by a detailed knowledge of tooth morphology, and have little if any idea of how to recognise and diagnose occlusal discrepancies, let alone manage them, are destined to run into all sorts of difficulties in the management of patients.

My Foundation cannot reach out to all new graduates, early career dentists and dental therapists, but it is hoped that the activities of the Foundation, specifically its competitions, will encourage much-needed personal development amongst those embarking on their careers in dentistry, with an emphasis on the importance of interactive, high quality, face-to-face learning. While online learning has a place, and there are many good programmes, much of what new graduates and early career oral healthcare professionals access, typically on their phones, is advertorial material, often presented by self-professed experts with limited experience, either lacking an evidence-base, or frankly wrong and potentially harmful to patients. Determining what is good quality online learning material is challenging, especially for colleagues transitioning to independent practice.   

Nairn Wilson: What is the intended synergy between your Foundation and the College? 

Tom Bereznicki: The Foundation is an independent body which seeks to work in partnership with other organisations and the dental industry to realise its aims and objectives. The link with the College is intended to introduce new graduates and early career oral healthcare professionals to CGDent, and what the College does and can do for them and the profession.

It is hoped that young colleagues, especially those who benefit from the activities of the Foundation, will appreciate the benefits of membership of the College, with a view, over time, to being recognised as an accomplished practitioner – a Fellow of the College. Young colleagues need to appreciate the value and importance of being part of the forward-looking College – part of the new, increasingly powerful, unified voice for dentistry, contributing to standards set by the profession for the profession, taking advantage of a recognised career pathway, mentoring and much more.

Nairn Wilson: With the need to grow and further develop the College, with one of its immediate, pressing priority being eligibility for the award of a Royal Charter, what is your message to Fellows who are not yet donors to the College?

Tom Bereznicki: The College has achieved a great deal from, in effect, a standing start three years ago, and still has a lot to do to achieve its potential, let alone operate on a level playing field with the long-established Royal Colleges, which history tells us, benefited from huge support during their development. There is no ‘something for nothing’. Dentistry must help itself to justify Royal recognition of its own independent college.

Rather than apply a development levy to subscriptions, it is better and more powerful to grow by means of voluntary donations. Yes, these are challenging times for colleagues, but it is also a challenging time for our profession, which needs parity with other mainstream healthcare professions, new UK-wide leadership and direction and recognition in general healthcare and in the eyes of the public – all the things the CGDent aims to deliver. This surely is worthy of support, specifically by those the College has recognised to be leaders in the field.

Nairn Wilson: Tom, thank you for your views and comments, which I very much hope will be read and taken to heart by both all members of the College and colleagues yet to join CGDent. Thank you also for your tremendous ongoing support of the College, which would not be where it is today without your contribution, nor without the support provided by all existing donors.  

Tom Bereznicki is a Fellow and Founder Member of the College and a College legator. The Tom Bereznicki Dental Education Foundation supports the CGDent-GC Award for Foundation Trainees, the Tom Bereznicki Award for Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry and the upcoming occlusion and perio-occlusion symposia for early career dentists.

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