College of General Dentistry News

College seeks new dental Trustee

The College is seeking a new dental Trustee to support its historic mission to build a future Royal College for dentistry.

The Trustee Board is accountable for the proper running of the organisation and the fulfilment of its legal and regulatory duties. The current College Trustees are Dr Roy Bennett FCGDent, Dr Onkar Dhanoya FCGDent, Professor Andrew Eder FCGDent, Dr Mick Horton FCGDent (Chair) and Dr Catherine Rutland FCGDent, alongside governance specialist Jane Clarke, experienced Chief Financial Officer Neil Sawbridge and barrister Commander Fred Thomson VR RN DL.They work alongside the elected College Council, which oversees the professional affairs of the organisation.

Trustees require an appreciation of the business imperatives underpinning a growing organisation, reconciling delivery of our mission in the patient and public interest with financial viability. They must demonstrate high standards of behaviour and attitude, and have a thorough and up-to-date understanding of the role of a Trustee in a registered charity and membership-based organisation which seeks to embody inclusive professionalism.

To apply to become a dental Trustee, you must currently or recently be a registered dental professional, and you must be a Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College at the time of appointment. We are interested in attracting people who can help us to engage widely as we seek to represent the broad range of careers and aspirations within the dental professions. The proportion of women and dental professionals from minority backgrounds is growing, and we want our Trustee Board to be truly inclusive and reflective of our community.

A role profile is available below:

TRUSTEE ROLE PROFILE

Applications should be made by CV and a covering letter which addresses the requirements described in the role profile and cites two referees. These must be received by Sunday 23 August 2026, addressed to [email protected] with the subject line “Trustee application”.

Interviews will be held in mid-September in London.

The successful candidate will be appointed for three years, and prospective applicants should be able to attend three half-day online Trustee Board meetings per year, plus a one-day in-person meeting and workshop in London.

It is intended that the appointee will begin their term at the Trustee meeting on Friday 2 October 2026, with further meetings currently scheduled for:

  • Tuesday 15 December 2026, 10.30-16.00, London
  • Friday 2 April 2027, 10.30-13.00 (online)
  • Friday 9 July 2027, 10.30-13.00 (online)
  • Friday 8 October 2027, 10.30-13.00 (online)
  • Friday 17 December 2027, 10.30-16.00, London

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 Blog

Supporting confidence, communication and career development within the dental team

Caroline Persaud, a Clinical Dental Technician and board member of the College’s Faculty of Dental Technology and Clinical Dental Technology, describes her experience of the Foundation Nakao – CGDent Award in Coaching and Mentoring.

I qualified as a Clinical Dental Technician in 2007 and have practised, within my own business, for 19 years. Although I have been on the Faculty Board representing my profession for several years, at times I have lacked the confidence to impart my knowledge and opinions with others without seeming too direct. So when the Foundation Nakao – CGDent Award was announced last year, my primary motivation in applying was to gain skills to support this role. My second driver was that opportunities like this do not come along every day – and it was specifically for Dental Care Professionals. I took the plunge, pushed the nervous twitch to one side, submitted my application and was delighted to be awarded a place.

The course provided an opportunity to step back from day-to-day practice and reflect on how we support colleagues, trainees and the wider profession. Although many of us naturally share knowledge and experience in practice or the laboratory environment, the course helped me gain a greater understanding of the differences between advising, coaching and mentoring. The result was that I gained a base knowledge of how each can positively influence professional growth and confidence.

One of the most valuable aspects of the programme was enjoying learning alongside fellow DCPs from a range of professional backgrounds. The course was delivered online, which I had some reservations about as any type of home-based or non-face-to-face learning is often fraught with distractions. However, all my misgivings were dispelled within the first 45 minutes. The discussions were engaging, supportive and thought-provoking, with relatable content and scenarios that brought about a meeting of minds from the group of DCPs in attendance. The course leaders created an excellent environment for open conversation and shared learning.

The most useful part of the course for me was the Coaching Supervision Interview. Conducted just ahead of Day 3, this exercise gave me the opportunity to put the knowledge learned so far into my everyday practice and illustrate how effective it was for me and my mentee.

Having sat on the Faculty board for some years, I have at times struggled to find my voice. However, I have realised that the environment of smaller gatherings of board members, where your opinions do not feel under scrutiny, seems to bring out my best thoughts and ideas; over time my fear of personal expression has alleviated, and I have truly found my voice. I also perceived that there was a similar pattern within some of my fellow board colleagues, so I wanted to encourage them to grow the same level of confidence to raise their hand and speak aloud. The coaching model I adopted for my test case worked seamlessly. Through a series of questions and conversation, the mentee was able to identify the problem, provide solutions and implement them in real time to achieve the end goal. I must say: it felt satisfying to have made a difference. Perhaps it was a small difference, but ‘mighty oaks from little acorns grow‘.

As all professionals will confess, time is a precious commodity. One of the most poignant moments of Day 2 was a role-play session whereby I was mentor, and my mentee came to me with time management issues. This issue hit home hard; I am known for working some rather unorthodox hours and so I had a vested interest in this scenario. After five minutes of following a particular coaching model, the mentee had devised an action plan that seemed realistic. I sensed that this was genuinely going to be implemented and felt that I had influenced some key decision-making which would benefit the mentee going forward. It also illustrated the versatility of these techniques, and how they can apply to our personal situations as well as our professional roles.

When the final session commenced, there was an air of confidence and a real buzz amongst the delegates. Everyone had started to put into practice the skills learned during Days 1 and 2, and the open discussions revealed the positives and challenges, including some real personal triumphs. The groupwork flowed with a level of calm and conviction, with a real sense of pride that we all had applied ourselves and felt richer for the experience. Three days invested and well worth it!

Since attending, I have become more aware of how effective coaching and mentoring can support confidence, communication and career development within the dental team. The idea that ‘you get out what you put in’ is a timeless principle. As a group, we invested our time, our minds and our passion for the profession. In turn, we all came away enriched compared to where we began at the start of Day 1. If you follow the philosophy learned here, this course will broaden your thinking and provide you with the tools to gain the most from your colleagues, mentees and the wider dental community.

Attending the course was an extremely worthwhile experience, and one I would strongly encourage other Dental Care Professionals to consider applying for now that the course is being run again this year. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is passionate about supporting others and giving something back to the profession along with those who may see their future in a teaching environment of any kind.

An extended thank you to Foundation Nakao and to Professor Avijit Banerjee FCGDent for their generosity, and for working with the College to provide DCPs with this opportunity.

The Foundation Nakao – CGDent Award 2026 is now open to registered dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, orthodontic therapists, dental technicians and clinical dental technicians with at least two years’ post-qualification experience in their role. Applications close on Friday 31 July. To find out more and apply, click the button below:

Foundation nakao – CGDent award 2026

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College of General Dentistry News

Special recognition for Dental Nursing representative

Congratulations to Jane Dalgarno AssocFCGDent, College Council representative for dental nursing and orthodontic therapy, who has received an Individual Contribution Special Recognition Award from the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN).

Jane Dalgarno RDN MSc AssocFCGDent

Given annually, the NEBDN’s Special Recognition Awards recognise the significant contributions made by individuals and groups to the dental nursing profession and to the NEBDN itself, and may reflect either a specific single achievement or achievements over a significant period of time.

Chair of the East of England Managed Clinical Network for Dental Care Professionals and a past President of the British Association of Dental Nurses, Ms Dalgarno 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. A past Programme Director for the HEE Foundation Degree in Advanced Dental Nursing and former Clinical Workforce Development Lead at Community Dental Services CIC, she holds certificates in education, oral health education, sedation and dental radiography, 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 College’s Faculty of Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy since it was 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 was elected to her current College role in 2024.

She has received the Special Recognition Award in recognition of:

“…her exceptional and sustained contribution to education and professional development in dental nursing over more than 25 years. Through her extensive experience delivering and leading education across a wide range of NEBDN-linked and national programmes, alongside her work in qualification development, quality assurance, and Learner support, Jane has made a lasting impact on Learner success and professional standards. Her educational leadership, national influence and unwavering commitment to excellence make her a highly deserving recipient of this award”.

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College of General Dentistry News

College Vice-Presidents 2026-27

Anoup Nandra and Nicola Gore have been elected as the College’s Vice-Presidents for 2026-27.

Vice Presidents of the College: Nicola Gore FCGDent (l) and Anoup Nandra FCGDent (r)

Anoup Nandra FCGDent is Principal Dentist at a mixed NHS-and-private practice in Edgbaston and a private dental practice in Wolverhampton. 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 Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry. A Fellow of both CGDent and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, he has completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Implant Dentistry from University College London, an MSc in Dental Implantology from the University of Lancashire and a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education from the University of Wolverhampton. He also holds an LLM in legal aspects of medical practice and the Cardiff University Bond Solon Civil Expert Witness Certificate. He was elected to represent the West Midlands on the College Council in 2024 and is Chair of the College’s Membership Admissions Panel.

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 the popular Dentistry in a Nutshell: A Practical Guide to Clinical Dentistry, and among the authors of the third edition of the College’s Standards in Dentistry publication. She has represented the North Thames region on the College Council since 2024 and served as a Vice President in 2025-26.

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

Patricia Thomson to be awarded College Medal

Patricia Thomson FCGDent will be awarded this year’s College Medal, the College’s most prestigious honour.

 Dr Patricia Thomson FCGDent (l), winner of the 2026 College Medal (r)

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 Thomson has received the award in recognition of her wholehearted commitment to the profession, and her longstanding service to CGDent and previously to the Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP), both nationally and in the west of Scotland.

Since graduating from Glasgow Dental School in 1983 until her retirement from practice this year, she amassed 43 years’ unbroken service as a general dental practitioner. Principal of a mixed NHS-and-private practice for over 30 years, she assisted the Vocational Dental Practitioners in her practice for over 20 of these, also nurturing the careers of many Dental Care Professionals, associate dentists and non-clinical staff. In recent years, she practised as a part-time associate dentist, and she continues to teach undergraduates as a part-time Clinical Teaching Fellow in the restorative department at the University of Glasgow.

Heavily involved for more than two decades in the highly active West of Scotland division of the former FGDP, she tutored numerous colleagues for entry exams for the Royal Colleges and presented teaching sessions on orthodontics to vocational trainees. Elected in 2016 to represent the West and North of Scotland on the national FGDP Board, she was re-elected in 2019 and transferred to the College Council when CGDent succeeded the FGDP.

In 2021, she led the establishment of CGDent Scotland to succeed the West of Scotland division, and has since continued her involvement both in the study groups and in planning the annual study days, which have been running since 1992 and now regularly attract over 400 colleagues.

She was appointed the first Chair of the College’s Regional Funding Panel and was elected Vice-President of the College in 2022. She served a second term as Vice-President in 2023-24, and was re-elected to the Council in 2024 before standing down in 2025 after completing the maximum permitted nine years’ service. She continues to represent the College as its nominee on the NHS Education for Scotland Dental Committee, a role she has held for many years.

With a longstanding interest in orthodontics, she spent three years on a part-time clinical attachment in Glasgow Dental School’s orthodontic department, training in fixed appliance therapy, and later completed an MSc in Primary Dental Care (Dental Science) with an interest in orthodontics, achieving a distinction.

She also holds the Diploma of Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (MJDF) and the Diploma of Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (MFDS), and is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists and a Past President of the West of Scotland branch of the British Dental Association.

Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent, President of the College, said:

“I am delighted to be announcing this award to Patricia, and congratulate her on behalf of the whole College. She has worked tirelessly over many years, not least in her leadership capacity in Scotland, where together with committed colleagues she has helped foster an impressive and effective community of practice which has gone from strength to strength in delivering FGDP & College initiatives, particularly for the benefit of early careers practitioners. She epitomises what it means to be a College Fellow, and was a diligent member of the FGDP(UK) Board and College Council, and Vice President, whose countless contributions have helped define the College’s development throughout its early years. She remains a devoted and uncompromising champion of general dental practice, and is an extremely worthy and deserved recipient of the College Medal.” 

Dr Thomson will be the fifth recipient of the College Medal, following Ian Mills, Andrew Hadden, Ario Santini and Kevin Lewis.

Further details of the College’s honours and awards are available here

This year’s CGDent Scotland Study Day will take place on Friday 4 December at Glasgow Science Centre, where Dr Noland Naidoo, Dr Helen Kaney FCGDent, Professor Murali Srinivasan and Professor Gerry McKenna FCGDent will lecture on ‘Digital dentistry for the dental team’. All dental professionals are welcome, and further information and tickets are available here

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College of General Dentistry News

Midlands Study Club summer programme

The CGDent Midlands group hosts regular face-to-face midweek Study Club evenings, with CPD certificates provided. These are free for College members, with a small fee payable by non-members.

Leaders of upcoming CGDent Midlands Study Club events (clockwise from top left): Dr Aron Kandola, Dr Prakash Parekh, Dr Simran Bains, Dr Nick Robson, Dr Kam Panesar and Dr Vishal Klaire

Study Club evenings are designed to provide practical, peer-led learning that can be immediately applied in general dental practice, combining short, GDP-focussed teaching with interactive discussion of real-world cases and clinical challenges.

Most recently, the group discussed aesthetic and adhesive dentistry, and other subjects covered this year include cracks and dental pain, periodontics and dental implants. Previous topics have included endodontics, difficult extractions, dental photography, occlusion, tooth wear and bruxism, paediatric dentistry, managing medically compromised patients, hands-on suturing and rubber dam isolation.

Its summer programme of upcoming events comprises:

Each of the above events will take place at Rock Dental, a specialist referral practice in Wolverhampton, and is sponsored by Wrights UK. Space at each event is limited so early booking is advised.

Further information and booking is available via the button below:

BOOK NOW

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College of General Dentistry News

New member elected to College Council

The College has announced that Dr Ralph Pickup FCGDent has been elected to the Mersey & North West seat on its Council.

Dr Ralph Pickup FCGDent, the newly elected College Council member for Mersey & North West

Dr Pickup is a partner and general dental practitioner in a private dental practice in Clitheroe, Lancashire, where he accepts referrals for endodontic treatment. He graduated BDS from Newcastle Dental School in 1997 with distinction in restorative dentistry, and subsequently practised NHS dentistry in Newcastle, Stanley (County Durham) and Thornton Cleveleys (Lancashire). He holds a Diploma in Conscious Sedation in Dentistry from Newcastle University, both an Advanced Certificate in Facilitating Learning in Healthcare Practice and a Postgraduate Diploma in Endodontics from the University of Central Lancashire, the Diploma in Dental Health Services Leadership and Management and Diploma of Fellowship of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP), and the Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties (MJDF) of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. A former FGDP Fellowship Facilitator, he is a Foundation Member, Founding Contributor, Fellow and Certified Membership Facilitator of the College of General Dentistry, as well as a donor to its recent Coat of Arms Appeal. Chair of East Lancashire Local Dental Committee and a member of the British Dental Association’s General Dental Practice Committee, he participates in his Local Dental Network and Dental Practitioner Advice and Support Service scheme, and has previously been an educational supervisor for NHS Foundation Training. A Fellow of the International College of Dentists, he is a member of the British Endodontic Society, American Association of Endodontists, Northwest Endodontic Study Circle, Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry, British Society for Restorative Dentistry and the British Society for Academic and Clinical Hypnosis.

He will be inaugurated at the Council’s Summer meeting in London on Friday 12 June, and succeeds Janine Yazdi-Doughty FCGDent

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 elected members serving three-year terms after which they are eligible to stand for re-election (subject to a lifetime limit of nine years’ service on the Council, including any past service on the National Board of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK).

Nominations will open in January for 11 seats due for election in 2027:

  • Faculty of Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy
  • Faculty of Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy
  • Faculty of Dental Technology & Clinical Dental Technology
  • Faculty of Dentists
  • Central London
  • North Thames
  • South West England
  • Trent & East Anglia
  • Wales
  • West Midlands
  • Yorkshire & Northern

To stand for a Faculty seat, you must be an Associate Member, Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College, and must be registered with the GDC (or overseas equivalent) in a relevant role for the seat. Candidates for regional seats must be a Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College (in any team role) and must live or work within that region, and be registered to that region with the College.

Further information is available here

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College of General Dentistry News

Education partnership with Dentistry Show 2026

The College will once again be an education partner at the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show this year.

CGDent speakers at British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2026: Helen Kaney FCGDent (left) and Tom Bereznicki FCGDent (right). Centre: College representatives at the CGDent stand

The College will be delivering two lectures, which will be open to all dental professionals and free of charge for members and non-members of the College alike:

Oral cancer risk management

Friday 15 May 2026, 3.30pm – 4.15pm

Helen Kaney FCGDent, Head of the Dental Division at the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, will deliver this lecture in the Private Dentistry 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.

Transitioning to a digital workflow in restorative dentistry

Saturday 16 May 2026, 2.45pm – 3.30pm

Tom Bereznicki FCGDent, general dental practitioner and founder of the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation, will deliver this lecture in the Private Dentistry Theatre. After graduating from Edinburgh, Dr Bereznicki worked as a house surgeon at Guy’s and The Royal Dental Hospitals before entering general dental practice, in which he has over 40 years’ experience. With a special interest in restorative dentistry, in particular occlusion and emergence profile, he was also a visiting clinical specialist teacher at King’s College London Dental Institute and later joined the teaching faculty for the university’s MSc in Aesthetic Dentistry. In 2018, he joined the Academy of Dental Excellence as a senior specialist teacher, and in 2021 became a partner associate lecturer for the University of Portsmouth’s Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Aesthetic and Restorative Dentistry. A former member of the FGDP and Founder Member of CGDent, he has been a Fellow of the College since 2022, is a regional speaker on occlusion for the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and is a member of both the Faculty of Dental Trainers at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

College representatives will also be available throughout the show at the College’s exhibition stand (L75) 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 BDCDS26, which is free for all dental professionals.

Conference attendees will have access to 200 CPD lectures, as well as 400 exhibiting suppliers, and the opportunity to network with 10,000 dentists, practice managers, hygienists and therapists, dental nurses, technicians and laboratory owners.

REGISTER HERE FOR FREE

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College of General Dentistry News

Voting open in College Council election 2026

Voting is now open for the Mersey & North West seat on the College Council, and eligible members are encouraged to cast their ballot.

Candidates for the Mersey & North West Council seat: Ralph Pickup FCGDent (l) and Anand Chandrasekaran FCGDent (r)

Two candidates are standing – Anand Chandrasekaran FCGDent and Ralph Pickup FCGDent – and Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College who have registered an address with the College which is within its Mersey & North West region are encouraged to vote.

Dr Anand Chandrasekaran is an associate dentist at a mixed NHS-and-private practice in Helsby, Cheshire, where he accepts referrals for advanced restorative dentistry. He qualified BDS in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in 2000, graduating top of his class in oral medicine, radiology and oral surgery. He later founded a charitable dental practice in the city, providing basic dental care for the underprivileged population of the district of Kolathur. After co-owning a dental practice in India for several years, he re-located to the UK, where he has practised since 2008. In 2017, he completed an MSc in Aesthetic and Restorative Dentistry at the University of Manchester with distinction. The following year he joined the course as a tutor and mentor, and in 2021 he was made an Honorary Teaching Associate in Dentistry within the university’s School of Medical Sciences. He holds the Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS) award of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and joined the College of General Dentistry as an Associate Fellow in 2023, becoming a Fellow in 2024. He has a special interest in minimally invasive aesthetic dental treatments, has undertaken additional training in periodontics and the restoration of dental implants, and is currently in the final year of an MSc in Orthodontics at the University of Plymouth.

Dr Ralph Pickup is a partner and general dental practitioner in a private dental practice in Clitheroe, Lancashire, where he accepts referrals for endodontic treatment. He graduated BDS from Newcastle Dental School in 1997 with distinction in restorative dentistry, and subsequently practised NHS dentistry in Newcastle, Stanley (County Durham) and Thornton Cleveleys (Lancashire). He holds a Diploma in Conscious Sedation in Dentistry from Newcastle University, both an Advanced Certificate in Facilitating Learning in Healthcare Practice and a Postgraduate Diploma in Endodontics from the University of Central Lancashire, the Diploma in Dental Health Services Leadership and Management and Diploma of Fellowship of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP), and the Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties (MJDF) of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. A former FGDP Fellowship Facilitator, he is a Foundation Member, Founding Contributor, Fellow and Certified Membership Facilitator of the College of General Dentistry, as well as a donor to its recent Coat of Arms Appeal. Chair of East Lancashire Local Dental Committee and a member of the British Dental Association’s General Dental Practice Committee, he participates in his Local Dental Network and Dental Practitioner Advice and Support Service scheme, and has previously been an educational supervisor for NHS Foundation Training. A Fellow of the International College of Dentists, he is a member of the British Endodontic Society, American Association of Endodontists, Northwest Endodontic Study Circle, Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry, British Society for Restorative Dentistry and the British Society for Academic and Clinical Hypnosis.

The Council is the voice of our members, overseeing our role as a professional body and guiding the development of the College to fulfil its mission. Council members serve three-year terms and elections are held annually on a rotational basis. The elected candidate for the Mersey & North West region is due to serve from June 2026 – June 2029.

All members eligible to vote have been sent an email by the College’s election services provider, Mi-Voice, to the email address which the member has registered with the College. This contains the unique link/details they will need to cast their ballot online, as well as the candidates’ election statements. The deadline to vote is 23:59 on Monday 27 April 2026.

Please ensure that your membership of CGDent remains up to date before you vote, otherwise your vote might not count. The CGDent Member Register displays a list of all current Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows, together with their College region.

Each member’s allocated region is determined by the postal address they have registered with the College. This must be where the member either lives or works, and will be where their copies of the Primary Dental Journal and all other physical correspondence is sent. Your registered address can be updated in My Account following any change of location. A map of the College’s regions is here.

Please contact us at [email protected] if you think you are a Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College but cannot find yourself on the Member Register, or if any of your listed details are incorrect.

If you need to renew your membership, you can do this easily online here.

If you are an Associate Member considering upgrading your membership in order to vote, or a non-member considering joining in order to do so, you will need to allow 1-2 weeks for the process to complete and for your unique voting details to be issued to you. Late votes will not be counted.

Following the election, the results will be announced at the end of April.

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.

For information on when elections will next be held for other seats, see the College Council webpage.

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College of General Dentistry News

College Fellow honoured with IADR award

Dr Wendy Thompson FCGDent, College Lead on antimicrobial prescribing, resistance and stewardship, has received a Distinguished Scientist Award from the International Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (IADR).

Dr Wendy Thompson FCGDent with the plaque commemorating her IADR Distinguished Scientist Award for Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology

Given annually, IADR Distinguished Scientist Awards recognise outstanding research achievements in a variety of disciplines. Considered a mark of leadership in the field of dental research, they are among the most prestigious honours bestowed by the organisation. Dr Thompson has received this year’s award for research in the fields of pharmacology, therapeutics and toxicology.

A general dental practitioner in Cumbria and Clinical Senior Lecturer in Primary Dental Care at the University of Manchester, Dr Thompson researches and lectures nationally and internationally on tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR), reducing the overprescribing of antibiotics, and optimising the prevention and control of infections. She graduated BDS from the University of Liverpool, was awarded the Diploma of Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, holds a BSc in Microbiology & Microbial Technology from the University of Warwick, and completed a PhD in antibiotic prescribing at the University of Leeds.

She is a CGDent Ambassador, a member of the College’s Research Advisory Group, and represents the College on the UK Health Security Agency’s dental sub-group and oversight committee on antimicrobial use and resistance. Guest Editor of the College’s 2021 Primary Dental Journal issue dedicated to COVID-19 and urgent dental care, she became a Fellow of the College in 2022 and has written about her journey to gaining Fellowship through the experience route. She delivered the Caldwell Memorial Lecture 2024 on using antibiotics sustainably, has lectured for the College at the annual Dentistry Show, presented the College’s Talking Standards webinar on antimicrobial prescribing in dentistry and was the lead developer of its chairside synopsis of Antimicrobial Prescribing in Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines.

She is also Vice Chair of the FDI World Dental Federation Science Committee, Chair of its working group on preventing antimicrobial resistance and infections, an advisor to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, a member of the BDA Health & Science Committee, a Council member of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, a member of the BNF Dental Advisory Group, Trustee of the charity The AMR Narrative and a member of Antibiotics Research UK’s Public Engagement and Patient Support Committee. She was an honorary consultant to the Office of the Chief Dental Officer for England on antimicrobial stewardship and attended the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on AMR in September 2024. She is a Fellow of both the Higher Education Academy and the International College of Dentists, and prior to becoming a dentist spent nine years working at the Ministry of Defence.

The award was formally conferred last week at the IADR General Session in San Diego, California, where Dr Thompson delivered a keynote lecture on antimicrobial stewardship research in dentistry, spoke on the President’s Panel about research into infection prevention and control, and chaired a session on adverse outcomes from the use of antimicrobials.

Professor Igor Blum, the editor-in-chief of the College’s Primary Dental Journal, won the Ivar Mjör Award, the IADR’s highest award for practice-based research, in 2024; read more here

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