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 Event

London meet-and-greet

Friday 9 – Saturday 10 October 2026, 9.00am – 5.00pm, London

ExCeL London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL

The College invites all dental professionals to visit its exhibition stand at Dentistry Show London 2026.

College members and non-members alike are 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, our Certified Practitioner status 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 will be there throughout the conference to help you out, and have live access to College systems to help solve membership queries on the spot.

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

The College will also be an education partner for the show, hosting CPD lectures.

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

A registration link will be added below once registration is open.

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College of General Dentistry Event

Birmingham meet-and-greet

Friday 15 May (9am-5.30pm) & Saturday 16 May 2026 (9am-5pm), Birmingham

Hall 5, National Exhibition Centre, North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT

The College invites all dental professionals to visit its exhibition stand at the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2026

College members and non-members alike are 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 how to download your membership certificate, what Certified Practitioner status 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 will be there throughout the conference to help you out, and we’ll have live access to our systems to help solve membership queries on the spot.

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

The College will also be an education partner, hosting CPD lectures.

The British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show is the UK’s largest dental event, giving you access to 400 exhibitors and 10,000 fellow dental professionals, and offering over 200 lectures across 11 CPD theatres.

Registration for BDCDS26 will be FREE for all dental professionals.

A link will be added below once registration is open.

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College of General Dentistry Event

British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show

Friday 15 May (9am-5.30pm) & Saturday 16 May 2026 (9am-5pm), Birmingham

Hall 5, National Exhibition Centre, North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT

The College will once again be an education partner for the British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show (BDCDS).

We will welcome members and non-members alike to our CPD lectures, with experts in their fields sharing their knowledge on a range of subjects and giving advice to support the professional development of the whole dental team. Details of the lecture programme will be announced in due course.

College representatives will be available throughout the show at the CGDent exhibition stand to talk to delegates about our vision for the profession, the benefits of membership and fellowship, and to answer your questions.

BDCDS is the UK’s largest dental event. Attendees will have access to over 200 CPD lectures in all across multiple lecture theatres, and the opportunity to network among 10,000 dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, practice managers, dental technicians and laboratory owners.

Co-located with Dental Technology Showcase, it is also a great opportunity to meet new and existing suppliers, with 400 exhibitors on site, including all the industry leaders.

Registration for BDCDS26 will be FREE for all dental professionals.

A link will be added below once registration is open.

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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, 3-5pm, 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).

Led by Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent, the publication’s editor, 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, and the launch of the Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry.

There will also be a presentation on the College’s emerging Career Pathway for Implant Dentistry, a progression from new practitioner in the field to recognised mentor, through which implant dentists can develop their careers and gain recognition for the skills, knowledge and experience acquired at each stage.

The Immediate Past President of the College, Dr Pal is also Principal of The University Dental and Implant Centre in Birmingham, co-editor of the College’s Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines and a member of its Career Pathways Reference Group.

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, including the Presentations of Associate Fellows and Fellows, upstairs in the Livery Hall. This is a chargeable event with separate ticketing arrangements.

It will be preceded in the same venue by the the Lindsay Society’s Lilian Lindsay memorial lecture. This is a chargeable event with separate ticketing arrangements.

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