Alasdair Miller FCGDent talks to Nairn Wilson CBE about becoming one of the first Life Fellows of the College.
Alasdair Miller FCGDent (left) and Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent (right)
Nairn: Alasdair, first and foremost congratulations on becoming a Life Fellow of the College. A few questions, if I may; firstly, what do you hope to contribute to the College as a Life Fellow and member of the 1992 Circle?
Alasdair: I was attracted to the College as its career pathway seemed ideally suited to a practitioner’s working life and rather mirrored my less structured career development with life-long learning at its heart. I have been very fortunate in my career and becoming a Life Fellow and member of the 1992 Circle allows me to stay in touch and continue to contribute. I have assisted with the development of the College’s Certified Membership scheme, based on my experiences as Programme Director of Bristol University’s Open Learning for Dentists and updating the arrangements for Certified Membership Facilitators. Life Fellowship was a logical progression for me: FFGDP to FCGDent to Life Fellow, to support the College as it develops and give something back.
NW: Growth in the number of retired and, in particular, Life Fellows would be a great boon for the College. Why should retired colleagues eligible for FCGDent ‘By Equivalence’ or ‘By Experience’, who are not yet members of the CGDent, consider joining the College?
AM: I have always enjoyed the collegiate nature of the profession and company of colleagues. The College, specifically the 1992 Circle provides a ‘home’ for like-minded retired colleagues who wish to stay connected and involved in the profession, albeit they are no longer practising. Fellowship of the College ‘By Equivalence’ or ‘By Experience’ allows retired colleagues to have their professional experience and achievements recognised and valued, with opportunity, amongst other things, to support young colleagues and put something back into the profession.
NW: What message would you like to send to existing retired Fellows of the College to encourage them to become Life Fellows?
AM: If one is retired and a Fellow, I would ask: What’s stopping you becoming a Life Fellow? In so doing, you provide invaluable support to the fledgling College, helping it to grow and prosper to become the Royal College all Fellows wish it to become.
NW: Is it a strength of the College that all members may aspire to becoming a Life Fellow in retirement?
AM: Yes, it is a strength, specifically as it applies to all members of the dental team. While becoming a Life Fellow in retirement is a personal choice, I hope that all retired Fellows, present and future will consider it a way of enabling the College to continue to grow and prosper.
NW: Finally, as one of the College’s first Life Fellows, what would you most like the College to achieve as it continues to grow and prosper?
AM: I hope the College’s Career Pathway will be valued by the profession and as many practitioners as possible travel up it and become Fellows. Having a structured plan for professional development that is customised to one’s own aspirations and circumstances is unique. The Pathway is a way to have your career development recognised and validated, whilst at the same time acquiring skills and knowledge in areas of interest that support a member’s professional aspirations. It encourages continuous improvement for the benefit of patients, the profession and the professional. I anticipate the College developing programmes that enable College members and others to meet the challenges of modern practice life. In the process, it is to be hoped that the College will be granted a Royal Charter.
NW: Alisdair, many thanks for your insightful views and comments. It is most encouraging and reassuring to know that the College will be able to avail itself of your wisdom and wise counsel during your lifetime. Thank you on behalf of the College for your commitment and most generous support. Enjoy being a Life Fellow.
Subject to being 65 or over and no longer registered with the GDC or an equivalent body, eligibility for Life Fellowship of the College is automatic for retired former Fellows of the FGDP, and for retired current or former Fellows of CGDent, the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, the American Academy of Implant Dentistry or any of the faculties of dental surgery or dentistry of the Royal Colleges of the UK or Ireland. Retired colleagues from across the spectrum of oral healthcare who satisfy the criteria for Fellowship are also encouraged to apply.Further information is available here.
Nairn Wilson is President Emeritus of the College. Those interested in becoming a Life Fellow are invited to contact him at [email protected]
Voting is now open for the South East and South West Thames seat on the Council of the College of General Dentistry, and eligible members are encouraged to cast their ballot.
Four candidates are standing, and Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College who have registered an address with the College which is within its South East and South West Thames region are entitled to vote.
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 South East and South West Thames region is due to serve from June 2023 – June 2026.
The candidates are listed alphabetically by surname below, together with their election statements, and the deadline to vote is 2359 on Friday 26 May 2023.
All eligible members as of 17 March 2023 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.
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 on Wednesday 31 May 2023.
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 athttps://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.
Candidates for the South East and South West Thames seat
Anthony Bendkowski
“I enjoy working as a part of a team contributing both experience and humour. I have a proven ability in bringing teams together so that they can achieve more together than they could individually.”
Candidate statements
Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your professional and personal interests.
Qualifying in 1983 from University College Hospital Dental School, based in the South-East for all of my working life. I am a specialist oral surgeon and have worked in all sectors including general practice, community service, hospital, university and a long standing commitment as chair of our local dental committee. I run an 8 surgery general and specialist practice in South-East London and an implant referral practice in Maidstone.
I have a strong interest in developing pathways for lifelong education and training. I believe that primary care is the home of a high quality patient journey and is the environment for each member of the dental team to develop a fulfilling career.
For me, the College of General Dentistry is the new voice for our profession in primary care. I want to help this voice to be heard clearly for the future with all the many challenges that face us.
Why did you decide to stand for election?
I have decided to stand because I believe that the profession is facing many challenges for the future including recruitment, over-regulation, litigation, underfunding and the prevailing economic situation. I want to help and support the College to be heard as the cohesive and authoritative voice of our profession and to overcome these challenges.
What are your ambitions for the organisation?
For the College to expand its membership and to take its rightful place at the table representing our profession at all levels.
For the college to become the home of a comprehensive pathway of training ,education and qualifications for the dental team.
Give some examples from your professional or personal life that show you have the right skill set to make a contribution to the work of the Council.
Commitment to practice based research – participating in two ongoing multicentre clinical studies in implantology.
Various research and professional publications over many years.
Ongoing commitment to lifelong training and education.
Chair of Greenwich and Bexley LDC for over 15 years.
Past President of Association of Dental Implantology. Organised national conferences and study clubs. Contributed to development of implant training standards guidance with GDC and FGDP.
Lecturer for Brighton and Sussex Medical School Implantology postgraduate program – helped to develop and implement the program.
Board member of PEERS DentsplySirona Implantology Training and Education Group help to organise national meetings.
Lecture extensively both nationally and internationally.
Member of Faculty of Surgical Trainers (RCS Ed).
Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons (London).
I am an active airshow/display pilot and own and fly a pair of vintage aircraft in a display team.
Ivy Glavee
“To make a difference and create a structure, process and outcome as well as offer innovative solutions to the needs of the organisation and encourage skillmix to address the shortage of dental health care professionals in areas that need them. To implement an Oral health programme to address high decay.”
Candidate statements
Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your professional and personal interests.
I am a Mentor, Poet, Teacher, Visionary and Author of the book Positive Work Life Balance – how to transform from tired individual to happy, empowered and fulfilled individual using top tips listed as part of toolkit. I am also an Innovative Dental Surgeon. My philosophy of life is to make a difference which becomes a ripple effect to inspire the next generation.
Why did you decide to stand for election?
I wish to use my experiences to make a difference and contribute.
What are your ambitions for the organisation?
My ambitions for the organisation is twofold. First things first is to identify the needs and offer innovative solutions.
Secondly to create an educational training pathway to help others, encourage skill mix and parent focus groups using the time of sugar rationing as inspiration for the KAB model. (Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviour).
Finally to create a structure, process and outcome that can be evaluated to find out what worked, what did not work and how best to improve.
Give some examples from your professional or personal life that show you have the right skill set to make a contribution to the work of the Council.
Writing articles on Positive Work Life Balance and published
Creating courses and presenting
Organising a conference with an organisation and being a presenter
Taking part in Artificial Intelligence versus Corona Hackathon with data scientists and our team winning first prize
Taking part in leadership landscape
Taking part in collection of thoughts regards COVID 19 impact and published
Participant in research workshop on tackling differential attainment in the medical profession and report published
Being asked to produce a white paper on staff wellbeing in the workplace
I can teach
Having participated in leadership programmes (BEL leadership program and Advanced Dental Leadership)
Roshni Karia
“‘A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.’ (Colin Powell). I would be humbled to continue the hard work and commitment I have already made and I kindly request your support in accelerating not just a vision but making this an absolute reality.”
Candidate statements
Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your professional and personal interests.
My vision has always been to help develop an environment that promotes clinical excellence and confidence whilst supporting peer learning and collaboration as it is here where I believe we thrive the most.
With this in mind, in 2015 I applied and was subsequently appointed an Early Careers Representative (FGDP UK). In 2017, I was elected to represent the South East and South West Thames Region and re-elected as a member of the College Council (2020-23).
During my time, I have held various chairs and was elected Junior Vice Dean (FGDP(UK) 2019-2020) and Senior Vice President (CGDent 2021-2022). I have remained a member of the President’s (Past Dean’s) Executive since 2017 with a central focus on developing Career Pathways for all members of the Oral Healthcare team. Having qualified from King’s College London (2010) I am a General Dental Practitioner and an undergraduate clinical tutor (Periodontology), King’s College London.
Why did you decide to stand for election?
I set out with a firm vision; for each member to confidently and freely serve our community, with the reassurance that they are supported by a strong clinical backbone; guiding and fostering excellence so that we can all strive to achieve our best. Therefore, over the years I have worked tirelessly; especially in developing the Career Pathways and Chairing the Certified Membership Scheme. This has enabled phase one of this brand-new scheme to launch early in 2023, aimed at providing all members of the oral healthcare team an opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities and navigate their personal career journey with flexibility, structure and support.
Having started this journey, I am resolute in developing this so we can continue in ‘Setting Standards and ‘Supporting Careers’. I am determined to support the College’s ambition for Royal Charter as it is here, we can nurture these values and strengthen our professional community.
What are your ambitions for the organisation?
I am now looking forward to building on the progress made to embed a Career Pathway for all members of the Oral Healthcare Team. I have always believed in a professional environment driven by high quality and ethics, however, the environment in which this is learnt and thereafter delivered should be conducive in which to do so. Our profession requires support, refreshed confidence and synergy to be able to do this. As a College, we must rebuild bridges and celebrate peer support with fully supported professional development, so we can all make much more strategic decisions about our careers.
I believe it is absolutely necessary for the College to respond to the contemporary needs of all of our members and pursue our Royal Charter so we can now have an independent, yet cohesive voice and that Dentistry becomes central to mainstream Healthcare; working together at the forefront of clinical excellence.
Give some examples from your professional or personal life that show you have the right skill set to make a contribution to the work of the Council.
Participation within roles as:
• Elected Board and Council Member (FGDP (UK) and CGDent) (2017-2023)
• Past Vice Dean 2019-20, Past Senior Vice President 2021-22
• Chair: Certified Membership Scheme Programme Board and Professional Affairs Committee.
• Past Chair: Membership Affairs and Careers and Training Committees.
• Member: Career Pathways Programme Board
• Member: Forward Planning Group for COVID-19
• Successful completion of Healthcare Leadership Academy Scholarship Programme (2020-21)
• Completed (awaiting results) PGCert in Clinical Practice Management and Education (2022)
• Fellow: Higher Education Academy
With these professional commitments, alongside investing in my own personal development I believe I have a broad understanding of the work undertaken and now required to progress as an authoritative organisation for the Dental Profession with an aspiration for Royal Charter.
The experiences and networks I have built have helped to shape me and have equipped me with the skills necessary to make a meaningful contribution to the work of the Council.
Ian Kerr
“I believe I can bring my passion, my focus, my leadership qualities, and my organisational skills all of which can be used to further the cause of the College.”
Candidate statements
Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your professional and personal interests.
I qualified from Newcastle Dental School in 1989 and have worked full-time in dentistry ever since.
I have worked in both the NHS and Private primary care and at King’s Dental Hospital and Kent and Canterbury.
I have completed an MSc, with distinction, in Advanced Specialist Healthcare and an LLM by research I have also completed a diploma in Restorative and Aesthetic dentistry, a Pg Cert in Implantology, a Pg Cert in civil law expert witness work, and a Pg Cert in Risk Mitigation.
I have developed an interest in dento-legal work and am active in this field as an expert witness.
Outside of dentistry, I have enjoyed rugby, martial arts, and boxing along with endurance events such as triathlon and a half iron man. I now limit my activities to sea swimming and training in the boxing gym without the need to ever let anyone hit me again!
Why did you decide to stand for election?
I feel that the college is a step in the right direction for dentistry and believe that a key lesson learned from the COVID crisis was that dentistry is in urgent need of a Royal College if it wishes to have a stronger voice at the highest levels. This is a process that I would like to be part of and want to offer whatever support I can.
What are your ambitions for the organisation?
I would like the college to become a Royal College and to have the full backing and support of the profession who would see it as the primary authoritative voice within dentistry.
Give some examples from your professional or personal life that show you have the right skill set to make a contribution to the work of the Council.
My organisational skills have been used in organising an expert witness group into a significant body within the field of Expert Witnessing in dento-legal matters, now with over 80 participants.
I have successfully run a multi-surgery private practice for 18 years, having started it from a squat.
From my student years as President of the Society to my rugby days as Club Captain in two of the four clubs I played for and as the founding partner of my dental practice, I have always tended to take positions of leadership when I felt it was an area that I could add value to.
REMINDERS:
VOTES SHOULD BE CAST THROUGH THE UNIQUE LINK SENT TO ELIGIBLE MEMBERS BY MI-VOICE BY EMAIL
Elections are due to be held for a number of seats on the Council of the College, and all eligible members are invited to consider standing.
As the College embarks on its third full year of operation – summaries of our achievements in our first two years are available here and here – these are exciting times in its development, and this is a fantastic opportunity to get involved and contribute at a national level.
The Council is the voice of our members. It oversees our role as a professional body and guides the Trustee Board on the development of the College to fulfil its mission.
As a Council member, you would provide leadership, strategic input and direction in all the professional affairs of the College. You would be helping to shape key moments in the College’s growth and could also get involved in specific initiatives on areas such as careers, policy and standards. A full role description is linked below.
Elections are taking place this year for the following seats:
South and North Wales
North East and North West Thames
South East and South West Thames
Northern Ireland
Time commitment
If successfully elected, you would serve a three-year term, from June 2023 – June 2026, during which you would be expected to attend three Council meetings each year (currently one face-to-face and two online, all typically on a Friday morning), as well as other potential occasional online meetings and committees (normally outside of business hours).
Your first Council meeting would be on Friday 16 June 2023 in London.
You would also be expected to vote, and eligible to stand, in the annual election of two Vice Presidents, and in the triennial election of a College President, and would be encouraged to attend our bi-annual Fellows Receptions and other face-to-face College events.
You would be able to stand for re-election in 2026, and individuals may serve up to three elected terms (i.e. nine years) on the Council.
Eligibility
All Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College, regardless of their team role, are eligible to nominate themselves for election providing they meet the criteria for the relevant seat(s):
Candidates for regional seats must live or work within that region, and be registered with that region with CGDent
If you are an Associate Member considering upgrading your membership in order to stand for election, or to vote, or a non-member considering joining, you will need to allow at least two weeks ahead of the relevant date(s) below for this process to complete.
Interested?
All eligible members as of 17 March 2023 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, please complete the nomination process via that link, where you will be asked for further information, and to submit an election statement.
You will also be required to provide the names of two supporters of your application, each of whom must themselves be a Full Member, Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College. If you are unsure of the membership status of potential supporters, please consult our Member Register.
THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF NOMINATIONS IS 23:59 ON SUNDAY 16 APRIL 2023
Key Dates
Nominations close at 23:59 on Sunday 16 April 2023
The deadline for receipt of referee support is 12:00 on Wednesday 19 April 2023
Voting will open during week commencing Monday 24 April 2023
Voting will close on Friday 26 May 2023
Results will be announced on Wednesday 31 May 2023
If you think you might like to put yourself forward as a candidate and wanted further information, we would be pleased to have a confidential discussion and answer any questions about the role and the process. Please get in touch via [email protected](please note you would not receive a call back before Monday 3 April 2023).
A map showing the regions covered by the regional seats of the College can be downloaded here. If you are unsure which CGDent region you are in, contact us via [email protected]
The role is voluntary, but we do cover essential expenses.
Technical problems
If you experience technical difficulties submitting your nomination, please contact Mi-Voice by emailing [email protected] or calling 02380 763987.
Dr Louise Belfield AssocFCGDent is the College Council‘s Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy Representativeand Chair of the College’s Research Advisory Panel. The first dental nurse in the UK to achieve a PhD, here she reflects on the key moments, influences and lessons from her career to date.
My career in dentistry started at the age of 17 with an apprenticeship in Dental Technology. I worked as a trainee Dental Technician for 18 months and developed skills in crown and bridge work. During this time, I wondered with increasing frequency about the patients we were making prostheses for and decided to apply for a patient-facing role as a Dental Nurse. I trained in a small mixed NHS and private practice, and in 2003 gained my National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN) Certificate in Dental Nursing. I was fortunate to work with a supportive team, and I was proactively included in continuing professional development (CPD) activities. The critical CPD event that changed the trajectory of my career in dentistry was a session exploring the links between periodontal diseases and systemic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and how the oral microbiome might connect them. This sparked my curiosity and drive to find answers. What might this mean for our patients? What might we be able to advise if we knew more about it? The only path forward that I could see was to embark on scientific training at university.
The decision to leave my practice and enrol on a university degree was a difficult one because I was very happy where I was, and I enjoyed Dental Nursing. As I had gone straight into apprenticeship after leaving school, I chose a BSc in Human Biosciences university course which included a “Year Zero” to cover the prerequisite scientific knowledge in lieu of traditional A-levels. Throughout the university course I continued practising as a dental nurse, working as bank staff for a local hospital trust. This provided invaluable experience and kept me clinically active in the profession. I worked across a range of settings, including domiciliary care, school visits, emergency clinics, dental access centres, special care dentistry, and even on a mobile dental surgery van. I also worked at an emergency out-of-hours weekend service, and in a private practice which I fitted in around my lectures.
It became apparent to me through the course of my studies that it was the immune system that was the pivotal link between periodontal and systemic diseases, and in the final year of my degree course I focused my studies on the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis, and how it interacts with immune cells. This formed the basis of my further studies leading to a PhD, investigating how these immune cells behave in response to P. gingivalis when they are involved with oral cancer or chronic inflammation. As is often the case at the end of a PhD, there were many new questions formulating and I knew I wanted to continue to investigate these relationships further to answer some of these questions.
Career in dental research and education
At the end of my doctoral studies, an academic position became available and I was appointed as a Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences in 2013. This has enabled me to explore both the scientific and educational facets required in an academic career, and I have been able to establish research in both of these areas. My scientific research focuses on host-pathogen interactions, and I have been fortunate to work on multiple projects, including development of three-dimensional oral mucosa models, association of subgingival lipid A profiles with periodontal disease status,1,2 and in 2019 I received the Colgate Robin Davies Dental Care Professional Research Award from the Oral and Dental Research Trust (ODRT), for a project investigating modulation of osteoclast differentiation and activity by endotoxin tolerance. This Dental Care Professional (DCP) specific award was instrumental in developing an independent research career and I remain grateful to the ODRT for the opportunity.
Subsequently, working together with two colleagues at the University of Plymouth, we established the Oral Microbiome Research Group, where we run clinical and translational research investigating links between human health and disease, and oral bacteria. Two current clinical studies link the oral microbiome with pre-eclampsia, and formation of cerebral abscesses.3 Our research also explores how modifying the oral microbiome can be detrimental to maintaining oral and physiological health mechanisms; a study using chlorhexidine mouthwash to disrupt the normal microbiome found that a decreased diversity of species was associated with a decreased salivary pH buffering capacity, increased lactate and glucose levels, and reduced availability of nitrate and nitrite, with an associated increase in systolic blood pressure.4
Alongside my scientific research, I have also been able to develop scholarly activity, with a focus on inter- and intra-professional education, particularly relating to assessments and standard setting in multi-cohort programmes.5,6 Having come into higher education via a non-standard route, an area I have been particularly keen to invest in is access and participation, and a significant part of my academic role has been to develop a Foundation (Year Zero) entry pathway for the BSc Dental Therapy and Hygiene programme at Peninsula, with the specific focus on Dental Nurses, who make up the majority of our cohort. This Foundation pathway has been running successfully now for three years, and we will welcome our first cohort of BDS year zero students in September 2023, specifically designed to enable fairer access to dental education for local, South West students with non-traditional entry backgrounds.
Engagement with the professional community
I remain actively engaged with the Dental Nursing community through a number of external roles; I uphold my registration with the General Dental Council (GDC), and I am a trustee for the NEBDN, where I also chair the Education Standards Committee. In 2020, I was appointed as a Dental Clinical Fellow with Health Education England, which continues to afford me an insight into NHS dentistry, service commissioning, workforce challenges, DCP skill mix, and training needs, in line with the Dental Education Reform Programme.7 I am also a representative for Dental Nursing on the Council of the College of General Dentistry (CGDent), and with a dedicated and experienced team, we are working to establish the first Faculty of Dental Nursing. I am also grateful to the College for the opportunity to chair the Research Advisory Panel, espousing the message that research is open to all dental professionals.
Key learning points and recommendations
Instrumental in my career have been support and encouragement from those I work with, and seizing opportunities despite the frequent imposter syndrome! While by no means perfect, there tends to be more clarity in the pathway to an academic career for dentists, which is lacking for other dental professionals, which means it can be extra challenging to carve your own route. Promisingly, I come across more and more outstanding DCPs in academic positions and I hope this will continue. This is one of the reasons I am excited about the CGDent Career Pathways in Dentistry: Professional Framework and the establishment of the faculties, and to promote the CGDent vision to make research opportunities accessible for all members of the dental team, to pro-actively support Dental Nurses and all team members to excel in their profession to their fullest potential.
The skills and experience I accrued as a Dental Nurse helped me to progress in other areas, including academia and research; working as a bank dental nurse had its challenges, arriving each morning to a new practice, with different staff, surgery set-ups and protocols was difficult at times, but I learned to be adaptable, and to think on my feet. Communication and team working skills were vital; and I was privileged to work with a variety of patients with their own range of perspectives and experiences and I learned a lot from them. Finally, working in a high-pressure environment, developing effective time management was crucial to being a competent Dental Nurse and these skills have also served me well in academia. I would wholeheartedly encourage anyone with an interest in research or an academic career to pursue that, to reach out to potential mentors or advisors for guidance, and to explore the CGDent Career Pathways frameworks, as well as membership of the College and its Faculties.
References
1. McIlwaine C, Strachan A, Harrington Z, et al. Comparative analysis of total salivary lipopolysaccharide chemical and biological properties with periodontal status. Arch Oral Biol. 2019;110:104633.
2. Strachan A, Harrington Z, McIlwaine C, et al. Subgingival lipid A profile and endotoxin activity in periodontal health and disease. Clin Oral Investig. 2019;23(9):3527-3534.
3. Roy H, Bescos R, McColl E, et al. Oral microbes and the formation of cerebral abscesses: A single-centre retrospective study. J Dent. 2023;128:104366.
4. Bescos R, Ashworth A, Cutler C, et al. Effects of Chlorhexidine mouthwash on the oral microbiome. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):5254.
5. McIlwaine C, Brookes ZLS, Zahra D, et al. A novel, integrated curriculum for dental hygiene-therapists and dentists. Br Dent J. 2019;226(1):67-72.
6. Zahra D, Belfield L, Bennett J. The benefits of integrating dental and dental therapy and hygiene students in undergraduate curricula. Eur J Dent Educ. 2018;23(1):e12-e16.
This account was first published in the Primary Dental Journal (vol. 12, issue 1, March 2023)
Update (June 2023): Since this article was published, Louise has been appointed Academic Head of Assessment at Brunel University Medical School and has stood down from the College Council to focus on her new role; however she remains on the College’s Research Advisory Panel.
.Janet Clarke MBE FCGDent, Chair of Trustees, reviews the College’s achievements over the last twelve months.
The transfer of FGDP to the College of General Dentistry in July and August of 2021 was not the end of a process, but just the beginning for the new organisation…
The first few months were dominated by the immense task for the small staff team, of building the necessary infrastructure to support our members and embark on the broader mission that we have set for ourselves. That work continued into 2022 – not just in building a College for the future, but re-thinking our role as an independent professional body, in the modern, post-pandemic world.
The most significant keystone for the College’s future will undoubtedly prove to be the Career Pathways that we have been developing in this time, culminating in the publication of the underpinning Professional Framework in June. So why is this quite so significant?
Dentistry, alongside so many other healthcare professions, faces immense challenges in attracting and retaining the talented people that will define the character of the profession for a generation, and inspiring the best from them. Yet dentistry in the UK faces a greater challenge than other healthcare professions, in lacking the structure and support of a national structure for progression, outside the Specialist Dentist pathway. Our Career Pathways provide a concrete, but adaptable framework, across the entire dental team, upon which we and others can now build the opportunities and recognition that dental professionals crave. It starts with College membership: we now have a clear point of reference for defining the ways in which your membership can reflect your capabilities and experience in dentistry.
Early this year (2023) we opened our Certified Membership scheme to a first group of candidates: a modern approach in supporting dental professionals to find their way and build a career in a fast-moving and confusing world. A chance to fully recognise their commitment and capability. It has been gratifying to see the immense level of interest in Certified Membership across so many organisations that are grappling with the workforce challenges we have been working to address, including regulators, policy makers, and dental corporates.
In April 2022, we launched our new Fellowship by experience, bringing new opportunity for highly accomplished dental practitioners, across our community, to be recognised. We have been delighted with the response, with a significant number submitting applications. The eligibility criteria are being further developed to embrace the great diversity of senior professionals. Feedback has been so positive: at last, we are told, their work can be properly acknowledged.
The College aims to build an authoritative community of leadership in dentistry, enabling the professional team to engage constructively with the challenges for all. In January, we hosted our first Fellows’ Winter Reception in Manchester, to complement the Summer Reception which has attracted an impressive group in the past two years. This is an inspiring occasion in itself; but important, too, in our ambitions to attract active support from those with the influence to make a positive difference in dentistry – harnessing their energy in a common cause. In the same vein, we also hosted our first meeting of the 1992 Circle in Manchester: nurturing the community of outstanding dental professionals in retirement, many of whom have so much more to give to support the profession that has been central to their lives. 2022 marked the 30th anniversary of the foundation of FGDP, and the 1992 Circle celebrates that anniversary in its title, providing the opportunity to reflect on all that the Faculty achieved, and inspiring us in our continuing mission today.
CGDent is now the authoritative body for standards in dentistry, building on the highly respected work of FGDP and reflecting our commitment to setting standards, supporting careers. We continue to revise and update our standards to serve the profession, but also to extend into other areas where we see a need to support the profession. In 2022, we published our Implant Dentistry Mentoring Guidelines, and plan to do more in the arena of implant dentistry in 2023.
One of the major areas of interest for FGDP under Ian Mills’ leadership was diversity in the profession, and we have continued that work in CGDent. Most notably, we are pleased to host the Diversity in Dentistry Action Group, previously hosted by the CDO for England. We have hosted a number of important webinars on the subject, all of which are available to members online.
We have continued the FGDP partnership with Dental Protection to offer a significant discount for Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows – but now, with our wider remit, we are delighted that Dental Protection have been able to extend their offer to all dental professionals. All our work aims to address the needs of the whole team, and this is a welcome step in line with our overall philosophy and mission.
Twelve months after the opening of the College for business, we were pleased to publish a special issue of the Primary Dental Journal to mark our own special anniversary: a year since the activation of CGDent. The journal continues to thrive, with a number of notable issues in this past year. The number of high-quality articles submitted to the journal has also increased, as illustrated by the special back-to-back “general issues” that were published in 2022.
Your College depends on the support of its members. These are historic times, as we seek to fulfil the long-held ambition in dentistry for our own Royal College, but that goal cannot be achieved without a strong membership. Help us build that support – which translates into a richer offer for all members, greater authority in the profession generally, and ultimately better advocacy for our patients.
Your membership helps to secure our future: we must not let this opportunity pass us by. Do tell friends and colleagues!
Sadly this will be my last blog as I stand down as Chair of Trustees at the end of March. I have very much enjoyed my time as Chair and am incredibly proud of what we have achieved. I am delighted to be handing over the role to Mick Horton, so I know the College’s Trustee Board is in safe hands!
You may be interested in Janet’s blog reviewing the College’s inaugural Annual Members’ Meeting in March 2022…
The College has admitted over 150 dental professionals to date into Associate Fellowship in recognition of their high level of practice.
The membership grade, newly instituted in 2021, acts as a stepping stone to Fellowship. It is open to all dental professionals holding a qualifying award, and applicants do not need to be an existing member of the College to apply.
Qualifying awards include:
FGDP(UK) Diploma in Restorative Dentistry
FGDP(UK) Diploma in Primary Care Oral Surgery
FGDP(UK) or RCS Edinburgh Diploma in Implant Dentistry
Any other Level 7, 120 credit Postgraduate Diploma (or 180 credit Masters-level qualification) in a subject relevant to the enhancement of oral healthcare
Membership in General Dental Surgery (MGDS) of a UK faculty
Specialty membership of a UK faculty
Associate Fellows are entitled to use the post-nominal designation ‘AssocFCGDent’, are eligible to attend the College’s biannual Fellows’ Receptions, and are listed in the College’s online Member Register.
Should Associate Fellows wish to progress, their qualifying award for Associate Fellowship will automatically meet the requirements of the clinical domain of Fellowship – one of five domains, three of which must be satisfied for admittance.
Associate Fellows also have the option to enrol in the College’s Certified Membership programme, an enhanced membership which provides structured support with a trained facilitator to map out the next steps in their career. Those meeting the programme’s requirements over a period of two years would then be recognised as Certified Associate Fellows (AssocFCGDent(Cert.))
The following members have been admitted to Associate Fellowship of the College*:
Amir Hossein Abedi
Dentist, Barrow-in-Furness
Mohanad Abu-Mughaisib
Dentist, Brunei
Graham Richard Adlard
Dentist, Yelverton
Kelvin Ian Afrashtehfar
Dentist, Surrey, British Columbia
Ahmed Shihab Al Mashhadani
Dentist, Riyadh
Nibras Alnaimi
Dentist, Nottingham
Anoushiravan Ariakish
Dentist, London
Nicholas Brian Baker
Dentist, Edinburgh
Caroline Batistoni
Dentist, Tonbridge
Louise Belfield
Dental Nurse, Plymouth
Anuschka Beneke
Dentist, Waterlooville
Sarah Jane Bottomley
Dentist, York
David William Peter Brown
Dentist, Romsey
Darren Bywater
Dentist, Derby
Miguel Lains Cardoso
Dentist, Edinburgh
Kevin Caruana
Dentist, Stockton-on-Tees
Louisa Mary Clarke
Dental Hygienist, London
Melanie Elizabeth Clarkson
Dentist, Stamford
Russell Stephen Colclough
Dentist, Tynemouth
Padraic Conroy
Dentist, Jordanstown
Mario Arvino Joe Correia
Dentist, East Barnet
Orang Dadashian
Dentist, Hayes
Jane Dalgarno
Dental Nurse, Sharnbrook
Brett Davids
Dentist, Nottingham
Natalie Ann Dunn
Dentist, Falmouth
Robert Joseph Eades
Dentist, Tadcaster
Jeremy Jameson Edmondson
Dentist, Ellesmere
Marion Rose English
Dentist, Broxbourne
Ekaterina Fabrikant
Dentist, London
Peter Farrage
Dentist, Eaglescliffe
Timothy Graham Fildes
Dentist, Guernsey
Alexa Caroline Fyfe-Green
Dentist, Bognor Regis
Amanda Zoe Gallie
Dental Therapist, Oakham
Santhira Kumar Ganasan
Dentist, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
Affar Ghafoor
Dentist, Stockport
Daniel James Ghent
Dentist, London
Chris Gollings
Dentist, Christchurch
Callum John Graham
Dentist, Larkhall
Anthony James Hands
Dentist, Cullompton
Madalina Harmer
Dentist, Willington
John-Joe Hartigan
Dentist, Belfast
Sami James Hassan
Dentist, London
Hussein Hassanali
Dentist, York
Gareth John Hattersley
Dentist, Preston
Angela Heilmann MBE
Dental Nurse, Bedford
Sarah Suzanne Hill
Dental Hygienist, Stourbridge
Elizabeth Joy Hitchings
Dentist, Wellington, New Zealand
John Alexander Ho-A-Yun
Dentist, Cupar
Frances Hodson
Dentist, Seaton
Zhi Yen Hoe
Dentist, Batu Pahat, Malaysia
James Hudson
Dentist, Huddersfield
John Francis Alexander Hume-Spry
Dentist, Derby
James Robert Robert Hyslop
Dentist, Ormskirk
Charles Olajide Ilesanmi
Dentist, Kaduna, Nigeria
Gaurav Jamnadass
Dentist, Newcastle
Sherley Princess Deborah John
Dentist, Middlesbrough
Simon-Quentin Jones
Dentist, Swansea
Jimmy Kafeero
Dentist, Sittingbourne
Jasvinder Singh Kaila
Dentist, Egham
Priyadarshini Karthikeyan
Dental academic, Chennai
Bashir Haji Kassam
Dentist, Birmingham
Gurpreet Kaur
Dentist, Wellingborough
Graham Roderick Keeling
Dentist, Rottingdean
Patrick Gerard Kilker
Dentist, Sunderland
Stamatios Kioufis
Dentist, Athens
James Kolanko
Dentist, Stafford
Paul James Kolathingal
Dentist, Thrissur, Kerala
Raj Kumar
Dentist, London
Matthew Lamb
Dentist, Alfreton
Caroline Frances Lappin
Dentist, Belfast
Gareth Lavery
Dentist, Kelso
Georgios Lazaridis
Dentist, Trowbridge
Kim B Lee
Dentist, Hong Kong
Stewart Keith Lenton
Dentist, Rugby
Max Leslie
Dentist, Cambridge
William Maguire
Dentist, Belfast
Christopher John Maher
Dentist, Bishop Burton
Amit Maisuria
Dentist, St Albans
Nadim Nadim Majid
Dentist, Blackburn
Usmaan Fazal Majid
Dentist, Dewsbury
Sarah Mapplebeck
Dentist, Ludgershall
Stuart Marshall
Dentist, Adelaide
Dinesh Martin
Dentist, St Augustine, Trinidad
Oskar Mason
Dentist, Aylesbeare
Grainne Josephine McCloskey
Dentist, Crumlin
Laura McClune
Dental Hygienist, Southwater
Andrew David McDonnell
Dentist, Reading
Aine McIver
Dentist, Belfast
Martin McKinstry
Dentist, Kilmacolm
Panagiota Melitou
Dentist, Manchester
Richard Michael
Dentist, Plymouth
Sanjay Miglani
Dental academic, Delhi
Katherine Felicity Mills
Dentist, Benllech
Sharon Alice Johnson Morrow
Dental Nurse, Largs
Gulshan Kumar Murgai
Dentist, Watford
Tan Minh Nguyen
Dental Therapist, Melbourne
Amr Noseir
Dentist, Manchester
Keerut Singh Oberai
Dentist, Egham
Adedeji Daniel Obikoya
Dentist, Athlone
Gemma Joanne O’Callaghan
Dental Hygienist, Southport
Jake O’Connell
Dentist, Sandhurst
Margaret Omoemin Okonkwo
Dentist, Weybridge
Georgina Padgett-Duncan
Dentist, South Cerney
Kapil Paiwal
Dental academic, Kota, Rajasthan
Sonal Pande
Dentist, Horsham
Bhavin Patel
Dentist, Loughton
Vilas Patel
Dentist, Bolton
Anu Anna Paul
Dentist, Kochi, Kerala
Gordon James Penman
Dentist, Kirkcaldy
Helen Peppiatt
Dentist, Norwich
Noel John Perkins
Dentist, Kirkby Lonsdale
Amith Joy Philip
Dentist, Epsom
Richard Pins
Dentist, London
Robert Pittack
Dentist, London
Manju Ponnampalam
Dentist, Canterbury, New South Wales
Colin Alexander Pratt
Dentist, Glasgow
Hong Ping Pua
Dentist, Singapore
Alison Rae
Dentist, King’s Lynn
Savithra Rathinasabapathy
Dentist, Colchester
Paul William Reaney
Dentist, Markethill
Philip John Redfearn
Dentist, Hamilton
Frances Claire Robinson
Dental Hygienist, London
Vaibhav Sahni
Dentist, New Delhi
Irfan Salim
Dentist, Peshawar
Azam Sandhu
Dentist, Bridgetown, Barbados
Hasveer Singh Sangha
Dentist, Coventry
Elizabeth Sebastian
Dentist, Kochi, Kerala
Shaun Sellars
Dentist, Bury Saint Edmunds
Amit Sharma
Dentist, Blandford Forum
Tarik Shembesh
Dentist, London
Richard Skeggs
Dentist, Nottingham
Sami Stagnell
Dentist, Winchester
William John Stanfield
Dental Hygienist, Winsford
Anita Stanforth
Dental Nurse, Gillingham
Thomas William Newell Stapleton
Dentist, York
Miranda Clare Lydia Steeples
Dental Therapist, Pevensey Bay
Carol Subadan
Dentist, Milton Keynes
Katerina Susicki
Dentist, Edinburgh
Anthony Sweeney
Dentist, Beckenham
Stephen Andrew Taylor
Dental Technician, Leyland
Calum Robert Tevendale
Dentist, Glasgow
Heather Jean Anne Topping
Dentist, Lisburn
Priyanka Venkata Vasantavada
Dentist, Middlesbrough
Jacob Verghese
Dentist, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Andrew John Wallace
Dentist, Belfast
Michael White
Dentist, Lindfield
John Willmott
Dentist, Nottingham
Chee-Siang Yie
Dentist, Miri, Malaysia
*as on 8 February 2023
To join the College or upgrade your existing membership, visit our Membership pages
Dr Mick Horton FCGDent, former Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP), has been appointed as the next Chair of the College’s Trustee Board.
Dr Mick Horton FCGDent, Trustee of CGDent and former Dean of the FGDP(UK)
Dr Horton qualified from Manchester University in 1986, initially working in Fleetwood, Lancashire. In 1992, he purchased a mixed NHS/private practice in Caergwrle, North Wales, where he worked for the next thirty years.
In 2015, he became the ninth Dean of the FGDP, and the first non-Fellow to have been elected to the post. Under his Deanship, the Faculty initiated the process of separating from the Royal College of Surgeons of England to create an independent college for general dental professionals. He has served as a Trustee of the resulting College of General Dentistry, into which the FGDP transferred in 2021, since completing his three year term as FGDP Dean in 2018.
Dr Horton’s experience also encompasses 22 years as Chair of his Local Dental Committee, ten years as Vice Chair of his local Health Board, 20 years as a postgraduate CPD tutor, working as a dental nurse examiner and being a member of the Welsh Dental Committee as well as Managed Clinical Networks. His professional interests include patient safety, human factors, risk management, mentoring and quality improvement, and he continues to serve on national policy groups in these areas.
During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, he chaired the joint FGDP-CGDent working group which developed Implications of COVID-19 for the safe management of general dental practice, guidance which the organisations published a week ahead of the re-opening of dental practices in England, at a time when no official guidance for re-opening was available, and which was downloaded over 50,000 times in that week alone.
In taking up post as Chair in April 2023, he will succeed Dr Janet Clarke MBE, former Deputy Chief Dental Officer for England, who joined the Board of Trustees in 2019 and became Chair in 2020. During her tenure, the College has formally launched, successfully incorporated the membership and intellectual assets of the FGDP, opened up Full Membership and Fellowship to all suitably qualified registered dental professionals, opened its ‘by experience’ route to Fellowship, created the new grade of Associate Fellowship, published its Professional Framework for career pathways in dentistry and launched its Certified Membership scheme.
Outgoing Chair, Janet Clarke, said:
“It has been a great privilege to lead the College of General Dentistry over the last few years, during which it has been established and, building on the legacy of the FGDP, begun its vital work of creating an independent organisation built by, and specifically for, general dental professionals. I am proud to be handing over the reins to Mick, who is a highly experienced, respected and forward-thinking general dental practitioner with an unsurpassed knowledge of, and dedication to, the College and its mission.“
Commenting on his appointment, Dr Horton said:
“Having been passionate about the College of General Dentistry since its inception, it is a joy to look back and see that such considerable progress has been made, in a short period of time, in establishing the College and pursuing its mission. It has been a great pleasure to work with Janet on the Trustee Board, and I would like to thank her for her leadership and commitment in driving our progress, and congratulate her on all that has been achieved. I am honoured to have now been given the responsibility of steering the College through its next phase, as we develop and implement new ways of supporting the profession to enjoy fulfilling careers in general dentistry, with structured progression. We can only do this with the support of the profession, so I call on all colleagues to play their part at this historic moment by joining us in membership.”
Dr Shelagh Farrell FCGDent, a College Founder and Ambassador, talks to Professor Nairn Wilson FCGDent, President Emeritus of the College, about leaving a legacy to CGDent.
Nairn: Shelagh, may I begin by thanking you on behalf of the College for your tremendous support for the College as a Founder, one of its first Fellows, Ambassador and now one of its first legators. Such exceptional support is hugely appreciated and of immense importance to the College as it grows and develops. Also, thank you for agreeing to answer the following questions:
Why have you considered it important to support the College with both a Founder’s donation and a legacy?
Shelagh: The Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP(UK)), from the time of its foundation in 1992, always had the ambition of forming a College – Royal College of Dentistry. At the time, we promised the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS Eng) that the Faculty would remain part of the College for 10 years, filling a void left by the Faculty of Anaesthetists which had separated away to form what became the Royal College of Anaesthetists within a matter of a few years. Despite attempts to leave after 10 years, FGDP(UK) remained part of RCS Eng for 28 years.
The income of most, if not all, Royal Colleges comes from its members who pay subscriptions and fees to sit their examinations and benefit from postgraduate qualifications. Over the years, FGDP(UK) changed its qualifications to reflect the ways in which dentistry had moved on; for example, with the increasing use of implants. It is time to change again to create career pathways for all members of the dental team, which are challenging but achievable, thus enhancing standards in the provision of dental care.
When FGDP(UK) was established, it had one office on the ground floor of the RCS Eng. In a short space of time, it was obvious that more staff were needed to support and promote the Faculty’s activities and examination system. The Faculty was then allocated a redundant animal house on the top floor of the RCS Eng building. This became the Faculty offices for the remainder of its time at the RCS Eng.
The new College needs to acquire suitable premises in the process of becoming the Royal College of General Dentistry. This requires money and that is why, besides giving a Founder’s donation, I have left the College a legacy in my will.
N:What would you like to say to colleagues who have not yet joined and donated to the College?
S: Some colleagues say that they will join the College when it receives Royal status. This, however, creates a “catch 22” situation. Unless the College expands its now growing number of Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows, it is unlikely to receive Royal status. Hence, I would urge colleagues of all ages, specifically younger colleagues to join, support the College and, in the process, benefit from a worthwhile career pathway, with mentoring, which will add to their enjoyment of dentistry and enhance their professional fulfilment.
N: In what ways has dentistry in the UK been compromised by not having its own, independent Royal College?
S: The UK has three Royal Surgical Colleges based in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, all with Faculties of Dental Surgery. Over the years there has been great competition between these Faculties to promote themselves and increase their influence and income both home and abroad. But more important is the opportunity they have to advise and influence (or not) governments, albeit that general dentistry, let alone members of the dental team are not well, if at all, represented in their memberships. Governments listen to Royal Colleges. When the College of General Dentistry becomes the Royal College of General Dentistry, dentistry will at long last have its own independent, UK-wide, collegiate influence, speaking for the whole of the profession. Dentistry, specifically general dental practice, which provides more than 90% of oral healthcare, certainly needs this, as it seems to me at the moment that this core provision of dental services is at the lowest ebb that I have seen over the last 50 years.
N: Shelagh, two more questions. Firstly, what do you see to be the immediate priorities of the College?
S: Recruitment is clearly the way to increase the membership and the influence of the College. Dentistry is the only major healthcare profession which has not got its own Royal College. The majority of dentists are in practice, even if they are specialists. All these dentists, together with the members of their dental teams, need to come together to strengthen their unified voice, to improve standards, and to enhance the care provided to the general public.
N: And finally, what would you like the College to achieve by 2030?
S: I would like to see the College granted Royal status, with the majority of the profession being part of the membership, reaping and continuously improving the benefits the College can provide, enhancing their enjoyment and fulfilment in the wonderful and great career that dentistry can bring. I also hope that the College, then Royal College, will have suitable premises where members, politicians, the media, members of the general public and others can contact and meet staff to enable the College to realise its potential as the much-needed collegiate home for general dentistry.
N: Shelagh, very many thanks for your insightful and thought-provoking answers to my questions. Hopefully, this interview will encourage others to follow your lead as an inspirational Fellow and legator.
With renewed thanks for your exceptional generosity to the College.
Any member wishing to make a legacy to the College is encouraged to contact Abhi Pal, President of the College, or Simon Thornton-Wood, Chief Executive of the College, at [email protected] or Nairn Wilson, President Emeritus, at [email protected].
The College has announced the appointment of Kevin Lewis FCGDent as an Ambassador.
College Ambassadors, drawn from a variety of backgrounds, provide strong advocacy for the mission and vision of the College as it works towards eligibility for the award of a Royal Charter.
Following a number of years in general dental practice, Dr Lewis spent 27 years at Dental Protection, including as Dental Director between 1998 and 2016, and served on the Council and Executive of the Medical Protection Society. He is Consultant Editor of Dentistry and a Special Consultant to BDA Indemnity. He recently demitted office after five years as a Trustee of the College and founder member of its predecessor Transition Board. He has been awarded Honorary Membership of the British, Irish and New Zealand Dental Associations, and of the British Society for Restorative Dentistry, and is a Fellow of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Dr Lewis’s appointment enriches the already considerable expertise and scope of influence of the College’s team of Ambassadors:
Dr Eugene Chan SBS BBS JP FCGDent, Visiting Professor at Jinan University, Guangzhou
Professor Jonathan Cowpe FCGDent, former Director of Postgraduate Dental Education in Wales
Dr Shelagh Farrell FCGDent, Founder Member of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK
Dr Marina Harris, Senior Lecturer and Periodontology Lead, University of Portsmouth Dental Academy
Professor Jacky Hayden CBE, President, Academy of Medical Educators
Professor Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet
Dame Parveen Kumar DBE, Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Education, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London
Professor Jason Leitch CBE FFGDP(UK)(Hon.), National Clinical Director, Scottish Government
Dr Ian Mills FCGDent, Founder and former Trustee of the College, and former Dean of the FGDP
Dr Govin Murugachandran, Founder, Flynotes
Dr Yewande Oduwole, Associate Dentist
Marie Parker, Deputy Programme Director of Hygiene and Therapy at University College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London
Rt Hon Sir Mike Penning, Member of Parliament
Dr Wendy Thompson FCGDent, Lecturer in Primary Dental Care, University of Manchester
Dr Pouya Zohrabpour, Associate Dentist
Commenting on the appointment, Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent, President of the College, said:
“I would like to extend my congratulations to Kevin on his appointment as an Ambassador of the College, which follows a period of time in which he has been a valued Trustee. The College is privileged to have such a distinguished member of our profession supporting our cause, and I am delighted that we will continue to benefit from his wide experience and enthusiasm.”
Kevin Lewis said:
“It has been a real privilege to have spent the past five years as a Trustee and Board member of the College, from its inception through to launch as an autonomous, independent collegiate home for all members of the dental team working in general dental practice. In time it will hopefully blossom into the Royal College that dentistry and general dental practice so richly deserve. In the meantime, I am delighted to continue my association with the College in the capacity of an Ambassador, and would urge any colleague involved in general dental practice to join CGDent and support it on this historic journey.”
The College is establishing the ‘1992 Circle’ as a social forum for retired Fellows.
The new group is named in honour of the year the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners was founded, a key moment which brought together the members of the College of General Dental Practitioners (UK) and of the former RCS Advisory Board in General Dental Practice, with the shared ambition to create an independent College over time.
Thirty years on, the 1992 Circle aims to bring together, and recognise, those whose vision put the general dental profession in the UK on a journey towards independent collegiate status, and those whose ongoing commitment carried this through to the establishment of the College of General Dentistry. The group will gather periodically for social events, typically linked to the College’s main activities.
An inaugural gathering will take place at 4pm on Wednesday 18 January 2023 at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, 84 Plymouth Grove, Manchester M13 9LW. In addition to retired current and former Fellows of the College, all those who are retired from practice and are a past Fellow of the FGDP(UK) are eligible to attend and encouraged to make themselves known to the College. Readers are also encouraged to get in touch with retired Faculty Fellows with whom they are acquainted to make them aware of the new group.
There is no charge to become a member of the 1992 Circle or to attend the inaugural gathering. Eligible individuals wishing to attend should email [email protected], using the subject line ‘1992 Circle’.
Attendees at the 1992 Circle gathering who are members of the College are also invited to join theCGDent Fellows Winter Reception, which is taking place a short walk away later the same evening.
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