The new issue of the Primary Dental Journal, ‘Implant dentistry (part two)’, is now available to view online.
While Implant Dentistry (part one) covered the roles of dental team members in managing implant patients within dental primary care, this part 2 issue focusses on clinical aspects of implant dentistry, including complications and adverse events, and recent technological advancements in the field, providing strategies for dental professionals.
The issue’s Guest Editor is Professor Ilser Turkyilmaz, Associate Dean of Digital Innovation, Professor and Chair at USA Case Western Reserve University’s School of Dental Medicine. Professor Turkyilmaz explains the thinking behind the collection of topics in the part 2 issue:
“As we continue to advance in the field of implant dentistry, clinicians face an ongoing challenge to adopt and incorporate modern tools and materials that elevate the quality of patient care while simultaneously reducing the complexity of their workflows. Our goal with this issue is to enrich the knowledge base of both new and experienced practitioners, empowering them to achieve optimal patient outcomes…in the dynamic field of implant dentistry.”
Papers included in this issue cover a range of digital and analogue workflows, with the core emphasis on the importance of thorough treatment planning, reinforced by advanced imaging techniques. A full list is below.
Full online access to the majority of articles is reserved for College of General Dentistry members and Primary Dental Journal subscribers, who can also expect their printed copies to arrive around the end of January. New joiners wishing to receive a copy of this issue can let us know by emailing [email protected]
For non-members / non-subscribers, at least one paper in each issue is made available online free of charge, with all other articles available to purchase via the links below.
An annual print subscription to the PDJ is included with membership of the College, which also includes online access to over 1,500 current and past articles in the PDJ Library and a range of other benefits.
On behalf of the College, the PDJ editorial team would like to express its gratitude to all the authors and peer reviewers who have contributed to this issue.
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.
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]
The latest issue of the Primary Dental Journal, ‘Implant dentistry (part one)’, is available to view online now.
The implant dentistry theme has been split across two consecutive journal issues – parts 1 and 2. Papers in this part 1 issue include the role of the general dental practitioner in the care of the implant patient; dental nursing in implant dentistry; the hygienist’s role in the management of the implant patient in primary care; and dentolegal considerations in implant dentistry. The main objective of this first issue is to provide readers with a cutting-edge update on the topics, and to raise awareness of the need to manage implant patients in primary care.
The guest editor of this part 1 issue is Amin Aminian FCGDent, a Specialist in Prosthodontics in Greater Manchester. Amin explains the impetus for the collection of papers, and urges readers to share these Implant dentistry issues with all colleagues:
“My aim…was to highlight how implant therapy can, and should, be predominantly provided in primary care. The articles highlight how implant dentistry can positively impact our patients’ quality of life, regardless of the care setting.
“I sincerely hope you enjoy the two implant dentistry issues. At the outset, they were intended for all members of the primary care team, be it those who have yet to begin their implant journey or those more experienced in all aspects of the treatment. The articles highlight the important role all members of the team need to play, with the patient central to the care plan.”
Implant Dentistry – a journey from the beginnings to what has become an established discipline
Prof Igor Blum’s editorial introducing the PDJ implant dentistry issues is available to read here.
Part 2 – which is due out in winter and guest-edited by Professor Ilser Turkyilmaz of New York University – will have a greater focus on clinical aspects of implant dentistry, including complications and adverse events, and recent technological advancements in the field.
Full online access to the majority of articles is reserved for College of General Dentistry members and Primary Dental Journal subscribers, who can also expect their printed copies to arrive in the next 2–3 weeks.
For non-members / non-subscribers, at least one paper in each issue is made available online free of charge, with all other articles available to purchase via the links below.
An annual print subscription to the PDJ is included with membership of the College, which also includes online access to over 1,400 current and past issues in the PDJ Library and a range of other benefits.
On behalf of the College, the PDJ editorial team would like to express its gratitude to all the authors and peer reviewers who have contributed to the publication of this issue.
Joining gift: Implant Dentistry parts 1 & 2
To mark the publication of the first of our new PDJ issues on implant dentistry, anyone joining the College or its Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry before 31 December 2024 will receive a printed copy. They will also be sent part 2 once available.
Igor Blum, Clinical Professor of Primary Care Dentistry and Advanced General Dental Practice at King’s College London and Editor of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ), introduces two issues of the PDJ dedicated to implant dentistry
Modern implant dentistry begins with the pioneering work of Per-Ingvar Brånemark (1929-2014), professor of anatomy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and André Schroeder (1918-2004) professor of operative dentistry and endodontics at the University of Bern, Switzerland. Professor Brånemark studied bone healing and regeneration and discovered in 1957 that bone could grow in close proximity with titanium without being rejected, developing a permanent attachment between bone and titanium. He termed this phenomenon ‘osseointegration’.
Osseointegration established a new era in dentistry and paved the way for the development of the principles of biological acceptance of implants based on the science of bone biology. The first patient receiving titanium dental implants was 34-year-old Gosta Larsson, a man with a cleft palate, jaw deformities and missing teeth in his lower jaw. In 1965 he had four titanium implants (fixtures) placed into his mandible which were restored with a fixed prosthesis. The dental implants served for more than 40 years, until the end of Mr Larsson’s life.1
Early histological evidence demonstrating dental implant osseointegration was published in 1976 by Professor André Schroeder. He then went on to develop improved dental implant designs, and in 1980 Professor Schroeder founded the International Team of Implantology (ITI) of which he was the founding president. The ITI evolved into the largest global organisation of Implant Dentistry today.
At the Toronto Conference on Osseointegration in Clinical Dentistry in 1982, Professor Brånemark gave his landmark presentation that convinced dentists that a new era had dawned for dental implants, which became rapidly adopted as a new method of root-shaped screws in the jaws.2 He is widely known as the ‘father of modern dental implantology’ because of his milestone contribution in the field of implant dentistry. In tandem with the pioneering work in dental implants, and following the recognition of long-term success of osseointegration, this work was extended to orthopaedics for small and large joint replacement.3
The introduction of the concept of osseointegration of implants resulted in a paradigm shift that affected the dental care of partially dentate and edentulous patients. Dental implants continued to evolve with research and innovation over decades resulting in the treatment planning involving the implant option becoming part of mainstream dentistry in the present day. The widespread use of dental implants requires dental professionals to be up to date with maintaining the implant patient, regardless of whether the dental practice is offering the provision of dental implants. It is therefore essential for dental professionals to have appropriate training and a sound clinical understanding in the care of and maintaining the implant patient.
Although not a substitute by any means for a quality assured clinical training programme or structured course, the editorial team felt it was timely to produce an issue of the Primary Dental Journal devoted to Implant Dentistry. This theme has been split across two consecutive issues of the journal – parts 1 and 2.
Part 1, our Autumn 2024 issue which will be published imminently, addresses the role of the general dental practitioner in the care of the implant patient, dental nursing in implant dentistry, the hygienist’s role in the management of the implant patient in primary care, developing implant mentoring programmes, a personal journey from mentee to mentor, biomechanical principles of restoring a dentition with dental implants, a technician’s perspective on communication in implant treatment planning, placement and reconstruction in the digital age, the impact of implants on quality of life, and, very importantly dentolegal considerations in implant dentistry. The main objective of part 1 issue is to provide readers with a cutting-edge update on the above topics, including raising awareness of the need to manage implant patients in primary care.
Part 2, the Winter 2024/25 issue to be published in around three months’ time, will focus more on clinical aspects of implant dentistry, including complications and adverse events, and recent technological advancements in the field.
Implant Dentistry is truly an evolving discipline as seen by the remarkable advances since the early works of Professors Brånemark, Schroeder and many others over the past decades. Those dental professionals wishing to further their knowledge and skills in implant dentistry and wishing to choose postgraduate educational programmes or courses might also benefit from familiarising themselves with the College of General Dentistry publications Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines and Training standards in implant dentistry. The former describes the nature of mentoring which should be undertaken in order to safely carry out implant dentistry following completion of an appropriate training course, while the latter helps with identifying quality postgraduate education in implant dentistry.
I am very thankful to Dr Amin Aminian and Professor Ilser Turkyilmaz, the guest editors respectively of our part 1 and part 2 issues on implant dentistry, and to all our contributing authors, for producing such a wealth of excellent and informative articles which I am certain readers will find of interest and use.
The Primary Dental Journal is the College’s quarterly peer-reviewed journal dedicated to general dental practice. Printed copies of the Autumn 2024 part 1 issue on implant dentistry should arrive with College members in the second half of October.
Joining gift: Implant Dentistry parts 1 & 2
To mark the publication of the first of our new PDJ issues on implant dentistry, anyone joining the College or its Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry before 31 December 2024 will receive a printed copy. They will also be sent part 2 once available.
2Zarb G, editor. Toronto conference on osseointegration in clinical dentistry. In Proceedings of the 1982 Toronto Conference 1983 (pp. 1-165). Mosby: St. Louis
3Albrektsson T, Lekholm U. Osseointegration: current state of the art. Dent Clin North Am. 1989 Oct;33(4):537-54
Friday 16 May (9am-5.30pm) & Saturday 17 May 2025 (9am-5pm), Birmingham
Hall 5, National Exhibition Centre, North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT
The College will once again be a key education partner for the British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show (BDCDS), hosting four lectures in the Enhanced CPD Theatre during the two-day conference.
Members and non-members alike will be welcome to the College’s sessions, in which experts in their fields will share their knowledge and give advice on a range of subjects encompassing clinical dentistry and professionalism.
Details of this year’s lecture programme will be confirmed in due course.
Representatives will also available throughout the conference at the College’s 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, bringing together the whole dental team with 10,000 dental professionals gathering under one roof.
FREE to attend for all registered dental professionals, attendees can expect 200 CPD lectures across up to 11 theatres. 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.
Frances Robinson AssocFCGDent, Advanced Oral Health Practitioner and Chair of the Board of the Faculty of Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy, reflects on The Dental Health Barometer report on preventative oral healthcare, published by the College and Haleon.
The Dental Health Barometer report, stemming from a collaboration between the College of General Dentistry and Haleon, surveyed patients and dental professionals and more recently held focus groups with dental professionals throughout the UK. The report highlights inconsistencies in the provision of preventative oral healthcare and how this type of care is understood by both the dental population and the wider public.
Due to my roles as an Advanced Oral Health Practitioner in London and as Chair of the Board in the College’s Faculty of Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy, this piece of research with Haleon, was particularly interesting to me. I currently lead a mixed team of dental professionals and admin support to provide an oral health promotion service, through an NHS trust, contracted by the local authority. In my borough the decay rate was 39.1% for five-years olds in 2019 – I have much work to do!
I can sense clinicians are frustrated when working at the coal face of primary care seeing so much decay and periodontal issues, but dental outreach teams, like mine, and the dental public health workforce, work tirelessly to address some of the points raised by clinicians in the report.
I would like to use this blog piece to highlight some of the key summary points raised in the CGDent-Haleon report that are directly related to my role and also to explain some of the work that goes on in oral health outreach teams.
Tooth decay is preventable and inequalities are unfair, yet avoidable. Preventative dental care is proactively helping a patient to take action to maintain a healthy mouth, however, as the CGDent-Haleon report highlights, both the ability to provide preventative advice and the consistency of the advice given varies between professionals.
Greater provision of CPD
In clinical practice, clinicians are used to treating patients to a high standard according to the best available evidence base. This may be using the best materials and the selection of treatment options on a case-by-case basis. ‘TheDental Health Barometer‘ seems to demonstrate that current understanding of evidence-based population dental approaches varies in primary dental workforces. Dental public health is taught on undergraduate curriculums but clinicians may be unaware of recent updates to evidence bases. Subsequently, in order to use the primary dental health workforce to contribute to improving oral health outside the dental surgery, it is pertinent to ensure the evidence base is widely understood. There is a risk that some oral health approaches and interventions, although well intentioned, are either at best ineffective or at worst could widen oral health inequalities.
Indeed, the report calls for “greater provision of CPD on the delivery of preventative care”, in this instance it would be a good opportunity for this type of CPD to also cover community based oral health approaches, as well as those more applicable to clinical settings.
Evidence based public health dentistry
Currently, it seems many well-intentioned efforts to improve oral health on a population level don’t actually align to the current evidence base. Giving oral health ‘education’ in the form of assemblies, class room talks or at health fairs, is not proven to improve oral health outcomes. The ‘commissioning for oral health‘ document highlights that for school aged children, one-off dental health education is ineffective and therefore discouraged.
These traditional oral health approaches that focus solely on education can actually widen oral health inequalities in deprived areas. A one-off oral health session only gives knowledge to those with the means i.e. financial and social resources to act on advice, but for vulnerable families it doesn’t empower them to make sustainable change. They might want to go home and buy toothbrushes and toothpastes and healthy food for their family, but they may also have to consider the family budget, constraints on the family’s time and other social factors. Furthermore, sustained behaviour change is seldom achieved in one visit, it takes time and patience to build daily oral health habits as we know from our work on a one-to-one level with patients in clinics.
In my role as an Advanced Oral Health Practitioner, I have heard of families all using the same toothbrush because they cannot afford to buy ones for each family member, and I have met families living in temporary accommodation with limited access to cooking facilities and personal hygiene spaces. These families living in deprivation as highlighted are more likely to be the ones suffering from poor oral health.
The Association of Directors of Public Health stated in 2023, “worrying oral health findings are not a result of behaviour, poor choices or a lack of education.” But rather research, conducted by Public Health England, has called for action to tackle the underlying causes of health inequalities including “creating healthier public policies, supportive environments, strengthening community action, developing personal skills and reorienting health services towards prevention”.
Creating healthier public policies, supportive environments and strengthening community action, to improve oral health.”
Figure 1
Indeed, Professor Sir Michael Marmott poses the question on the first page of his book ‘The Health Gap‘, “why treat people only to send people back to the conditions that made them sick in the first place?”.
On a population level, the conditions in which each family lives has a bigger influence on their health outcomes than individual decisions. Research has shown that the social determinants of health account for 30-55% of someone’s health outcomes. Subsequently programmes that consider the social determinants of health, (the conditions in which children and adults can live, grow, work and age) have the best evidence-base behind them.
There is strong supportive evidence for supervised toothbrushing programmes and fluoride varnish programmes, which were mentioned in the CGDent-Haleon report. Also dental professionals suggested collaboration and oral health training for the wider professional workforce (health, education, social). This is further encouraged by the commissioning for better oral health document, as they build on existing capacity and can be targeted to high risk groups.
Why is there variation between which oral health prevention services are offered in different areas?
Oral health is designated to local authority level and subsequently there are huge variations in what is offered on a national scale. This can be confusing for dental professionals working in primary care and the public, which is shown by the recent report.
Within London, I am aware of every borough having a different approach to commissioned oral health programmes and this can result in a postcode lottery in terms of what is provided. The borough I work in has fluoride varnish programmes and supervised toothbrushing programmes in a certain proportion of targeted schools and all SEN schools. But we also provide comprehensive training for health, social and educational professionals for oral health – aligning to the evidence base around capacity building on existing services. This includes working with care homes, carers, outreach workers, social workers, health visitors, nursery staff and recruiting ‘Oral Health Champions’ in all settings we work with. This approach may not be replicated across the UK and dental professionals in primary care may not be aware of the current commissioning of an oral health team in their area.
Indeed, there are calls in the CGDent-Haleon report for a national oral health programme (similar to ChildSmile in Scotland or Designed to Smile in Wales) which creates a base level of preventative care, for both children and adults and integrates oral health into general health. It could use universal proportionalism to scale up priorities, identified by local need. If there was a national oral health programme there could be potential for local practices to assist with the running of this, for example training teachers on supervised tooth brushing programmes or visiting local care homes to provide quality assured oral health training to staff members.
Oral health was included in a recent NHS England initiative Core20PLUS5, a national NHS England approach to support the reduction of health inequalities at both national and system level. The approach defines a target population cohort of the most deprived 20%, plus inclusion health groups and identifies ‘5’ focus clinical areas requiring accelerated improvement. The Core20PLUS5 for children did include oral health as a priority so there is hope that some of our concerns as professionals are being heard on a wider level, and taken alongside the recent publication of the ‘The Dental Health Barometer’ report by the College and Haleon, there may be hope for the future!
The College and Haleon have published a report on improving the provision of preventative oral healthcare.
Preventative care is defined as proactive dental care and advice that helps a patient to take action to maintain a healthy mouth, protecting against tooth decay, gum disease and more serious issues such as tooth loss and negative impacts on general health. The new report, The Dental Health Barometer, provides recommendations based on the experience and insight of general dental professionals on how to bridge the gap between intentions and practical delivery.
The underlying research began last year with a survey of 2,000 UK dental patients and over 500 dental professionals which highlighted inconsistencies in the provision of preventative oral healthcare advice. (A poster summarising those findings is available, as is a webinar examining them in more detail). This has since been built upon with rich discussions held with 77 oral health professionals, from all dental team roles, in focus group meetings hosted at eight general dental practices throughout the UK.
The most consistent finding is that oral health professionals seek redesigned NHS contracts to allow for more time and financial support in giving preventative oral care advice. The research also finds that the profession would like to see more resources devoted to providing nationwide preventative oral healthcare education, and a national communications campaign to tackle oral health misinformation.
The report highlights wider societal barriers to improving preventative oral care, such as competing social media narratives around oral health, diet and appearance; the erosion of long-term patient relationships; a continuing professional skew in some practices towards clinical treatments; and a tendency among non-dental health professionals not to deliver basic oral health messages.
The creation of a consumer-facing version of the Delivering Better Oral Health toolkit
Working with non-dental health professionals such as health visitors and midwives to inform them of the benefits of preventative oral care
Greater provision of CPD on the delivery of preventative care
Encouraging businesses to provide dental cover to employees
Celebrating team members such as dental hygienists in the mainstream media
Better use of digital communications such as apps and video streaming platforms
Roshni Karia MCGDent, President of the College, said:
“Our focus groups found that many dentists may feel that they are conducting a lonely battle against entrenched patient habits around oral health care, and doing so within NHS contracts which are unfavourable to providing adequate preventative advice. Our work with Haleon highlights the need to take action to support oral health professionals in a real time of need.”
Bas Vorsteveld, Vice President of Haleon and its General Manager for Great Britain and Ireland, commented:
“With a new Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street, our findings could not come at a more pivotal time for the future of dentistry in the UK. Working alongside the College of General Dentistry, we outline the key opportunities, our jointly developed solutions to safeguard the future of preventative oral care provisions for UK consumers and oral health professionals alike. We welcome the new Labour government’s plan to rescue the UK’s dental sector, but we urge them to go further and make NHS contracts fit for purpose by prioritising prevention. Only by working alongside the profession and industry can the new government make the step-change that UK dentistry clearly needs.”
Haleon, formerly the consumer healthcare division of GlaxoSmithKline, is the manufacturer of well-known oral health products such as Sensodyne, Corsodyl, Aquafresh, Poligrip, Biotene and Parodontax.
The College and Haleon will continue to work together to advocate for improvements in the provision of preventative oral healthcare.
The College and Haleon would like to thank all those College members who volunteered to host a focus group in their practice, and all the members, colleagues and patients who participated in the research.
Abhi Pal FCGDent, Immediate Past President of the College, says the dental profession needs to create opportunities for all team members to develop leadership skills
Oral health care in the UK is a complex, fast-changing sector, embracing dynamic and skilled teams, and our profession faces a number of key challenges, some of which are not new. These include workforce recruitment and retention, inequalities in oral health, NHS contract reform, the lack of recognition for oral health care teams, and the regulatory environment. This is of course in addition to the wider problems of the cost-of-living crisis, Brexit, and global issues. Overcoming these challenges will need leadership at all levels, from individual practices through to national bodies. It will not be a surprise to readers when I say that that leadership requires creating a vision. That vision has to be informed by listening to individuals, acknowledging their views, and understanding the working environment in order to create a vision that can inspire.
I often hear that leaders are not born but that leadership is a collection of skills that can be learnt. The profession needs to create opportunities for all team members to be encouraged to develop these skills. This starts from the individual surgery and practice level through to professional bodies and national platforms. It is essential that early-career colleagues are encouraged to participate in conversations and decisions which will shape the future of the profession. It is more important than ever that we have role models who reflect the diversity that exists within the profession.
As well as creating a vision, leaders need to be able to communicate the vision to others and inspire teams to get behind the goals. It is important to create a common language that can encapsulate the knowledge and capabilities that we value in our teams. All individuals have strengths and weaknesses. The successful leader will harness the strengths of individuals to delegate successfully and support individuals to help overcome weaknesses.
Many styles of leadership exist but it is often the case that successful leaders understand that styles need to be adapted to suit the requirements of the environment and teams they work in. I have found over the years that demonstration of credibility and authenticity can often be more important than just style.
Leaders also need to readily recognise the hard work undertaken by team members. Monetary reward is only one part of this. There is a general lack of recognition for the skills of primary oral health care teams due largely to the lack of a proper career structure. Without such recognition, we cannot hope to recruit and retain the talent we need in this great profession of ours. We need to have a new look at how this recognition can be provided.
I see an increasing amount of negativity in the profession, much of it spurred on by the ease of posting views on social media. Negativity can stem from the feeling of powerlessness. However, some groups and organisations are stepping up, in spite of those challenges, showing the there is a great deal the profession can itself do to improve matters. The answers to the challenges the profession faces cannot be solved by one body alone. It is time for cooperation and leadership across the whole sector to provide workable solutions.
This article was first published in the British Dental Journal (volume 234, page 921, 2023) by Springer Nature
The latest issue of the Primary Dental Journal, ‘General dentistry (part two)’, is now available to view online.
This new issue contributes to broadening knowledge on a range of relevant topics for the whole dental team, with papers that have been carefully curated by the journal’s Editor-in-Chief, Prof Igor Blum (Clinical Professor of Primary Care Dentistry and Advanced General Dental Practice at King’s College London).
Featured subjects include an insight into the information provided by Greater Manchester dental practice websites on oral cancer; a paradigm shift in dental caries management using silver modified atraumatic restorative treatment (SMART); an overview of the remarkable two-way links between diabetes mellitus and periodontal disease; and a thought-provoking article on regenerative endodontics. Also included in this issue – in the fleeting interim between Presidents, as we bid a fond farewell to Abhi Pal and warmly welcome Roshni Karia to this post – is a unique update from the College’s Chair of Trustees, Mick Horton. (The full list of contents is below.)
Outlining the purposes of the general dentistry issues, Prof Blum said:
“I hope you will enjoy this issue and find the articles… both interesting and stimulating..”
Full online access to the majority of articles is reserved for College of General Dentistry members and Primary Dental Journal subscribers, who can also expect their printed copies to arrive in the next 2–3 weeks.
For non-members / non-subscribers, at least one paper in each issue is made available online free of charge, with all other articles available to purchase via the links below.
An annual print subscription, normally costing £130, is included with membership of the College, which also includes online access to the current issue, access to the PDJ Archive of over 1,400 past articles, and a range of other benefits. College membership, which is tax deductible, is available from £44.
On behalf of the College, the PDJ editorial team would like to express its gratitude to all the authors and peer reviewers who have contributed to the publication of this issue.
CGDent members can view full articles by logging in via the yellow button below, then clicking ‘Access the PDJ Archive’:
The College has announced the results of recent elections to eight regional and four new role-based seats on its Council, with nine new members elected and three re-elected.
(l-r, top row first) New CGDent Council Members-Elect Steve Campbell, Jane Dalgarno,Stuart Ellis, Nicola Gore,Fazeela Khan-Osborne,Anoup Nandra, Thomas Stapleton, Miranda Steeples and Janine Yazdi-Doughty, and re-elected Council Members Matthew Collins, Ewen McColl and Dalip Kumar
Steve Campbell FCGDent, Managing Director of Nexus Dental Laboratories in Ripon, is the first elected representative of the College’s Faculty of Dental Technology & Clinical Dental Technology (FDTCDT), a constituency comprising all College members who are dental or clinical dental technicians. Starting out as a trainee technician in a local dental lab in 1992, he was promoted to Laboratory Manager in 2003 and Managing Director in 2013. With particular interests in dental implantology and the integration of digital and CAD/CAM workflows, in 2015 he established Nexus as a fully digital lab supporting restorative dentistry. He has been President of the Dental Laboratories Association since 2016, serves on the Executive Council of the British Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry (BAAD), and served two terms as Technical Representative on the Board of the Association of Dental Implantology (ADI).
He succeeds Bill Sharpling FCGDent, Associate Dean and Director of the London Dental Education Centre at King’s College London’s Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, who had been the appointed Dental Technology & Clinical Dental Technology Representative since 2021. Mr Sharpling will continue to attend Council meetings in his role as Chair of the FDTCDT Board.
Jane Dalgarno AssocFCGDent, Clinical Workforce Development Lead at Community Dental Services CIC, is the first elected Council representative of the College’s Faculty of Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy (FDNOT). A past President of the British Association of Dental Nurses, she began her career in general dental practice as a trainee dental nurse in 1986 and completed the National Certificate for Dental Surgery Assistants in 1993. An examiner for the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses, and past Programme Director for the HEE Foundation Degree in Advanced Dental Nursing, she holds certificates in education, oral health education, sedation and dental radiography, as well as the A1/A2 assessors award, a BSc in Primary Dental Care and an MSc in Applied Dental Professional Practice from the University of Kent. She has been on the Board of the FDNOT since it was first convened in 2021, and was a member of the Dental Nursing and Orthodontic Therapy Working Group which co-developed the College’s Professional Framework for Career Pathways in Dentistry.
She succeeds Debbie Reed FCGDent, Reader and Lead for Faculty Development at King’s College London’s Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, who had been the appointed Dental Nursing & Orthodontic Therapy Representative since 2023. Dr Reed will continue to attend Council meetings in her role as Chair of the FDNOT Board.
Stuart Ellis FCGDent has been elected to represent Trent and East Anglia. Clinical Director of a five-surgery general dental practice in Cambridge, where he has practised for over thirty years, he previously spent two years working in maxillofacial units in Belfast and London. Director of the Cambridge Academy of Dental Implantology, he is Course Lead for both the MSc in Advanced Dental Implantology and MSc in General Dental Practice at Aston University, and for ten years was an examiner for the former Membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (MFGDP) and Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties (MJDF) awards. He holds a Diploma and a Master’s in Postgraduate Dental Studies from the University of Bristol, a Master’s in Medical Law & Ethics from the University of Edinburgh and a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Education from the University of Cambridge, where he is currently completing his third Master’s degree. He acts as an expert witness in the UK and Ireland and as an advisor to the GDC’s Professional Conduct Committee, holds the Diploma of Fellowship of the former FGDP, and is a Fellow of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS). He succeeds Jonathan Farmer FCGDent, who stood down after serving on the College Council and former FGDP Board since 2015.
Nicola Gore FCGDent, Principal of a dental practice in north London, has been elected to represent the North Thames region. Since qualifying as a dentist from the University of London in 1993, she has held various general practice and hospital maxillofacial posts within the UK and Australia, has taught undergraduate and graduate dental students and trained 25 Foundation Dentists. She holds the MJDF, a Master’s in Clinical Dentistry in Fixed & Removable Prosthodontics from the Royal London and a Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Education from the University of Bedfordshire, and has also undertaken postgraduate training in orthodontics. Co-founder and President of the British Iranian Dental Association, she is a past committee member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) and a member of the British Society of Prosthodontics. She is co-author of Dentistry in a Nutshell, and among the authors of the forthcoming third edition of the College’s Standards in Dentistry publication. She succeeds Victor Gehani FCGDent, who was appointed to the seat in 2023 pending this year’s election.
Fazeela Khan-Osborne FCGDent has been elected to represent College members in Central London. Principal of a general dental practice in London for 25 years, she has a special interest in full mouth rehabilitation, both surgical and restorative. Initially graduating with a BSc in Medical Biochemistry and Physiology from Queen Mary University, she qualified as a dentist at the Royal Hospital London in 1994 and undertook training in oral and maxillofacial surgery. She holds a Diploma in Restorative Dental Practice and an MSc in Restorative Dentistry from the Royal London, and completed the FGDP(UK) Diploma in Implant Dentistry, later becoming a lead tutor. Founding Course Lead of the One to One Implant Education programme, she teaches and lectures on implant dentistry worldwide. She also sits on the Executive Council of the BAAD, is Immediate Past President of the London Dental Fellowship, and is a fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and a member of the ADI. She succeeds Subir Banerji FCGDent, who had held the seat since 2022.
Anoup Nandra FCGDent, Principal Dentist at a mixed NHS-and-private practice in Edgbaston and a private dental practice in Wolverhampton, has been elected in the West Midlands. He graduated from Birmingham in 2002 and completed Vocational Training in London before returning to the Midlands, where he has practised for twenty years. He has served as a clinical lecturer at the University of Birmingham and as a Foundation Dental Trainer, and is a member of Birmingham Local Dental Committee as well as the BACD, the ADI, the Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry and the British Society of Restorative Dentistry. He holds both the MJDF and MFGDP, and has completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Implant Dentistry from University College London, an MSc in Dental Implantology from the University of Central Lancashire and a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education from the University of Wolverhampton. He also holds the Cardiff University / Bond Solon Expert Witness Certificate and is pursuing an LLM in legal aspects of medical practice. He succeeds Kanwar Ratra MCGDent, who had been the region’s representative since 2021.
Thomas Stapleton AssocFCGDent, Clinical Lead at a group of private dental practices in north Yorkshire, has been elected to the Yorkshire and Northern seat. Beginning his career as a research scientist after completing a BSc in Microbiology with Immunology and PhD in Tissue Engineering at the University of Leeds, he qualified as a dentist in 2013 and has worked in general dental practice ever since. With a special interest in endodontics, he holds a Postgraduate Diploma from the University of Chester, is a member of the British Endodontic Society and receives external referrals. He has also undertaken advanced training in restorative dentistry, completed the MJDF, and is the local Study Club Lead for Dentinal Tubules. He succeeds Sagi Shavit, who had held the seat since 2022.
Miranda Steeples AssocFCGDent is the first elected Council representative of the College’s Faculty of Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy (FDHDT). A dental therapist and hygienist working in general dental practice in Hastings, Eastbourne, and Hailsham, she qualified from the University of Leeds in 2009 with a Graduate Diploma in Dental Hygiene and Therapy, having previously worked as a dental nurse. She was elected to the South East regional committee of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy in 2014, joined the Executive Committee in 2018 and became President in 2022. She holds a Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring from the Institute of Leadership and Management and an MSc in Advanced Specialist Healthcare from the University of Kent, is a member of the UK co-ordinating committee for the Alliance for a Cavity Free Future and enjoys volunteering for Mini Molars Cambodia. She has been a member of the FDHDT Board since it was first convened in 2021, and was also on the Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy Working Group which co-developed the College’s Professional Framework.
She succeeds Frances Robinson AssocFCGDent, a dental hygienist working in private practice in London and oral health practitioner in NHS community outreach, who had been the appointed Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy Representative since 2023. Ms Robinson will continue to attend Council meetings in her role as Chair of the FDHDT Board.
Janine Yazdi-Doughty FCGDent, a partner and clinical lead for paediatric dentistry, sedation and research at a referral practice in Sandbach, has been elected to represent members in the Mersey and North West region. Since qualifying from Bristol in 2010, she has also worked with adults and children with anxieties, special educational needs and other vulnerabilities in primary, secondary and tertiary care in London and Nottingham as well as for several dental charities. She has completed the RCS Diploma in Dental Public Health, a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Research from Queen Mary University of London, a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education and Leadership from the University of Bedfordshire, and both an MSc and PhD in Dental Public Health from University College London. She is a clinical lecturer at the University of Liverpool and primary care dentistry research champion for the North West Clinical Research Network. She has published over 30 papers, is on the BDA Central Committee for University Dental Educators and Researchers and is an Associate Editor for the Community Dental Health Journal. She succeeds Andrew Parashchak MCGDent, who stood down after six years on the Council and former FGDP Board.
Matthew Collins FCGDent, a general dental practitioner in Batley and Chair of Calderdale and Kirklees Local Dental Committee, has been elected as the first ever representative of the College’s Faculty of Dentists. He has been a national representative on the Council and former FGDP Board since 2020, and served as Vice President from 2023-24.
Ewen McColl FCGDent, Head of Plymouth University Peninsula School of Dentistry, Co-Editor of Standards in Dentistry and a former general dentist in the British Army, has been re-elected in the South West region, which he has represented since 2021.
Dalip Kumar AssocFCGDent, Principal of a mixed NHS-and-private general dental practice in Swansea, has been elected in Wales after serving a year as the appointed representative for the seat.
An announcement will be made shortly confirming an appointment to the new post of Chair of the Faculty of Dentists, the holder of which will also attend Council meetings.
The Council is the voice of the College’s members, overseeing its role as a professional body and guiding its development to fulfil its mission. Elections are held annually on a rotational basis, with the National seat and regional seats representing West & North Scotland, East of Scotland, Wessex & Oxford, South East & South West Thames and overseas members due for election in 2025, and the Northern Ireland seat in 2026.
Elected Council members serve three-year terms, and are then able to stand for re-election – subject to a lifetime limit of nine years’ service on the Council, including any past service on the FGDP(UK) National Board. Those elected this year will be inaugurated at the next Council meeting, which takes place in London on Friday 21 June.
Abhi Pal FCGDent, President of the College, said:
“Many congratulations to Steve, Jane, Stuart, Nicola, Fazeela, Anoup, Thomas, Miranda, Janine and Dalip on their election to Council, to Matt on his new seat and to Ewen on his re-election. As my own time on Council comes to a close, it is wonderful to see such experienced and knowledgeable practitioners elected by our members to continue to fulfil the College’s historic mission and to support my successor.
“I would also like to thank Jonathan and Andrew for their longstanding commitment to the College Council and Faculty Board, and Victor, Subir, Kanwar and Sagi for their service to the College Council. Finally, I would like to express my thanks to all those who have served on the Council over the last three years for their support and counsel throughout my Presidency.”
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