Dental professionals invited to College Summer Reception

The College has issued an open invitation to all College members and other dental professionals to attend its 2025 Summer Reception.

The Summer Reception, incorporating the fourth annual College Fellows’ Summer Reception, will be an opportunity to network with your peers in the grand surroundings of the historic Cutlers’ Hall, and all dental professionals and those with professional interests in contemporary dentistry are invited to attend, with discounted tickets available to College members.

The event will include the ceremonial admission of new Fellows, and for the first time also Associate Fellows of the College. The President’s Award, typically given for charitable endeavours related to dentistry, will also be presented during the Reception, and this year’s winner of the prestigious College Medal is also expected to be announced. Photographs of the event will be made available to attendees shortly afterwards to download free of charge.

The College Summer Reception takes place from 5pm to 8pm on Friday 13 June in Sheffield, with registration open from 4.30pm.

It will be preceded from 2pm by the Inaugural College of General Dentistry Lecture, to be delivered by Martin Kelleher FCGDent, Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at King’s College Dental Hospital. Intended to stimulate and provoke healthy debate, this will challenge the notion of the ‘ideal treatment plan’ and contend that subconscious bias and possible self-interests can lead some supposed experts to confuse their version of a questionable ‘gold standard’ with what is really in a patient’s overall best interests and with what the law expects. This is also open to all dental professionals to attend, and CPD certificates will be provided.

Tickets are available for the reception only, lecture only, or combined lecture and reception. ‘Early Bird’ rates currently apply.

To secure your place, click the button below:

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

Subscribe to receive to our monthly newsletter

New PDJ online: Implant dentistry (part two)

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.

ISSUE CONTENTS:

CGDent members can view full articles by logging in via the yellow button below, then clicking ‘Access the PDJ Library’:

An earlier version of this article was published on 26 December 2024. The next issue of the journal, General Dentistry, is due out in Spring 2025.

Sign up to our monthly newsletter

Nominations open for Council elections

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

Nominations are sought for the following seats:

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

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

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

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

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

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]

Subscribe to receive to our monthly newsletter

Parliamentary briefing on preventative oral healthcare

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

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

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

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

Attendees at the meeting were:

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



Subscribe to receive to our monthly newsletter

From disclosure to action: domestic abuse and the dental professional’s duty

Saturday 4 October 2025, 3.15pm-4.00pm, London

Preetee Hylton RDN

Dental Care Professionals Hub, Hall N7, ExCeL LondonRoyal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL

This lecture will be delivered by Preetee Hylton RDN, Associate Member of the College and President of the British Association of Dental Nurses.

A full-time dental nurse and safeguarding lead at a private dental practice in London, Preetee is an Associate Examiner for the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses and delivers the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Principles and Practice in Dental Nursing. A former receptionist, practice manager, lead dental nurse and clinical mentor to student dental nurses, she holds the NEBDN National Certificate in Dental Nursing, BDA Education Certificates in Oral Health and in Dental Radiography, a Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector qualification and a Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement, and in 2021 completed the DDS Treatment Coordinator Programme. A founding member and the former Study Club Co-Director of the ITI UK & Ireland Dental Nurses community, she is an honorary ambassador for the Mouth Cancer Foundation, a member of the editorial board of Dental Nursing, and a past contributor to the Primary Dental Journal.

CPD:

  • 0.75 hours

This lecture will be free to attend for both members and non-members of the College, and is one of two College sessions at Dentistry Show London 2025 (DSL25), a two-day conference hosting over 100 CPD lectures in 6 theatres, 180 exhibitors and 4,000 dental professionals.

College representatives will also available throughout the conference at the CGDent exhibition stand (B29) to talk to delegates about our vision for the profession, the benefits of membership and fellowship, and to answer questions.

It is not possible to register for specific lectures in advance, but those wishing to attend should register for DSL25 either in advance or on the day. Registration is free for all registered dental professionals.

Subscribe to receive our monthly newsletter

The hygienist’s role in the management of the implant patient in primary care

CGDent webinar, Wednesday 9 July 20257pm

This webinar explores the essential role of dental hygienists and therapists in the long-term success of dental implants within a primary care settings. It provides a comprehensive overview of best practices for prevention, early detection, and management of peri-implant diseases. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of their clinical responsibilities across all stages of implant care — from pre-operative risk assessment and patient education, to post-operative maintenance and monitoring. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based techniques, communication skills, patient motivation, and collaboration with the wider dental team.

Objectives:

  • To demonstrate the ability to explain implant-related risks and maintenance strategies clearly and effectively to patients.
  • To communicate effectively with the wider dental team to support continuity of care for implant patients.

Outcomes:

After watching the webinar, the learner will gain an understanding of:

  • The role of the dental hygienist in primary care throughout the patient’s implant journey during the three identified areas of implant placement.
  • The communication needed within a multidisciplinary team through the implant journey.

Speakers:

  • Kate Reading, dental hygienist
  • Lisa Knowles, dental therapist

CPD approx 40 minutes

GDC development outcomes: A, B, C

This webinar is hosted by the College of General Dentistry and powered by our CPD delivery partner, ProDental CPD – watch below.

It was free to view live for all dental professionals, and College members also have free access to the recorded webinar and can claim CPD hours for free. A £20 fee will apply for non-members who wish to claim CPD.

Membership of the College of General Dentistry is open to all registered dental professionals. Membership is available from £135 for dentists, £45 for dental nurses and £91 for other registered dental professionals. The full list of CGDent membership rates is here 

Sign up to the College’s monthly newsletter

New PDJ online: Implant dentistry (part one)

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.”

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.

ISSUE CONTENTS:

CGDent members can view full articles by logging in via the yellow button below, then clicking ‘Access the PDJ Library’:

Implant Dentistry – a journey from the beginnings to what has become an established discipline

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.

References

1 Lewin T. Per-Ingvar Brånemark, Dental Innovator, Dies at 85. The New York Times, Dec 27, 2014. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/health/per-ingvar-branemark-dental-innovator-dies-at-85.html

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

Career barriers and breakthroughs: Navigating skill mix and progression for academic dental therapists and dental hygienists

Saturday 17 May 2025, 1.45pm-2.30pm, Birmingham

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

This lecture will be delivered by Sarah Murray MBE (Reader in Dental Therapy Education and Academic Co-Lead for Quality Assurance at Queen Mary University of London, and Board Member of the College’s Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Therapy) and Leon Bassi (Clinical Lecturer in Restorative Dentistry [Dental Therapy] at the University of Liverpool). Both were members of the Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy Working Group which co-developed the College’s Professional Framework for Career Pathways in Dentistry

Free to attend for both members and non-members of the College, it is one of four College sessions at the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2025 (BDCDS25), a two-day conference hosting over 200 CPD lectures, 400 exhibitors and 10,000 dental professionals.

College representatives will be available throughout the conference at Stand Q01 to talk to delegates about our vision for the profession, the benefits of membership and fellowship, and to answer questions.

It is not possible to register for specific lectures in advance, but those wishing to attend need to register for BDCDS25 either in advance or on the day. Registration is free for all dental professionals.

Subscribe to receive to our monthly newsletter

British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show

Friday 16 May (9am-5.30pm) & Saturday 17 May 2025 (9am-5pm)Birmingham

College lecturers at BDCDS25 (clockwise from bottom left): Leon Bassi, Dr Moira Duncan, Professor Chris Tredwin FCGDent, Sarah Murray MBE and Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent

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. Lectures include:

Friday 16 May:

Saturday 17 May:

College representatives will also be available throughout the conference at Stand Q01 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 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.

Subscribe to receive our monthly newsletter