College of General Dentistry Event

Introduction to digital dentistry for early career dentists

Friday 28 November – Saturday 29 November 2025

Dentsply Sirona Academy, Building 3, The Heights, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0NY

Places on this course are awarded to successful candidates in the Tom Bereznicki Award for Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry.

The Introduction to Digital Dentistry course, which combines theory, demonstrations and hands-on experience, has been designed by Dr Tom Bereznicki and Dr Chris Leech specifically for early career dentists with limited or no experience of practising within a digital workflow. It provides a comprehensive introduction to digital dentistry techniques, and how harnessing them can enhance your aesthetic practice and patient care.

The two-day course will mainly focus on the hands-on elements of learning with additional theory and material science modules delivered through pre-course and post-course videos.

The course will take you step-by-step through the complete process of creating a digitally produced crown, from scanning to cementation, and provisionally includes:

  • Presentations on digital dentistry and digital dentures
  • Short demonstrations followed by comprehensive hands-on experience of:
    • Scanning each other
    • Scanning a preparation of a restoration on a pre-prepared model
    • Using software to design your final restoration
    • Demonstration of programming and milling processes
    • Adjustment and polishing techniques using pre-milled crowns that fit the model
    • Cementation of the crown onto the model

Refreshments and lunch are provided on both days.

The course accommodates 12 participants and is repeated on two further dates: Friday 14 – Saturday 15 November 2025 and early 2026 (date to be confirmed).

Course leaders

Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent
Dr Chris Leech FCGDent
Dr Bal Rohal

Dr Tom Bereznicki
BDS (Edin), FDS RCS (Ed), MFDTEd, FCGDent, MFDSEng

After graduating from Edinburgh, Dr Bereznicki worked as a house surgeon at Guy’s and The Royal Dental Hospitals before entering general dental practice, in which he has over 40 years’ experience. With a special interest in restorative dentistry, in particular occlusion and emergence profile, he was also a visiting clinical specialist teacher at King’s College London Dental Institute and later joined the teaching faculty for the university’s MSc in Aesthetic Dentistry. In 2018, he joined the Academy of Dental Excellence as a senior specialist teacher, and in 2021 became a partner associate lecturer for the University of Portsmouth’s Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Aesthetic and Restorative Dentistry. In 2023, he founded the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation which supports educational opportunities for early career dental professionals. A former member of the FGDP and Founder Member of CGDent, he has been a Fellow of the College since 2022 and is a member of both the Faculty of Dental Trainers at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He is also a regional speaker on occlusion for the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Dr Chris Leech
BDS, MAGDS RCS (Ed), MFDS RCPS (Glasg), Dip Imp Dent RCS (Ed), FDS RCS (Ed), FCGDent

A graduate of Newcastle Dental School, Dr Leech is a partner in a private dental practice and the Scientific Director of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He holds the Diploma in Implant Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, for which he is now an examiner. He was also the first dentist to be awarded the Membership for Advanced General Dental Surgery by RCS Edinburgh and is a Fellow of its Faculty of Dental Surgery. He is also a member of the Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry and of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and is a Fellow of the College of General Dentistry.

Dr Bal Rohal
BDS (Kings) Hons

Dr Sohal is a cosmetic dentist who has showcased his work in presentations in the UK and US. He is experienced in the use of digital workflows, in particular for restoring single unit restorations and aesthetic multi-unit veneers, crowns and onlays. He graduated BDS from King’s College London in 2018, where he was undergraduate president of the dental society and was awarded the Guy’s Full Shield, awards from the Richard Dickinson USA Trust Fund and King’s Opportunity Fund, the Gold Star Award and the Jelf Medal for the most distinguished undergraduate.

Attending the course

The Introduction to Digital Dentistry course has been created solely for the Tom Bereznicki Award for Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry, which is open to dentists who qualified in the UK or Ireland between 2019 to 2023, or who qualified overseas between 2019 to 2023 and have been practising in the UK for at least the past two years. 36 successful candidates will each be awarded a fully funded place on one of three course dates, and hotel accommodation, UK travel and subsistence will also be covered.

To enter, eligible dentists must submit an aesthetic case they plan to treat with a mainly analogue workflow, which involves more than one tooth, including at least one anterior tooth, and the use of composite to restore teeth.

The entry deadline is Friday 2 May 2025*.

further information

*The entry deadline has been extended from 17 January 2025.

College of General Dentistry Event

Introduction to digital dentistry for early career dentists

Friday 14 November – Saturday 15 November 2025

Dentsply Sirona Academy, Building 3, The Heights, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0NY

Places on this course are awarded to successful candidates in the Tom Bereznicki Award for Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry.

The Introduction to Digital Dentistry course, which combines theory, demonstrations and hands-on experience, has been designed by Dr Tom Bereznicki and Dr Chris Leech specifically for early career dentists with limited experience of practising within a digital workflow. It provides a comprehensive introduction to digital dentistry techniques, and how harnessing them can enhance your aesthetic practice and patient care.

The two-day course will mainly focus on the hands-on elements of learning with additional theory and material science modules delivered through pre-course and post-course videos.

The course will take you step-by-step through the complete process of creating a digitally produced crown, from scanning to cementation, and provisionally includes:

  • Presentations on digital dentistry and digital dentures
  • Short demonstrations followed by comprehensive hands-on experience of:
    • Scanning each other
    • Scanning a preparation of a restoration on a pre-prepared model
    • Using software to design your final restoration
    • Demonstration of programming and milling processes
    • Adjustment and polishing techniques using pre-milled crowns that fit the model
    • Cementation of the crown onto the model

Refreshments and lunch are provided on both days.

The course accommodates 12 participants and is repeated on two further dates: Friday 28 – Saturday 29 November 2025 and early 2026 (date to be confirmed).

Course leaders

Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent
Dr Chris Leech FCGDent
Dr Bal Rohal

Dr Tom Bereznicki
BDS (Edin), FDS RCS (Ed), MFDTEd, FCGDent, MFDSEng

After graduating from Edinburgh, Dr Bereznicki worked as a house surgeon at Guy’s and The Royal Dental Hospitals before entering general dental practice, in which he has over 40 years’ experience. With a special interest in restorative dentistry, in particular occlusion and emergence profile, he was also a visiting clinical specialist teacher at King’s College London Dental Institute and later joined the teaching faculty for the university’s MSc in Aesthetic Dentistry. In 2018, he joined the Academy of Dental Excellence as a senior specialist teacher, and in 2021 became a partner associate lecturer for the University of Portsmouth’s Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Aesthetic and Restorative Dentistry. In 2023, he founded the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation which supports educational opportunities for early career dental professionals. A former member of the FGDP and Founder Member of CGDent, he has been a Fellow of the College since 2022 and is a member of both the Faculty of Dental Trainers at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He is also a regional speaker on occlusion for the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Dr Chris Leech
BDS, MAGDS RCS (Ed), MFDS RCPS (Glasg), Dip Imp Dent RCS (Ed), FDS RCS (Ed), FCGDent

A graduate of Newcastle Dental School, Dr Leech is a partner in a private dental practice and the Scientific Director of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He holds the Diploma in Implant Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, for which he is now an examiner. He was also the first dentist to be awarded the Membership for Advanced General Dental Surgery by RCS Edinburgh and is a Fellow of its Faculty of Dental Surgery. He is also a member of the Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry and of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and is a Fellow of the College of General Dentistry.

Dr Bal Rohal
BDS (Kings) Hons

Dr Sohal is a cosmetic dentist who has showcased his work in presentations in the UK and US. He is experienced in the use of digital workflows, in particular for restoring single unit restorations and aesthetic multi-unit veneers, crowns and onlays. He graduated BDS from King’s College London in 2018, where he was undergraduate president of the dental society and was awarded the Guy’s Full Shield, awards from the Richard Dickinson USA Trust Fund and King’s Opportunity Fund, the Gold Star Award and the Jelf Medal for the most distinguished undergraduate.

Attending the course

The Introduction to Digital Dentistry course has been created solely for the Tom Bereznicki Award for Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry, which is open to dentists who qualified in the UK or Ireland between 2019 to 2023, or who qualified overseas between 2019 to 2023 and have been practising in the UK for at least the past two years. 36 successful candidates will each be awarded a fully funded place on one of three course dates, and hotel accommodation, UK travel and subsistence will also be covered.

To enter, eligible dentists must submit an aesthetic case they plan to treat with a mainly analogue workflow, which involves more than one tooth, including at least one anterior tooth, and the use of composite to restore teeth.

The entry deadline is Friday 2 May 2025*.

further information

*The entry deadline has been extended from 17 January 2025.

College of General Dentistry News

CGDent and Dentsply Sirona launch the Tom Bereznicki Award for Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry

The College has partnered with the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation and Dentsply Sirona to develop a new aesthetic dentistry award for early career dentists.

The Tom Bereznicki Award for Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry recognises aesthetic dentistry skills and patient care and is open to dentists who qualified in the UK or Ireland between 2019 to 2023, or who qualified overseas between 2019 to 2023 and have been practising in the UK for at least the past two years.

36 successful candidates will each receive a fully funded place on a bespoke, hands-on two-day digital dentistry course at the Dentsply Sirona Academy in Weybridge, Surrey. The course is repeated on three separate dates. Travel costs, hotel accommodation and subsistence are included in the prize.

The digital dentistry course has been designed by Dr Tom Bereznicki BDS (Edin), FDS RCS (Ed), MFDTEd, FCGDent, MFDSEng and Dr Chris Leech BDS, MAGDS RCS (Ed), MFDS RCPS (Glasg), Dip Imp Dent RCS (Ed), FDS RCS (Ed), FCGDent. Created solely for the Award, the course is aimed at dentists with limited of working with a digital workflow. The exclusive course is only open to winners of the new Award and is not available commercially.

Delivered predominantly through short demonstrations and comprehensive hands-on sessions, participants on the course will be guided step-by-step through the complete process of creating a digitally produced crown, from scanning to cementation. Theory modules, such as material science, will be provided through pre-course and post-course videos.

To enter, candidates must submit pre-op photographs of an aesthetic case they are about to start treating and upload a final case report when treatment is complete.  The case must involve more than one tooth, including at least one anterior tooth, and the use of composite to restore teeth. It must mainly follow an analogue workflow. Full case eligibility guidance is outlined on the Award web page.

The inaugural Award is now open and the deadline to enter the competition with pre-op photographs is Friday 2 May 2025*. Entrants have until Friday 5 September 2025 to complete the treatment and submit their final case. The successful candidates will be announced in October and the digital dentistry courses will take place on Friday-Saturday 14-15 November 2025, Friday-Saturday 28-29 November 2025, and a Friday-Saturday in early 2026 (date to be confirmed). The number of Award entries has been capped at 150, and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Click the button below for further information about the award, links to guidance for entrants and the entry form.

further information

Further opportunities for early career dentists

The College is collaborating with the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation, and other partners, to deliver a range of educational opportunities for early career dental professionals.

Occlusion and perio symposia
Featuring a line-up of expert speakers, a series of symposia for early career dentists on the topics of occlusion and perio will take place in London in 2025. Find out more.

CGDent and GC Award for Foundation Trainees
Dentists and dental therapists enrolled on DFT are eligible to enter the CGDent-GC Award 2024/25, to win fully funded composite layering training in Belgium. Full details and entry form.

*The entry and submission deadlines have been extended and the course due to take place on 4-5 July 2025 has been rescheduled to early 2026 (date to be confirmed).

College of General Dentistry News

New PDJ online: General dentistry (part one)

The latest issue of the Primary Dental Journal, ‘General dentistry (part one)’, is now live online.

The issue features articles on a wide range of topics of relevance to the whole dental team, selected 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).

Topics covered include, among others, an exploration of the Delivering Better Oral Health version 4 toolkit; an examination of job satisfaction/dissatisfaction among dentists and dental care professionals; a review of current trends in digital implant planning and rehabilitation; and an update on dental transpositions. This issue also includes the final update on College developments by Dr Abhi Pal, whose term as President ends in June 2024. (The full list of contents is below.)

Outlining the purposes of the general dentistry issues, Prof Blum said:

“As part of our ongoing effort to support the journey of continued learning and development of the primary dental care team, the articles in these issues address topics likely to be informative and relevant to your practice, and which I trust readers will find stimulating, interesting and valuable.”

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 £125 for dentists, £83 for other dental professionals, and £42 for Dental Nurses, new registrants and concessions.

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’:

PDJ MEMBER ACCESS

Issue contents:

The next issue of the journal, General dentistry (part two), is due out in Summer 2024.

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College of General Dentistry Recent event

Artificial Intelligence in cariology

CGDent recorded webinar, Tuesday 20 June 2023

AI is entering our everyday lives – but what is behind this technology, and how can that be used in dentistry? This CGDent webinar discusses these aspects and focuses on the link between modern diagnostics using AI and modern caries therapy.

Speakers:

  • Dr Abhi Pal, President of the College of General Dentistry
  • Prof. Falk Schwendicke, Professor and Director, Department of Oral Diagnostics, Digital Dentistry and Health Services Research

CPD approx 1.5 hours

GCD development outcomes: C

This webinar is hosted by the College of General Dentistry and powered by our CPD delivery partner, ProDental CPD – watch the recording 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 £125 per year for dentists, from £83 for other dental professionals, and from £42 for Dental Nurses and those eligible for a concession. See the full list of CGDent membership rates here.

watch webinar

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College of General Dentistry Recent event

Transitioning from analogue to digital dentistry

CGDent recorded webinar, Tuesday 18 April 2023

In this CGDent webinar, we explore how, with knowledge, understanding and experience, analogue dentistry provides predictable treatment results through careful control of the processes employed. We examine how important these parameters are when making the transition to digital dentistry and discuss how to action the transition successfully.

Speakers:

  • Anthony Laurie MDT FBIDST FCGI, Dental Technician & Managing Director, Dental Excellence LTD
  • Prof Bill Sharpling FCGDent, Chair of CGDent’s Faculty of Clinical Dental Technology & Dental Technology, Associate Dean (CPD) and Director of LonDEC at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London

GDC development outcomes: C

CPD approx 1.5 hours

This webinar is hosted by the College of General Dentistry and powered by our CPD delivery partner, ProDental CPD – register 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 £125 per year for dentists, from £83 for other dental professionals, and from £42 for Dental Nurses and those eligible for a concession. See the full list of CGDent membership rates here.

watch webinar

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College of General Dentistry News

New PDJ online: Digital dentistry

The latest edition of the Primary Dental Journal, Digital Dentistry, is now live online.

Guest edited by Clinical Professor of Prosthodontics at NYU College of Dentistry USA, Ilser Turkyilmaz, the issue explores various techniques to offer even the most experienced dental professional the latest update on the evolution of technology and materials.

Professor Turkyilmaz clarifies, “Now, well into the age of digital dentistry, clinicians are constantly challenged to find the most modern, relevant material to provide the best quality of care to their patients and ease their labour-intensive workflows. The goal of this issue is to do exactly that, enrich the repertoire of current and new clinicians to help optimise patient care.”

The issue also features the second of five domains from the College’s Career Pathways in Dentistry: Professional Framework, which describes the knowledge, skills and other attributes expected of primary care dental professionals at different career stages – from safe practitioner through to accomplished practitioner. The ‘Professionalism’ domain published in this issue will be followed by ‘Reflection’, ‘Development’, and ‘Agency’ domains in future issues of the Primary Dental Journal. The first domain, ‘Clinical & Technical’, was published in the Autumn 2022 issue, and all domains for every career stage can be viewed online, using the above link.

In addition – and following his 2022 webinar with the College (the recording of which is available on-demand) – we explore Duty of Candour and how this relates to dentistry, with expert in the field, Kevin Lewis. Kevin explains the essentials of the legal, ethical, human, and sometimes contractual duty of candour, and the importance of organisational culture and involving the entire dental team in duty of candour, then focuses on notifiable safety incidents and takes us through the steps needed in dentistry.

Details of the College’s upcoming international conference, Excellence and the dental team (24–25 March 2023), in collaboration with Quintessence Publishing can also be found in this issue and online. Please check here for the up-to-date programme.

A single page cut-out-and-keep chairside synopsis of Antimicrobial Prescribing in Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines is included, providing a handy, practical overview of treatment options for common conditions. The synopsis was developed by the Faculty of General Dental Practice (now College of General Dentistry) and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Full access to the majority of articles is reserved for College of General Dentistry members and Primary Dental Journal subscribers. For non-members / non-subscribers, individual print issues are available to purchase from £41. An annual print subscription, normally costing £125, is included with membership of the College. Membership is available from £100 for dentists and from £33 for all other registered dental professionals, and also includes online access to the PDJ Archive of over 1,300 articles, and a range of other benefits.

CGDent members and PDJ subscribers should expect their printed copies to arrive in the next 2–3 weeks.

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.

A full list of papers is below.

CGDent members can view full articles via the links below by first visiting the PDJ Member Access page and clicking ‘Access the PDJ Archive’.

PDJ online

PDJ Winter 2022 digital dentistry issue contents

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