The CGDent and GC Award for Foundation Trainees, which promotes clinical skills and patient care, is now open for entries to the 2027 competition.
Now in its fourth year, dentists and dental therapists who are undertaking Dental Foundation Training or Dental Vocational Training in 2026/27, or who qualified in the UK or Ireland in 2026 and are practising in the UK or Ireland, are invited to enter. Entrants must submit a restorative case they are about to start treating which will involve composite restoration on at least one anterior tooth.
There are 18 winning places available, with each successful candidate receiving a fully-funded place on a hands-on, two-day composite layering course at the GC Education Campus in Leuven, Belgium. The prize is worth around £1,400 per place and includes the costs of international travel, hotel accommodation and subsistence.
Successful candidates at the GC composite layering course in Belgium, July 2026
One of the successful candidates in last year’s competition said that in applying for the award, they “particularly enjoyed planning and completing a case from start to finish, while exchanging ideas with colleagues. It was a great opportunity to refine my skills and bring new techniques into my clinical practice”. Subsequently being among the winners was “a fantastic recognition of the passion and dedication I have for restorative dentistry”.
Another candidate, reflecting on the bespoke composite layering course which the winners undertook in July 2026, said they enjoyed “getting to meet other foundation trainees from around the UK, which allowed us to share and discuss our experiences on our journey as young practitioners.”
With the 2027 award now open, the closing date for initial entries is Monday 22 February 2027, and final cases must be submitted by Monday 26 April 2027. The winners will be announced in May, and their course will take place on Thursday–Friday 22–23 July 2027.
The CGDent-GC Award is funded by The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation and organised in conjunction with the College of General Dentistry and GC. The Foundation supports educational opportunities for early career dental professionals in the UK, and was founded by Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent, a general dental practitioner with a special interest in restorative dentistry.
GC is an oral health company which manufactures dental systems and products which are sold around the world, and has won awards for its products and innovations. It provides both online and in-person training covering many areas of dental practice.
In addition to the CGDent-GC Award for Foundation Trainees, the three organisations collaborate to offer the Tom Bereznicki Award for Tooth Wear Cases, which provides early careers practitioners with the opportunity of fully-funded training in composite injection moulding technique.
CGDent and Dr Bereznicki’s foundation also work together on a range of additional awards and educational opportunities for newer practitioners. These include the Tom Bereznicki Award for Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry, which offers dentists training in digital dentistry, and the Introduction to Occlusion symposia, the next instance of which takes place in Manchester on Saturday 24 October 2026 (book here).
The two charities are also developing a new Tom Bereznicki Award for Periodontal Management, a periodontal case competition for early career dental therapists and dental hygienists which will be launched soon.
For further information about the CGDent-GC Award for Foundation Trainees 2027, links to guidance for entrants and the entry form,click the button below:
Dr Mariam Ahmed, one of the successful candidates in the 2026 CGDent-GC Award, reflects on entering the competition and what she gained from the experience.
More than a competition: The award explained
The CGDent-GC award was founded by the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation in conjunction with the College of General Dentistry and GC. The award requires entrants to submit a clinical case report involving at least one anterior tooth restored with composite, with winning entrants each being awarded a fully funded place on a two day composite layering course in Belgium.
Entering the award is an easy process, with guidance documents available on the College website providing everything an entrant could need, from examples of acceptable photography to advice on compiling a written case report. As well as this, a dedicated email address is available for further enquiries with helpful staff on the receiving end to provide support. After gaining consent to enter the award from your patient, educational supervisor, and preferably your training programme director, it’s time to take and submit pre-op photos following which suitable cases will be accepted. Then once the case has been completed, submit your post-op photos and final report, and patiently wait to hear if you are one of the successful candidates. There is also a window of opportunity to change your case should you identify a more suitable case later on.
Inside my winning entry
After hearing about the award on social media during my final year of dental school, I was keen and ready to enter as soon as I identified a suitable case. As I am undertaking joint dental foundation and core training, my case was carried out in the Dental Hospital Restorative department and involved six anterior composite build ups to manage tooth surface loss aided by a diagnostic wax up. The timeline of the award is extremely manageable. I entered the award in September 2025, submitted my report in February 2026, and was proud to have been selected as a winner in May 2026.
Belgium unwrapped
Home to the GC European campus (and plenty of chocolate), winning entrants travelled to and stayed together in Leuven, a university city just east of Brussels. With a whole host of restaurants and ice cream parlours lining the cobbled streets, entrants had plenty of time to get to know each other on arrival to the city and throughout the evenings, before returning to the hotel to wind down over games of cards and pool. It was rewarding to meet likeminded foundation trainees from across the country and share our experiences so far, as well as our future ambitions. A highlight for many from this trip was our final night in Belgium during which we joined the CGDent and GC team for a celebratory dinner before finishing the night enjoying Leuven’s annual open air summer music festival.
Layering composite and learning new skills: The course
The course itself was split over two days and led by Dr Simone Moretto, GC’s training manager. The campus was well equipped with a comfortable café, spacious seminar rooms and an advanced clinical skills unit. The first day involved a lecture on colour theory, bevelling, and material selection before moving onto phantom models and working in tandem with Dr Moretto to restore a class IV cavity on a central incisor using a layered technique. The second day involved further clinical practice to restore a discoloured lateral incisor using a direct composite veneer, and multiple class II cavities using various approaches such as a cusp by cusp, injection moulding, and stamp technique. Emphasis was placed on recreating anatomical details, utilising new instruments and materials appropriately, implementing a step wise polishing protocol to achieve life like results. Over both days, Dr Moretto was on hand to critically appraise our work under the microscope and provide personalised feedback and demonstrations.
The course helped me develop an understanding of how small anatomical details can significantly improve the aesthetics of the final restoration. I gained practical experience in creating a natural emergence profile and contact point using anterior sectional matrices which I found provided me with a consistent outcome as opposed to the traditional mylar strip I previously used with difficulty. I began learning how to layer enamel and dentine shades in order to highlight anatomical features such as mamelons to create a more lifelike result. I also had the opportunity to learn about polishing protocols and how altering the direction and speed of my polishing discs could better enhance surface anatomical details such as perikymata whilst still achieving a gloss finish.
The pace of the course encouraged precision, and with the help of further tutorials and regular feedback from my educational supervisor, I have begun to consolidate my knowledge and implement these skills in practice.
Thinking of entering? My top tips
Photos are key
The advice I would give future entrants is to take photos of everything! Clinical photography is an invaluable skill to develop early in your career. Photos are essential in completing milestone cases and case based discussions which is a requirement of successful completion of foundation training, but are also invaluable for reflection and self-improvement, building a portfolio to aid future employment, to gain second opinions and make referrals, and in educating and motivating patients.
Picking up a camera can be daunting, especially early in your career when you have so much else to focus on, but confidence comes with practice. Take notes during your photography study day, request further practice in a tutorial with your educational supervisor, and practice on your colleagues during cancellations!
Advice from colleagues
The second piece of advice I would give future entrants is to discuss cases with colleagues! Make use of the experience your senior colleagues have and ask how they would approach the case, what materials and instruments they would use, what problems they think you could encounter, and how to overcome these. Before beginning my case I presented the pre-op photos to my educational supervisor in practice and a Restorative consultant in hospital and asked all of the above which made me feel much more prepared to manage my case. Discussing with colleagues also reminded me that dentistry is dynamic, there is rarely one right answer to a problem and the best way to learn is by trial and error until you find out which techniques work in your hands.
The power of reflection
The third and final piece of advice I would give future entrants is to not rush your reflection. It’s easy to become tunnel visioned when focusing on minute details for an extended period of time. Step back from the case and revisit it with a fresh set of eyes, whether that be reviewing post-op photos or the patient themselves sometime after completing the case. I have found that my best reflection often comes weeks after completing a case, particularly if I have observed or carried out a similar style treatment since then. I am lucky to work alongside a large team of trainees and specialists in Restorative Dentistry in hospital, and I asked one of my supervising consultants to provide feedback on my winning case. They kindly agreed and when the patient returned for review, they carefully inspected my composite work from aesthetics to function and enquired about my technique, giving me much to reflect on when compiling my final report.
I am a firm believer that every day is a learning opportunity if you are willing to look for it. Implementing the above three pieces of advice will help any foundation dentist or therapist begin their journey of development from trainee to trusted clinician.
The College of General Dentistry, GC and The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation would like to congratulate the successful candidates in the 2026 CGDent and GC Award for Foundation Trainees, and thank everyone who entered.
A selection of successful cases which illustrate a range of different types of cases entered in the award. Cases submitted by (L-R) Dr Esha Gupta,Dr Xiaoyu Foo and Dr Lance Lesterpearson
This year, all 14 winning entrants are dentists, who between them studied at eight different dental schools and are now completing their Foundation / Vocational Training through eight different deaneries across the regions and nations of the UK.
Candidate name
Undergraduate qualification
Educational Supervisor(s)
Deanery
Dr Abdurahman Abdi
BDS Cardiff University 2025
Dr Sian Blackshaw
Wales
Dr Sahand Abolfathi
BDS University of Glasgow 2025
Dr Bushra Bashir
Scotland
Dr Mariam Ahmed
BDS Newcastle University 2025
Dr Rosie Johnston, Dr Heather Coventry
North East and Cumbria
Dr Xiaoyu Foo
BDS University of Dundee 2025
Dr Iain Bufton
Scotland
Dr Esha Gupta
BDS University of Plymouth 2025
Dr Saleem Mulla
Midlands
Dr Joshua Hurley
BDS King’s College London 2025
Dr Niloy Karia
London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Dr Anushka Kapour
BDS University of Plymouth 2025
Dr Deepa Shah, Dr Neil Shah
London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Dr Daniel Lekhi
BDS University of Birmingham 2025
Dr Brenda Macmillan, Dr Rebecca Hamilton
Thames Valley and Wessex
Dr Lance Lesterpearson
BDS University of Plymouth 2024
Dr Mohammed Faisal
London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Dr Aqil Matin
BDS University of Manchester 2025
Dr Emily McConnell
North West
Dr Imane Nagi
BDS University of Birmingham 2025
Dr Bharat Modhwadia
North West
Dr Priyanka Shah
BDS University of Dundee 2025
Dr Nava Darzi, Dr Hardeep Matharu
East of England
Dr Safa Shareef
BDS University of Manchester 2025
Dr Jemma Hook
North West
Dr Heba Turki
BDS Newcastle University 2025
Dr Neesha Chopra
North East and Cumbria
To enter, each participant submitted a restorative case which included at least one anterior tooth restored with composite. Cases entered involved a range of restorative treatments including those for midline diastema, dental trauma, tooth wear and peg shaped laterals. View all the successful cases here.
The award was open to dentists and dental therapists who graduated in the UK or Ireland in 2025 and/or are undergoing Dental Foundation Training, Dental Vocational Training or Joint Dental Foundation Core Training in 2025-26. Entries were received from dentists and dental therapists around the country.
The assessment panel, which comprised Trustees of The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation and senior members of the College, scored each case based on a set of assessment criteria which allocated points to overall improvement in the patient’s oral health (including periodontal health), the standard of aesthetic treatment, the complexity of the case and the quality of the entrant’s reflection.
The successful candidates are each awarded a fully-funded place on a two-day composite layering course which is taking place on 23-24 July 2026 at GC’s European Education Campus in Leuven, Belgium. The prize includes international travel and hotel costs and is worth around £1,400 per place.
The CGDent-GC Award is funded by The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation and organised in conjunction with the College and GC.
The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation supports educational opportunities for early career dental professionals in the UK, and was founded by Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent, a general dental practitioner with a special interest in restorative dentistry.
GC is an oral health company which manufactures dental systems and products which are sold around the world, and has won awards for its products and innovations. It provides both online and in-person training covering many areas of dental practice.
The College, GC and the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation also collaborate on the new Tom Bereznicki Award for Tooth Wear Cases, which is currently open to dentists who qualified between 2020 and 2024, and who practise in the UK or Ireland, until Monday 10 August 2026, and which will offer up to 20 successful candidates a fully-funded place on a one-day, hands-on course on composite injection moulding technique.
The next round of the CGDent-CG Award will open in September 2026. For further information, visit our award page. To receive email notification when the competition opens, register your interest via the button below:
Dr Choudhury Rahman, Associate Member,andDr Francisco Casserley FCGDent, discuss why informed patient consent and accurate record‑keeping are essential, and share their practical advice on the key points early career clinicians should consider.
Choudhury RahmanFrancisco Casserley
Something which worries many new dentists is the issue of litigation. We all dread that moment we get an email or a letter about a patient who is unhappy with something which we have done, or is wishing to make a complaint. One of the ways we can help ourselves is by ensuring we have really good consent, and clear record-keeping. Both of these things go hand-in-hand, and in this blog we will discuss how we can ensure we are protecting ourselves well.
Disclaimer: This is not an exhaustive guide to consent or record-keeping, but suggestions based on personal experience. We would recommend referring to the CGDent guidance on Clinical Examination and Record-Keeping, or undertaking CPD to ensure you gain a good understanding of best practice in consent and record-keeping.
GDC principles and putting patients first
As undergraduates we will have spent a lot of time learning and understanding the GDC Principles. Many of these link together, especially back to principle 1 which is to “Put patients’ interests first”. This should be at the centre of everything we do and ties strongly into principle 3, “Obtain valid consent”.
What informed consent really means
Consent is not just asking the patient what they want to do, but it’s giving them all the possible options for treatment so that they are able to make an informed decision. Some of these options may be things you can’t undertake, for example, a tricky root canal treatment (RCT), a difficult extraction, crown lengthening to improve restorability, or even implants. The possibility of alternative options out of your scope, including private options, should be given to every patient. You shouldn’t let any pre-conceptions about the patient stop you from giving those options. Whether the patient goes ahead with any of those, is up to them, but you need to document clearly all the options you have given, along with what the patient has decided to do.
We’ve also seen many colleagues worry over giving the patient a recommendation of treatment. However, in Principle 3.1.3, the GDC says that it is fine to give your patient “your recommended option”. As long as the recommendation is clinically reasonable, it will always be appropriate to give them a recommendation based on your opinion and clinical scenario. Many patients also value your expertise and experience and will be happy to go with your advice.
Discussing risks, benefits and alternatives
It’s very important to discuss all risks and benefits with patients for each option of treatment so the decision they make can be informed. You need to have this discussion recorded in your notes with all the risks and benefits given. For example, if you have a particularly tough extraction for an upper molar which is close to the sinus, you need to advise the patient there is a risk of pain, bleeding, bruising and swelling. You would also need to advise there is a risk of tooth fracture, oroantral communication (OAC), damage to adjacent teeth and tuberosity fracture (if it’s an 8). We’d suggest also warning your patient that if a fracture occurs, they may need to be referred to see someone else to have any remaining bits of tooth taken out. If there was a particularly high risk of OAC, you may want to offer the patient the option to be referred for an extraction, so that if an OAC occurs, it can be repaired straight away. The reason to refer due to the higher OAC risk needs to be specified. The patient may be in pain, for example, and happy to accept this increased risk, but you need to make that option clear to the patient. This issue was highlighted in an article by the Dental Defence Union (the DDU).
Montgomery 2015 and material risk
Continuing on with specific risks to your patient, you need to have a good understanding of Montgomery 2015 and informed consent. This relates to the matter of “whether the information given to a patient is adequate, is judged from the perspective of a reasonable person in the patient’s position” and that “patients are aware of ‘material risks’” (MDU, 2024). We would recommend reading into the case and the issues that were raised, but to explain this simply for us as dental professionals, if there is an issue specific to the patient, and there is a risk with a procedure which can have particular consequences to them, it needs to be explained clearly to them.
For example, if you had a patient who was a chef, and taste is very important in their job, you may wish to warn them of the risk of lingual nerve injury from an inferior alveolar block. You should warn that this risk may result in temporary or permanent changes in their taste. With this risk in mind, you and the patient may decide on alternative ways to achieve analgesia for a dental procedure. This is only one example of the thought process you need to have when consenting a patient to treatment.
The importance of contemporaneous clinical notes
We all hate spending much of our time writing clinical notes, but there are many small details we have seen people miss. As mentioned in GDC Principle 4.1, “you must make and keep contemporaneous, complete and accurate patient records”. You need to ensure whoever is present in the room is recorded. This is particularly important in relation to paediatric patients in case safeguarding issues are being investigated. Any presenting complaints (PC) must be documented, along with the history of presenting complaint (HPC). These must be recorded in the patient’s own words. For example, if the patient says “I feel like ripping my tooth out”, put that in your notes in quotations. This could be important as it gives an idea of the kind of pain a patient might be in.
You should ensure you have clear notes of the patient’s medical history, social history (smoking and alcohol), dental history along with oral hygiene routine, findings in your exam/assessment, intra and extra oral findings, a comment on the oral hygiene, any special investigations taken with their findings including BPE, sensibility/TTP, Radiographs etc, risks level for caries, periodontal disease, oral cancer and tooth wear. You also need to record all your diagnoses (especially for periodontal disease with staging, grading and risk factors) along with treatment options and discussions. It is also great if you can take pre- and post-op photos of your work, or problems the patient is attending with, as this can show how the patient has presented to you – this a form of evidence which is indisputable if there are issues afterwards or concerns about the care you have provided. Top tip – make sure your camera’s date and time settings are correct before taking the photos. Find out about how to pick a good camera set up in the blog ‘How to get the most out of Foundation Training and make the right investments’
Templates can be a great tool, especially when you are seeing many patients. They can help ensure you do not miss anything during your appointments, and you’ll find many of the discussions you have will be the same with a lot of patients, so having quick notes will save you from typing out the same discussion for multiple patients. However, you need to be very careful with how you use these. If you were to be investigated for whatever reason, blank or unfilled areas in your notes would not look very good, and if you have not edited notes to make them specific to each patient’s risks, this could mean some parts of your conversation with the patient may not be there to defend you.
Poor records = poor defence
Something I remember being told when I started working has always stuck with me – Poor records = poor defence. No records = no defence. If you have not written in your clinical notes something you have said, it is essentially assumed the conversation never happened. If you find yourself in the court of law with litigation issues, the only thing there will be to defend you is your clinical notes, or lack thereof, if you are not doing them well.
Further learning
We would really recommend doing some more research and CPD on consent and record-keeping. For good practice guidance, go to the CGDent guidance ‘Clinical Examination and Record-Keeping’ and we’d also recommend the indemnity websites where they discuss cases and there is a lot to be learnt from them.
Authors’ bio
“I Graduated from the University of Manchester in 2023, completed my FD Training in the Greater Manchester North Scheme and am now an Associate Dentist in Greater Manchester. I’m also a NextGen Ambassador for the College of General Dentistry. My clinical interests include Oral Surgery and Prosthodontics. I am currently undertaking a Masters in Prosthodontics at UCLAN and have interests in Implants and also dental education. Outside of work, I enjoy running and 5-a-side football.”
Dr Choudhury Rahman, Associate Member of the College
“I graduated from the University of Manchester in 2005 and am currently an Educational Supervisor in Greater Manchester North Scheme, as well as an expert witness. I spend most of my time carrying out general dentistry, alongside placing implants and running two NHS dental practices. Outside work I enjoy spending time with my two boys and I am also an avid Manchester United fan”
The Introduction to Occlusion Symposium, which took place in London and Edinburgh last year, is heading to Manchester on Saturday 24 October 2026. Registration is now open and an early bird discount is available until 26 May.
Introduction to Occlusion Symposium, London and Edinburgh
The aim of the event, which has been organised by the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation in conjunction with the College, is to elevate delegates’ knowledge of the fundamental principles of occlusion and how they can support the placement of successful, long-term restorations for patients presenting with tooth wear and other conditions. It is designed for early career dental professionals but all dental professionals are welcome to attend.
Members of the College are asked to share details of the symposium with friends and colleagues who may wish to attend.
The programme will be delivered by the panel of six renowned speakers who impressed delegates at the symposia in London and Edinburgh.
The day will commence with a lecture by Dr Bereznicki, who will use real failure cases to illustrate what can happen if a patient’s occlusion is not assessed and treated.
Symposium speakers l-r: Dr Shiraz Khan, Dr Ken Harris, Prof Paul Tipton, Dr Tom Bereznicki, Dr Koray Feran, Dr Tif Qureshi
Alongside the programme of lectures, delegates who wish to develop their knowledge of occlusion further can visit a hand-picked selection of education stands to learn more about leading postgraduate courses available in this field.
The fees have been set to ensure the symposium is accessible to all dental professionals. A limited number of free places are available to students who graduate after 2026. For early career practitioners who qualified between 2021 and 2026, the fee is £90.
For all other dental professionals, the early bird rate is £175 and is available until midnight on Tuesday 26 May. The full fee of £225 will then be available. Fees include refreshments throughout the day, a two-course lunch and 6 hours of verifiable CPD.
You can find further information and secure your early bird place by clicking the button below.
The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation, in collaboration with the College, offers a range of clinical skills competitions and events for early career practitioners. Two competitions are currently open for entries:
Tom Bereznicki Award for Tooth Wear Cases – open until Monday 10 August 2026 – 20 winners will each be awarded a fully funded place on an injection moulding course.
The College has partnered with the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation and GC to develop a new tooth wear award for early career dentists.
The Tom Bereznicki Award for Tooth Wear Cases recognises restorative and aesthetic dentistry skills and patient care and is open to dentists who qualified between 2020 to 2024 and practise in the UK or Ireland.
College members are urged to share the details with eligible colleagues.
Up to 20 successful candidates will each receive a fully funded place on a bespoke, hands-on injection moulding course which takes place on Saturday 5 December 2026. The prize, worth around £1,000, includes the cost of travel to GC’s UK training facilities, as well as hotel accommodation and subsistence.
The composite injection moulding technique course, created solely for the award by Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent and Dr Chris Leech FCGDent, has been designed specifically for early career dentists and is not available commercially.
Delivered through theory, demonstrations and comprehensive hands-on sessions, the course aims to equip clinicians with the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills required to plan, execute, and maintain predictable composite injection moulding cases for aesthetic and restorative dentistry.
To enter, candidates must submit pre-op photographs of a tooth wear case they are about to start treating and upload a final case report when treatment is complete. The case must involve at least four anterior teeth, and the use of composite to restore teeth, either manually by hand or by the injection moulding technique. 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 Monday 10 August 2026. Entrants have until Monday 19 October to complete the treatment and submit their final case. The successful candidates will be announced in November and the injection moulding course will take place on Saturday 5 December 2026. The number of award entries has been capped at 100, and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Announcing the new award, Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent, President of the College of General Dentistry, said:
“I am delighted that the College is further extending its collaboration with the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation through our new tooth wear award. The award provides a valuable opportunity for newly qualified practitioners to develop their knowledge and skills, and progress their careers in dentistry.”
Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent, Chair of the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation, added:
“Successfully and efficiently treating common tooth wear cases using the injection moulding technique is a vital skill for early career colleagues to master – it is more predictable, quicker and provides a more aesthetic result than building up manually. So, I am thrilled that our new award will provide high-quality training in injection moulding for up to 20 successful candidates.”
John Maloney, GC Director and Country Manager for the UK, Ireland and South Africa, commented:
“Providing the highest quality training to the dental profession is core to our mission and we are honoured to facilitate the clinical development of early career colleagues through this exciting new award.”
Click the button below for further information about the award, links to guidance for entrants and the entry form.
Eligible candidates for the Tom Bereznicki Award for Tooth Wear Cases may also enter the Tom Bereznicki Award for Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry, which is open until Monday 8 June 2026 and provides each winner with a fully funded place on a digital dentistry course. Separate cases must be entered into each competition.
The GC composite layering course provides in-depth guidance on the complete process of restoring teeth using contemporary composite layering techniques and materials. Through hands-on sessions, supported by lectures, demos and one-to-one training, participants will gain an enhanced understanding of the science and protocols which will enable them to practice restorative dentistry with increased confidence, for the benefit of patients.
The course itinerary is tailored to meet the experience and skills of participants, and covered:
Colour perception for recreating natural looking anterior direct restorations
Using a detailed layering technique with only inside and outside shades in a Class IV
Dealing with the challenging situation of masking a strong discoloration with a direct veneer
Finishing and polishing protocols
Injection Moulding Technique (IMT) – principles, indications and clinical guideline
Treating posterior and anterior tooth wear with IMT
Extending the limits of a direct Cl II restoration with a fibre reinforced and a high-filled injectable composite
Course leader
Dr Simone Moretto
Dr Moretto graduated in Dentistry from State University of Campinas in Brazil, going on to become a Specialist, Master and PhD in Restorative Dentistry at the Sao Paulo University, Brazil. as a research at BIOMAT, the Biomaterials Research group of the Department of Oral Health Sciences, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Belgium, she developed a sound scientific background with papers published in peer reviewed journals and presentations at several International Congresses. Following her time at the University of Leuven, she taught as an Associate Professor in Brazil and then lectured in modern dentistry internationally. Since 2014, she has worked GC Europe as a Training Manager.
A fully funded place on the composite layering course is offered to successful candidates in the CGDent and GC Award for Foundation Trainees, which is open to Dentists and Dental Therapists who qualified in the UK or Ireland in 2026 and are practising in the UK or Ireland, or who are undertaking Dental Foundation Training or Dental Vocational Training. The prize for successful candidates also includes hotel accommodation, international travel and subsistence.
To enter, eligible Dentists and Dental Therapists have to submit a restorative case they plan to treat, which involves composite restoration on at least one anterior tooth.
The 2027 award was open to entries until Monday 22 February 2027.
Dr Shreya Sharma, an Associate Dentist based in Hampshire, was successful in the 2025 CGDent-GC Award. In this blog, she describes how her reflective practice, a key part of the award entry process, supports her professional development.
Dentistry is a profession defined by lifelong learning. No two cases are ever quite the same and with every patient comes an opportunity to refine our judgement, technique and communication. But true growth doesn’t just come from experience, it comes from reflection.
At university, feedback is constant. Every procedure is supervised, every decision discussed. Once qualified, that safety net disappears and suddenly, we’re left to evaluate our own work. For me, reflection has become a way to recreate that feedback loop, to stay accountable and to keep improving.
I realised this most clearly while preparing my case for the CGDent-GC Award for Foundation Trainees. The award places a strong emphasis on reflective practice, with a significant portion of the assessment criteria dedicated to it. Knowing this encouraged me to slow down, document carefully and truly understand the reasoning behind each decision. That’s where the most meaningful learning happened.
What it means to reflect and why it matters
Reflection isn’t just a tick-box exercise for an e-portfolio. It’s an honest look at your own decision-making: why something worked, what could have gone better and how you’ll approach it differently next time.
During my award case, analysing my own work, even small details like line angles, surface texture and the polish of restorations, helped me understand why they mattered and how they influenced the overall outcome.
One example was restoring the fractured UR1 to match the adjacent UL1 crown. I found the process far more challenging than expected, particularly when trying to recreate the same lustre and the way the light reflected off the crowned tooth. Even achieving the correct width proved difficult.
My successful case: pre-op and post-op photographs
To guide the restoration, I used a measuring gauge to record the width of the UL1 and mirrored those measurements for the UR1. Despite this, the restored UR1 still appeared wider than the crown I was trying to mimic. It was only through reviewing my clinical photographs that I realised the issue was not with the measurements, but with the line angles.
The position and width of the line angles dramatically affect how we perceive tooth shape. My initial line angles were placed too far apart, which made the tooth look flat, dull, and visually broader than it truly was. By adjusting their position and narrowing the distance between them, the restoration immediately appeared more natural and better harmonised with the adjacent central.
This experience highlighted how subtle morphological details can completely change the final aesthetic and how essential reflective practice and clinical photography are in developing that level of awareness.
As clinicians, we hold ourselves to incredibly high standards. Reflection helps balance that drive for excellence with curiosity. It allows us to pause, recognise small wins and identify where to grow next. It transforms experience into understanding and uncertainty into progress.
The value of photography and case write-ups
Clinical photography has completely transformed the way I learn. It’s more than documentation, it’s a mirror that reveals what we might miss in the moment: a defective margin, a shade that could blend better or an open contact point. Reviewing those photographs later helps me see patterns and improvements in my work that are often invisible day-to-day.
A significant part of the CGDent-GC Award involves presenting clinical photographs that meet a high aesthetic and technical standard. Working towards this pushed me to refine my photography skills, pay closer attention to detail and critically assess the quality of my own work. Striving to meet that standard ultimately strengthened both my clinical outcomes and my ability to communicate them clearly.
Over time, these images have become a visual record of progress. They remind me that growth in dentistry rarely happens overnight, it builds with one small improvement at a time.
Case write-ups add another dimension to this process. Writing forces you to think through every stage of treatment, to justify your reasoning, material selection and workflow. While preparing my award case, I found myself analysing each choice, from composite selection to polishing technique. Putting those thoughts into words made my clinical reasoning clearer and my approach more deliberate.
Together, photography, writing and reflection drive ongoing development.
How the CGDent-GC Award nurtures reflection and growth
Entering the CGDent-GC Award deepened my appreciation of reflection. It wasn’t just a competition, it was a structured opportunity for learning.
Selecting a case
The process begins with choosing a case that you are about to start treating. Part of the competition is recognising, early on, that a forthcoming case has potential to showcase your skills and be developed into a strong entry. This shift in mindset encourages reflection from the very beginning: What might make this case a good learning opportunity? What challenges could it present?
It’s not about selecting a “perfect” patient or predicting a flawless outcome. Instead, it’s about identifying a case with learning value and approaching it intentionally, with the aim of documenting your decision-making and growth throughout the process.
Documenting the process
Clinical photography was essential here. Each image encourages you to pause, assess, and understand the nuances of your work. The lens doesn’t lie, it reveals subtleties that might otherwise go unnoticed, and the camera, in many ways became my most objective teacher.
Writing the case report
This was the most introspective stage for me. Writing about my case helped me connect my clinical decisions with their outcomes. It gave structure to what I had previously done instinctively and turned my learning into something tangible.
Winning the award
Winning the award was a huge honour, but the greatest reward was the insight gained along the way. Reflecting on my work, documenting the process and sharing it with others renewed my perspective on dentistry, something that’s easy to lose in the rhythm of daily practice.
Beyond the competition
The impact didn’t end when the results were announced. The experience continues to shape how I practice today. I take more photographs, analyse my outcomes more critically, and make time to reflect regularly. The competition gave me a framework for self-assessment and helped turn reflection from something occasional into something routine.
As part of the prize, I attended a two-day composite course in Belgium, where we learned advanced layering techniques and approaches to restoring fractured and discoloured teeth. It was an incredible opportunity to learn from experienced clinicians, refine my practical skills and connect with like-minded individuals.
On GC’s composite layering course in Belgium, July 2025
Competitions like the CGDent-GC Award (and the Advanced Aesthetic Award for more experienced clinicians) don’t just celebrate clinical skill, they nurture the habits that make us better dentists. They remind us that growth isn’t measured by accolades, but by how much we learn from every case, every challenge, and every uncertainty.
How reflection builds confidence
Confidence doesn’t come from avoiding mistakes, it comes from understanding them.
During my award case, I had plenty of moments of uncertainty: shade selection, matrix placement, polishing protocol. At the time, those doubts felt like signs of inexperience. But revisiting them afterwards showed me that those questions were actually the foundation of growth. Each hesitation led to research, feedback and ultimately, better results.
That shift, from fearing mistakes to learning from them, has been one of the most empowering parts of early-career dentistry. Reflection has taught me to value curiosity over perfection and progress over pressure.
Closing thoughts
Reflection turns experience into understanding and everyday dentistry into a journey of lifelong learning.
For me, it has made my clinical work more intentional, my patient care more consistent, and my growth as a dentist more measurable. Dentistry evolves not only through skill, but through self-awareness. Every case, every success and every setback, has something to teach us, if we just take the time to look.
Dentists and dental therapists who qualified in 2025 or are enrolled on DFT are eligible to enter the 2026 CGDent-GC Award – entries are open until Friday 20 February 2026.
Dentsply Sirona Academy, Building 3, The Heights, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0NY
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 include hands-on elements of learning, with additional theory and material science modules delivered through pre-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 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
Dr Chris Leech FCGDentDr Bal SohalDr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent
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 President-Elect 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 Sohal 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.
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.
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 between 2020 to 2024 and who practise in the UK or within the European Union. Successful candidates will each be awarded a fully funded place on one of two 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.
Dentsply Sirona Academy, Building 3, The Heights, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0NY
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 include hands-on elements of learning, demos and lectures with additional theory and material science modules delivered through pre-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 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
Dr Chris Leech FCGDentDr Bal SohalDr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent
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 President-Elect 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 Sohal 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.
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.
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 between 2020 to 2024 and who practise in the UK or within the European Union. Successful candidates will each be awarded a fully funded place on one of two 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.
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