The latest issue of the Primary Dental Journal, exploring dental education, is now available online.
The issue has been produced in collaboration with Dental Education at University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education (PACE). Established in 1873 and previously known as the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education, PACE is the world’s oldest university department specialising in continuing education.
The new issue includes a range of topics that span the teaching and learning journey, such as aligning undergraduate learning with primary dental care, navigating postgraduate qualifications, considering types of assessment, and mentoring and credentialling in dentistry.
It also includes the second in a series of articles charting the history of the College, an introduction to its new Philosophy of Care, and its Philosophy of Care Statement on Initial Caries Management.
It is the first of the journal’s 54 issues to date to explore education as a theme, and is the first of what the College intends will be many collaborations between the Primary Dental Journal and expert organisations in fields relevant to general dentistry.
The Guest Editor for the issue is Stuart Ellis FCGDent, Director of the Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Education and Assistant Teaching Professor in Dental Education at the University of Cambridge. Principal of a five-surgery general dental practice in Cambridge for over thirty years, he is also Director of the Cambridge Academy of Dental Implantology and Clinical Lead for both the MSc in Advanced Dental Implantology and the MSc in General Dental Practice at Aston University. He holds a Diploma and a Master’s in Postgraduate Dental Studies from the University of Bristol, a Master’s in Medical Law & Ethics from the University of Edinburgh and both a Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s in Medical Education from the University of Cambridge.
A full list of contents can be found below.
Full online access to most articles in this and previous issues is reserved for College members and Primary Dental Journal subscribers, who can expect their printed copies to arrive shortly. New joiners wishing to receive a copy of this issue can let us know by emailing [email protected]
For non-members / non-subscribers, five peer-reviewed papers and a number of other articles in the Dental education issue have been made available online free of charge, with all other articles available by becoming a member or by purchasing them individually 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 the Guest Editor and to all the authors and peer reviewers who have contributed to this issue.
Professor Igor Blum, Editor of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ), explores the challenges facing educators in preparing dental professionals for emerging technologies and the evolving needs of patients and healthcare services
Dental education in the UK stands at a critical inflection point. Rapid advances in digital technology, changing patient expectations, evolving regulatory frameworks, and increasing pressures on the NHS workforce are reshaping the knowledge, skills, and professional behaviours expected of dental professionals. Although the fundamental goals of dental education remain unchanged – to develop safe, competent and ethical practitioners – the means by which this is achieved are undergoing considerable transformation. Across undergraduate and postgraduate education, the question is no longer whether change is necessary, but how best to prepare current and future members of the dental team for an increasingly complex, technologically enabled and dynamic healthcare environment.
This challenge is explicitly recognised in the General Dental Council’s Safe Practitioner framework.1 The framework reflects a broader conception of professional competence, extending beyond clinical knowledge and technical proficiency to encompass professionalism, communication, cultural awareness, wellbeing, sustainability, reflective practice and the ability to work safely within one’s scope of practice.1,2 In doing so, it signals an expectation that dental education should not merely equip students to meet current standards, but should also develop the adaptability, judgement and commitment to lifelong learning required to respond to the evolving needs of patients, healthcare services and society.
The articles in the upcoming themed issue of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ), guest edited by Dr Stuart Ellis FCGDent, offer a timely illustration of these developments. Collectively, they demonstrate how dental education is evolving beyond a traditional focus on technical proficiency towards a more holistic model of professional formation. Articles addressing the alignment of undergraduate dental education with primary care, remediation, mentoring, workplace-based assessment, non-technical skills, credentialing and postgraduate career development reflect a growing recognition that excellence in dentistry depends on far more than procedural competence alone. It also requires professional discernment, effective communication, professionalism, adaptability and a sustained commitment to continuous learning and development.
An article on aligning undergraduate dental education with contemporary primary dental care develops one of the central propositions of the issue: dental primary care should not be regarded merely as the destination to which graduates are delivered, but as a partner in determining what and how they are taught. It argues for stronger primary care representation in curriculum design, authentic and well-supported outreach education, closer feedback between dental schools and the regional dental deaneries responsible for foundation training, and the teaching of digital dentistry and artificial intelligence (AI) within the clinical contexts in which they will be used. This perspective is especially important because primary care is where scientific knowledge, technical capability, professional behaviour, technology and individual patient circumstances must be integrated in everyday decision-making.
Another notable contribution relates to the growing recognition of professional development as a continuous process rather than a succession of discrete educational milestones. The discussion of early remediation in the context of Fitness to Practise processes reflects a broader shift towards supporting dental professionals through timely feedback, structured reflection and developmental intervention. Such approaches align with contemporary educational thinking and acknowledge that professional growth often arises from identifying, addressing and learning from difficulties, rather than from avoiding them altogether.
Closely related to this is an article examining the role of mentoring, which has assumed increasing prominence across the healthcare professions. The growing complexity of clinical practice, together with concerns about practitioner wellbeing, workforce retention and career satisfaction, has made mentoring an increasingly important component of professional development. Effective mentoring can support transitions from undergraduate education to foundation training and through subsequent career stages, helping students and dental professionals navigate uncertainty, develop confidence, strengthen professional identity and make informed decisions about their future development.
At the same time, advances in educational theory are reshaping how competence is conceptualised and assessed. The growing interest in Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), explored in this issue, reflects a wider international trend towards competency-based education. EPAs define key units of professional practice and provide a framework for making explicit judgements about whether a learner can be entrusted to undertake them safely with a specified level of supervision. By assessing the integration of knowledge, clinical skills, professional behaviours and judgement within authentic clinical settings, this approach moves beyond the evaluation of isolated competencies. EPAs may therefore offer a more meaningful means of determining readiness for progressively independent practice and align closely with contemporary understandings of workplace-based learning.3
Assessment itself continues to evolve. The experiences reported in this issue of candidates undertaking Objective Structured Assessments of Technical Skills (OSATS) without fixed time limits raise important questions about the purpose of assessment and the constructs it is intended to measure. Dental educators have long recognised that performance under examination conditions does not necessarily equate to capability in the workplace. Although efficiency is an important component of safe clinical practice, assessment should distinguish between appropriate clinical fluency and speed for its own sake. As curricula place increasing emphasis on patient-centred care, critical thinking, professional judgement and professionalism, assessment strategies must reward integrated and meaningful competence rather than rapid task completion alone.
The future direction of dental education is inseparable from technological innovation. Digital dentistry has progressed from a relatively specialised area to an increasingly important component of contemporary clinical practice. Intraoral scanning, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM), three-dimensional printing and advanced imaging technologies are becoming more widely used across primary and secondary care settings.4 Undergraduate dental programmes must therefore ensure that graduates possess the digital literacy required to practise safely and confidently within technologically enhanced clinical environments. Postgraduate education must likewise provide opportunities for practitioners to develop, update and critically evaluate their digital capabilities as technologies and their clinical applications continue to evolve.
AI may prove even more transformative. AI-assisted radiographic interpretation, clinical decision support and predictive treatment-planning systems are already beginning to influence healthcare delivery.5 Although these technologies offer considerable potential to improve efficiency, consistency and diagnostic accuracy, they also present important educational, ethical and professional challenges.6-8 Undergraduate and postgraduate dental education must therefore prepare practitioners not only to use AI-enabled systems, but also to interrogate their outputs critically, recognise bias and uncertainty, understand their limitations and maintain appropriate safeguards for patient information.9,10 Crucially, professional accountability for clinical decisions cannot be delegated to an algorithm. The ability to use intelligent technologies to augment – rather than replace – clinical judgement is therefore likely to become a defining professional competency.
Advances in simulation technology are similarly reshaping dental learning environments. Virtual reality, augmented reality and haptic simulation platforms enable students to practise procedures repeatedly within safe and controlled settings. These technologies have the potential to support deliberate practice, improve standardisation, provide objective and immediate feedback, and enhance patient safety, particularly during the early stages of clinical training.11,12 Nevertheless, simulation must remain a complement to, rather than a substitute for, authentic patient care. It can prepare students for clinical encounters, but it cannot replicate the uncertainty, complexity and human interaction inherent in treating real patients. Communication, empathy, adaptability and professional judgement can be rehearsed in simulated environments, but they are ultimately developed and tested through genuine clinical experience.
An article examining non-technical skills is particularly relevant in this context. Evidence from healthcare has consistently shown that communication failures, ineffective teamwork and loss of situational awareness are important contributors to adverse events.13 Lessons from medicine, aviation and other high-reliability industries have therefore emphasised leadership, teamwork, decision-making and the management of uncertainty as essential components of safe professional practice.14 Increasingly, these non-technical skills are being recognised not as desirable additions to technical competence, but as indispensable attributes of the contemporary dental professional.15 Technical expertise alone is insufficient if it is not accompanied by the ability to communicate effectively, anticipate risk, work collaboratively and respond appropriately when circumstances change.
This broader understanding of competence also has important implications for postgraduate education and workforce development. NHS England’s Dental Education Reform Programme, informed by the Advancing Dental Care review, seeks to establish training pathways that better prepare dentists for multidisciplinary practice and evolving patient needs.16 The reforms emphasise broader clinical exposure, greater flexibility in training and closer integration with wider healthcare systems. They acknowledge that future dental professionals will increasingly be expected to work across traditional professional and organisational boundaries, contribute to integrated models of care and respond to the needs of populations rather than individual episodes of treatment alone.16
Articles concerning credentialing and postgraduate qualifications highlight a related evolution in professional development. Expertise has traditionally been viewed through a binary distinction between generalist and specialist practice. Yet the increasing complexity of patient care has created a need to recognise enhanced skills and experience that sit between these established categories. Appropriately governed credentialing could provide a means of recognising such expertise, supporting more flexible workforce models and improving access to care.
However, credentialing must be transparent, consistent and underpinned by robust educational and assessment standards. The possession of a postgraduate qualification should not automatically be equated with clinical capability, just as the completion of a course does not in itself establish readiness to undertake more complex care independently. Any system intended to recognise enhanced practice must demonstrate that the practitioner can apply knowledge, skills and judgement safely and consistently in the workplace.
The expanding range of postgraduate qualifications nevertheless reflects a profession in which lifelong learning has become an expectation rather than an aspiration. Education can no longer be understood as something completed at graduation or at the end of formal training. Rapid technological and clinical change requires practitioners continually to review their knowledge, refine their skills and reconsider established approaches throughout their careers.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated many of these developments. Digital learning platforms, virtual seminars, remote assessment and blended-learning approaches rapidly became commonplace, demonstrating that many aspects of education could be delivered effectively through technology-enhanced methods.17 Although dentistry will always retain a substantial face-to-face and clinical component, the pandemic exposed the limitations of assuming that education must invariably be delivered in a particular place, at a particular time and in a single format. It also created opportunities to develop more flexible, accessible and student-centred educational environments.17 The challenge now is to retain what proved educationally valuable rather than simply reverting to familiar practices.
As these changes continue, dental schools and postgraduate education and training providers face a delicate balancing act. Innovation must be embraced, but not merely because a technology or educational approach is new. Its value should be judged by whether it improves learning, strengthens professional capability or enhances patient care. Scientific rigour, technical competence, ethical practice, patient safety and professionalism remain the foundations upon which all educational innovation must be built.
The articles in the issue, which will be published shortly, will offer valuable perspectives on many of the challenges and opportunities currently facing dental education. Whether addressing the alignment of undergraduate education with primary dental care, remediation, mentoring, workplace-based assessment, non-technical skills, credentialing or postgraduate career development, they collectively portray a profession adapting to substantial change. They also reinforce a central message: the future dental professional must be more than technically accomplished. They must be digitally literate, critically reflective, professionally resilient, ethically grounded and capable of working effectively within increasingly complex healthcare systems.
Dental education in the UK is therefore experiencing more than incremental change; it is undergoing a fundamental reorientation. Yet transformation should not be measured by the number of technologies introduced, curricula rewritten or qualifications created. Its success will ultimately be determined by whether undergraduate and postgraduate dental education produce practitioners who can integrate technical expertise with sound judgement, humanity and professional accountability.
By embracing technological innovation, strengthening the continuum between undergraduate and postgraduate development, supporting meaningful approaches to learning and assessment, and maintaining an unwavering commitment to patient-centred care, dental educators can prepare practitioners and dental care professionals not only for the demands of contemporary practice but also for a future that will continue to evolve. The inflection point has arrived. The decisions made now will shape not only how the next generation is educated, but also the kind of profession dentistry becomes.
To receive the Dental Education issue of the PDJ, join the College by Wednesday 23 September 2026.
The Primary Dental Journal is the College’s quarterly peer-reviewed journal dedicated to general dental practice. The titles and abstracts of PDJ papers are available to all dental professionals via the searchable PDJ homepage, with full paper access available to College members through the PDJ Library.
The Dental Education issue will be available online in late September and printed copies should arrive with College members in October.
Ten Cate O. What entrustable professional activities add to a competency-based curriculum. Acad Med. 2014;89(4):691-692.
Zitzmann NU, Matthisson L, Ohla H, et al. Digital undergraduate education in dentistry: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(9):3269.
Schwendicke F, Samek W, Krois J. Artificial intelligence in dentistry: chances and challenges. J Dent Res. 2020;99(7):769-774.
Annamma LM, Varma SR, Abuttayem H, et al. Current challenges in dental education: a scoping review. BMC Med Educ. 2024;24(1):1523.
Khanagar SB, Al-Ehaideb A, Maganur PC, et al. Developments, application, and performance of artificial intelligence in dentistry: a systematic review. J Dent Sci. 2021;16(1):508-522.
Uribe SE, Maldupa I, Schwendicke F. Integrating generative AI in dental education: a scoping review of current practices and recommendations. Eur J Dent Educ. 2025;29(2):341-355.
Kavadella A. Guest Editorial: Artificial Intelligence in Dental Education. Eur J Dent Educ. 2024;28:923-924.
Reddy MS, Nalliah R, Ohyama H. Human-centered dental education in a time of advancing technology. J Dent Educ. 2024;88(10):1315-1317.
Al-Saud LM, Mushtaq F, Allsop MJ, et al. Feedback and motor skill acquisition using a haptic dental simulator. Eur J Dent Educ. 2017;21(4):240-247.
Towers A, Field J, Stokes C, et al. A scoping review of the use and application of virtual reality in pre-clinical dental education. Br Dent J. 2019;226(5):358-366.
Leonard M, Graham S, Bonacum D. The human factor: the critical importance of effective teamwork and communication in providing safe care. Qual Saf Health Care. 2004;13(Suppl 1):i85-i90.
Catchpole KR, Giddings AEB, Wilkinson M, et al. Improving patient safety by identifying latent failures in successful operations. Surgery. 2007;142(1):102-110.
Flin R, O’Connor P, Crichton M. Safety at the Sharp End: A Guide to Non-Technical Skills. Aldershot: Ashgate; 2008.
NHS England. Dental Education Reform Programme. Workforce, Training and Education. [Internet]. London: NHS; 2026. Available via NHS England Dentists in Training programme, hee.nhs.uk/our-work/dentists-training [Accessed Aug 2026].
Quinn B, Field J, Gorter R, et al. COVID-19: The immediate response of European academic dental institutions and future implications for dental education. Eur J Dent Educ. 2020;24(4):811-814.
The latest issue of the Primary Dental Journal, on the topic of ‘Temporomandibular disorders’ (TMDs), is now available online.
This TMD themed issue of the PDJ has been compiled by Guest Editor Dr Ziad Al-Ani, a Senior Lecturer and Senior Recognised-Excellence-in-Teaching Fellow at the University of Glasgow Dental School. A published author, Dr Al-Ani holds a PhD in temporomandibular disorders and occlusion from the University of Manchester, and subsequently became a Clinical Teacher in Restorative Dentistry and Research Co-ordinator for the TMD Clinic at Manchester, before joining the team at Glasgow.
TMDs are one of the most prevalent conditions encountered in dental practice, with a wide array of symptoms that often extend beyond the temporomandibular joint (TMJ); they therefore remain among the most challenging to treat. This issue of the journal brings together a range of papers from writers with years of expertise in their fields, to elucidate some of this complexity and to support our patients in general dental practice.
Topics include the anatomy of TMJ sounds; TMDs and sleep medicine; splint therapy; orthodontics; and myofunctional therapy; as well as practical discussion on guidelines and checklists to use in practice. Across the range of papers, invaluable knowledge on when – and when not– to treat, as well as where inter-disciplinary collaboration can empower our practice, is provided. The issue also includes an insightful personal reflection on the treatment of TMDs and how this has transformed across the span of a 40-year career. A full list of papers can be found under ‘Issue Contents’ below.
The papers in this PDJ explore the effective management of TMD conditions – which can be wide and varied – with key recommendations that management must be carefully underpinned by conservative, patient-centred strategies, and often supported by a collaborative approach. Dr Al-Ani explains his goal for the issue:
“It is hoped that this themed issue will provide clinicians with both clarity and confidence, bridging the gap between evolving evidence and everyday clinical practice, and supporting a more consistent, holistic approach to the management of temporomandibular disorders.”
This issue also includes the first in a series of articles charting the history of the College, an outline of the latest Pathway to College Fellowship for various career stages, and a brand new section of updates aimed at supporting early careers practitioners.
Full online access to the majority of articles in this and previous issues is reserved for College of General Dentistry members and Primary Dental Journal subscribers, who can expect their printed copies to arrive shortly. 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 by becoming a member or by purchasing them individually 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.
Professor Igor Blum, Editor of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ), describes the fundamental change in how the dental and medical communities understand and treat temporomandibular disorders – the theme of the upcoming issue.
The history of dentistry is often one of mechanical solutions for biological problems. For decades, the management of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) was dominated by the search for the “perfect bite”, a quest that frequently led patients down a path of irreversible occlusal adjustments and increasingly complex orthodontic or restorative interventions. However, as we stand in 2026, the paradigm has shifted. We have moved from a focus on gnathology to an era of neurobiology.1 This fundamental paradigm shift in how the dental and medical communities understand and treat TMD marks a transition from viewing the temporomandibular apparatus as a purely mechanical system to viewing it as a complex biological and neurological interface.2
TMD comprises a group of musculoskeletal conditions that affect the muscles of mastication, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and associated structures.3,4 The symptoms can include localised or referred tenderness/pain in the TMJ or associated structures, clicking or grating sounds in the TMJs, restricted jaw movements, muscle pain, headache, tinnitus, impaired hearing, and earache.5 These symptoms can cause a wide range of biopsychosocial impacts including impacts on health-related quality of life commensurate with other types of persistent pain.6,7 Therefore, TMD is most accurately viewed through a biopsychosocial lens: an intricate interface where peripheral nociception is modified by masticatory function, sleep hygiene, autonomic stress physiology, and central sensitisation.8
TMDs are the second most common cause of orofacial pain after “toothache” (odontogenic pain).6 They affect up to one in 15 of the UK population and predominantly arise in the 20–40-year age range.6,7 Females more commonly present with symptoms of TMD than males.4,6 Many patients present with a simple concern (“my jaw clicks”; “it hurts to chew”; “I wake with headaches”) but behind this sits a spectrum of conditions ranging from self-limiting myalgia to inflammatory arthropathy, internal derangement, or degenerative joint change. The challenge – and the opportunity – for us as clinicians is to respond with care that is proportionate, evidence-informed, and firmly grounded in the patient’s lived experience. In this framework, “jaw pain” is not a diagnosis – it is a symptom. Our primary clinical mandate is to move beyond mechanical reductionism to identify the predominant pain driver, stratify patient risk, and select interventions that prioritise the prevention of iatrogenic harm while maximising functional recovery and patient comfort.
Two fundamental axioms guide contemporary TMD care. First, most clinical presentations are self-limiting and respond predictably to conservative, non-invasive management. Second, in the minority of cases where symptoms persist, the lack of resolution is rarely the result of a missed occlusal detail or an insufficiently complex appliance design. Instead, persistent pain is seldom explained by a solitary structural finding.
The upcoming themed issue of the Primary Dental Journal aims to highlight the presentation and management of some of the more common and important TMD conditions encountered in dental practice; a core theme in the papers is to highlight the vital role that primary dental care clinicians contribute to the assessment, diagnosis and management of patients with TMDs. The cornerstone remains careful assessment. A structured history is not an administrative formality: it is a diagnostic instrument. Onset and temporal pattern, functional limitation, triggers, parafunctional behaviours, prior interventions, and red flags (trauma, systemic inflammatory disease, progressive neurological symptoms, swelling, fever, unexplained weight loss) shape the differential diagnoses. Equally important are the psychosocial drivers that influence pain persistence – sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, and the impact on daily roles.5 The clinical examination then adds specificity: localisation of tenderness, pattern of movement, joint sounds, range and deviation, and the relationship between pain and function.9
Standardisation matters because it improves communication and research translation. Diagnostic frameworks such as the recently published brief Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (bDC for TMD)10 have moved the field forward by improving reliability and reinforcing the distinction between common muscle-related pain and less frequent joint pathology. Yet even the best taxonomy is only valuable when applied with humility: imaging and joint noises can be compelling, but they are not always causal. A click may reflect disc displacement with reduction in an otherwise stable, asymptomatic joint. Crepitus may indicate degenerative change, but the severity of radiographic findings often correlates poorly with pain intensity. The clinician’s reflex must be to contextualise findings rather than to chase them. After all, TMD care is, at its core, an exercise in clinical judgement and therapeutic restraint. It asks us to be precise in diagnosis, generous in explanation, conservative in intervention, and collaborative in approaches.
The emphasis of modern management is conservative care first – because it works for most patients and because it preserves options. Education is not “reassurance” in the dismissive sense; it is an evidence-based intervention that reduces fear, improves adherence, and supports self-efficacy. Simple explanations about joint function, muscle overload, and the natural history of many TMDs can be transformative. From there, treatment becomes a suite of low-risk strategies: activity modification, soft diet during flare-ups, heat/cold, short courses of anti-inflammatory analgesia where appropriate, and targeted exercises. Physiotherapy approaches (range-of-motion, coordination training, postural strategies, and manual techniques) remain highly relevant, particularly when delivered as part of a broader plan rather than as isolated “sessions”.11
Occlusal splints continue to have a role, especially for symptom modulation and protection in selected patients,12 but the narrative must be updated. Splints are not magic devices that “realign” joints; they are tools to reduce overload, support muscle relaxation, and improve symptom control. Clinicians should be explicit about indications, limits, and follow-up – particularly in patients with sleep bruxism, where the aim may be harm reduction rather than eradication of activity. In persistent cases, behavioural and psychological interventions are not optional add-ons; they are often essential. Cognitive behavioural approaches, stress regulation, and techniques that address hypervigilance to pain can change outcomes.13 Even brief, chairside communication strategies (language that reduces threat, validates experience, and sets realistic expectations) can shift the trajectory from chronicity toward recovery.
I trust that the Temporomandibular Disorder-themed issue of the journal will serve as a tabletop reference in general dental practice. It is hoped that it will help clinicians to integrate the principles of TMD into clinical practice to improve patient-related outcomes. In this token, I would like to express my special thanks to the Guest Editor of the TMD-themed issue, Dr Ziad Al-Ani, and to all contributing authors for crafting this superb issue of the PrimaryDental Journal.
To receive the Temporomandibular Disorder issue of the PDJ, join the College by Thursday 16 April 2026.
The Primary Dental Journal is the College’s quarterly peer-reviewed journal dedicated to general dental practice. The titles and abstracts of PDJ papers are available to all dental professionals via the searchable PDJ homepage, with full paper access available to College members through the PDJ Library.
The Temporomandibular Disorder issue will be available online in late April and printed copies should arrive with College members in May.
References
Xue Q, Ming H, Huang Y, et al. Association between temporomandibular disorders and somatization: a narrative review. J Oral Facial Pain Headache. 2026;40(1):42-52.
Dutra Dias H, Botelho AL, Bortoloti R, et al. Neuroscience contributes to the understanding of the neurobiology of temporomandibular disorders associated with stress and anxiety. Cranio. 2024;42(4):439-444.
Beecroft E, Palmer J, Penlington C, et al. Management of painful temporomandibular disorder in adults. [Internet]. London: NHS England Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) and Royal College of Surgeons of England Faculty of Dental Surgery; 2025. Available at: rcseng.ac.uk/dental-faculties/fds/publications-guidelines/clinical-guidelines [Accessed Feb 2026].
Dworkin SF, LeResche L. Research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders: review, criteria, examinations and specifications, critique. J Craniomandib Disord. 1992;6(4):301-355.
Einstein A, Hassan S, Ghritlahare H. Understanding Temporomandibular Joint Disorders. In: Bhargava D. (Ed.) Temporomandibular Joint Disorders. Singapore: Springer; 2021. pp29-67.
Slade GD, Bair E, Greenspan JD, et al. Signs and symptoms of first-onset TMD and sociodemographic predictors of its development: the OPPERA prospective cohort study. J Pain. 2013;14(12 Suppl):T20-32.e1-3.
Sharma S, Breckons M, Brönnimann Lambelet B, et al. Challenges in the clinical implementation of a biopsychosocial model for assessment and management of orofacial pain. J Oral Rehabil. 2020;47(1):87-100.
Shaffer SM, Brismée JM, Sizer PS, et al. Temporomandibular disorders. Part 1: anatomy and examination/diagnosis. J Man Manip Ther. 2014;22(1):2-12.
Durham J, Ohrbach R, Baad-Hansen L, et al. Constructing the brief diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (bDC/TMD) for field testing. J Oral Rehabil. 2024;51(5):785-794.
Skorupa-Strojna A, Kulesa-Mrowiecka M. Effectiveness of physiotherapy for temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review of pain and functional outcomes. Scand J Pain. 2026;26(1):20250073.
Khijmatgar S, Tartaglia GM, Sardella A, et al. Occlusal splint effects on visual capacities in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD): a prospective interventional cohort study. BDJ Open. 2025;11(1):56.
Turner JA, Mancl L, Aaron LA. Short- and long-term efficacy of brief cognitive-behavioral therapy for patients with chronic temporomandibular disorder pain: a randomized, controlled trial. Pain. 2006;121(3):181-194.
The new issue of the Primary Dental Journal, on the topic of ‘Leadership’, is available to read online now.
This ‘Leadership’ issue of the PDJ has been brought together by Guest Editor Dr Sreenivas Koka FCGDent, co-founder of Executive Leadership Enterprises and the Future Leaders in Prosthodontics (FLiP) programme, and founder of both the Shaping the Future of Implant Dentistry (SHIFT) leadership workshop series and the non-profit Career Design in Dentistry organisation.
The focus of this issue is on helping every member of the primary oral healthcare team to become better leaders and better team members. A wide range of topics are explored, in both clinical papers and opinion pieces, including the hotelier secrets that can help us provide a five-star dental experience for our patients; professional parenting tips and how to juggle the demands of work and family life; how to successfully manage difficult conversations; identifying growth moments, negotiating and embracing your career transitions; and the power of emotional intelligence in leadership. A full list of papers can be found under ‘Issue Contents’ below.
Dr Koka outlines his ambition for this PDJ:
“As you progress on your leadership journey, I hope that you will find some valuable perspectives in this issue that can help you choose to be a wonderful leader; one who is followed because your team members want to follow you and not because they have to.”
Full online access to the majority of articles in this and previous issues is reserved for College of General Dentistry members and Primary Dental Journal subscribers, who can expect their printed copies to arrive by the end of December. 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 by becoming a member or by purchasing them individually 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.
Professor Igor Blum, Editor of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ), reviews the meaning of leadership – the theme of the upcoming issue – within the context of dentistry and the general dental team.
Dentistry stands at a crossroads. Today’s dental professionals do more than deliver treatment – they manage teams, communicate under pressure, work across complex systems, manage regulatory challenges, navigate ethical dilemmas, adopt new technologies, and care for increasingly diverse and complex patient needs.
In this context, dentistry depends as much on leadership as it does on clinical competence. Dentistry cannot meet tomorrow’s challenges without educating the leaders of tomorrow, and the dental profession and dental educators have an essential role in shaping that future.
The Autumn 2025 issue of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ) explores what “leadership” means in the context of healthcare and, in particular, dentistry from the perspective of a variety of team members, and why leadership is increasingly recognised as a critical domain for dental professionals.
Leadership in dentistry has long been viewed through the narrow lens of clinical seniority: the most experienced clinician, the most decorated consultant or specialist, or the individual who has simply “been around the longest.” Yet modern dentistry – multidisciplinary, digitally driven, team-based, and increasingly complex – demands a different understanding of what leadership truly means.
Nowadays, leadership in dentistry is less about hierarchy and more about fostering a positive, supportive culture, creating environments where people can thrive. It is the ability to navigate uncertainty, steward organisational or practice culture, support colleagues’ wellbeing, and translate vision, both clinical and non-clinical, into systems and behaviours that improve patient care. In an era marked by relentless workforce shortages, escalating regulatory scrutiny, and a more litigious landscape, let alone increasing patient expectations, and an expanding scope of practice, leadership is no longer optional – it is compulsory.
In many cases, dentists – and sometimes dental care professionals – enter leadership positions almost by chance, without prior preparation or intention, rather than through deliberate career planning. Many find themselves leading teams, services, or departments without formal leadership training, relying instead on clinical logic and common sense to solve organisational challenges. But clinical acumen and common sense do not automatically confer leadership competence.
As readers can glean from articles in this issue of the PDJ, effective leadership in dentistry requires:
reflective practice to learn from error, change behaviour, and model humility
clear communication to translate strategy into day-to-day action
the ability to effectively manage difficult conversations
emotional intelligence to respond to stress, conflict, and diverse personalities
courage to address performance concerns, speak up for safety, and challenge inefficient systems
vision to anticipate future needs – technological, educational, and demographic
These attributes are cultivated, not inherited. As a profession, we must recognise that leadership is a skillset that demands deliberate development.
Good leadership has measurable clinical consequences. Teams led by authentic, supportive leaders demonstrate better compliance with safety protocols, fewer adverse incidents, and higher patient satisfaction. Conversely, poor leadership is a well-recognised contributor to staff burnout, low morale, regulatory referrals, and declining quality of care.
In this sense, leadership is not separate from clinical practice – it is clinical practice. When a leader fosters psychological safety, team members are more likely to ask for help, discuss decisions, and escalate concerns before harm occurs. When leaders model professionalism, the culture follows. Leadership, therefore, is an evidence-based intervention that directly affects patient outcomes.
The document “The Safe Practitioner: A framework of behaviours and outcomes for dental professional education”,1 published by the General Dental Council (GDC) has replaced “Preparing for Practice”2 as the curriculum document for all programmes of undergraduate dental education in the UK from September 2025. The new framework states that all dental professionals should “where appropriate, lead, manage and take professional responsibility for the actions of colleagues and other members of the team involved in patient care.” Although the language of the framework throughout its various domains and sub domains may not always mention “leadership”, the expectations clearly do.
Therefore, dental schools and postgraduate programmes have an opportunity – and responsibility – to embed leadership development into curricula. Students and trainees should graduate not only as “competent” clinicians, but as professionals equipped to lead teams, contribute to service improvement, and navigate the emotional realities of modern healthcare.
Leadership training should include:
human factors and systems thinking
communication and conflict resolution
reflective and resilient practice
understanding diversity, equity, and inclusion
ethical decision-making and professionalism
real-world exposure to service leadership, not purely theory
We cannot expect clinicians to lead effectively if we never teach them how. If we want graduates who are truly prepared for practice, we must prepare them for leadership.
The College of General Dentistry defines leadership as a learnable “science and art” and integrates it as a key domain within both its Professional Framework for Dentistry and its experience-based route to Fellowship.3,4 Rather than prescribing specific qualities for every single stage, the framework outlines a general progression across career levels, with leadership skills becoming increasingly sophisticated and team oriented as a practitioner advances. The College emphasises that leadership skills are vital for all members of the dental team, regardless of their formal role, as every dental professional is inherently a leader within their practice.
The pressures of contemporary practice – clinical, financial, organisational, and regulatory – will only intensify. Strong leadership is the compass that keeps teams aligned, grounded, and focused on what matters most: the delivery of safe, compassionate, and high-quality care. It is recognised that, ultimately, there is no “one size fits all” approach to leadership in dentistry, but recognition of its importance, and perseverance with establishing a leadership model that works, can transform our clinical environment.5
Our profession must embrace leadership as a collective responsibility, not a title reserved for the few. Every dental professional – whether in training, practice, education or governance – has a role to play in shaping a culture where people feel valued, supported, and inspired.
The future of dentistry will not be defined only by the technologies we adopt or the treatments we deliver, but by the leaders we develop. In this token, I am deeply grateful to Dr Sree Koka, the guest editor of the upcoming leadership-themed issue, and to the many other contributing authors for their essential input producing such wealth of excellent, interesting, and informative articles which can serve as an invaluable source of wisdom for the general dental practice team. It is my sincere hope that readers will find the collection of articles of interest and that the issue will be an asset to all dental professionals in their working environment.
To receive the Leadership issue of the PDJ, join the College by Thursday 4 December 2025.
The Primary Dental Journal is the College’s quarterly peer-reviewed journal dedicated to general dental practice. The titles and abstracts of PDJ papers are available to all dental professionals via the searchable PDJ homepage, with full paper access available to College members through the PDJ Library.
The leadership issue will be available online in mid-December and printed copies should arrive with College members in late December.
3. The College of General Dentistry (CGDent). Career Pathways in Dentistry: Professional Framework. [Internet]. London: CGDent; 2022. Available at cgdent.uk/career-pathways [Accessed Nov 2025].
4. The College of General Dentistry (CGDent). Fellowship by experience. [Internet]. London: CGDent; 2024. Available at cgdent.uk/fellowship-by-experience [Accessed Nov 2025].
5. McColl E, Bryce G. Leadership in dentistry: what does it really mean? Dental Update. 2025;51(6):383-384.
Professor Igor Blum, Editor of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ), outlines the evolution of oral medicine – the theme of the latest issue, which provides an overview and update of the field for the general dental team
The art and science of oral medicine begins with the pioneering work of Sir Jonathan Hutchinson (1828–1900), a surgeon at the London Hospital, who is also regarded in the UK as the Father of Oral Medicine.1 He reported on the dental manifestations of congenital syphilis, intraoral pigmentation and perioral pigmentation associated with intestinal polyposis, later described by Peutz in 1921.2 Subsequently, ten further cases were described by Jeghers, McKusick, and Katz who also reviewed the literature on this topic in 1949.3 Individuals with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome commonly present with an association of gastrointestinal polyps, mucocutaneous pigmentation, a familial incidence, and are at an increased risk of various cancers.
Much of the early description of oral mucosal diseases was found in dermatology textbooks, as documented in the works of the English surgeon and dermatologist Sir William James Erasmus Wilson (1809–1884).4,5 Sir William Osler (1849–1919), a Canadian physician and co-founder of the Medical Library Association of Great Britain and Ireland, recognised the importance of the oral cavity and believed that the tongue and oral mucosa reflect a patient’s overall health.6 This idea, held in various medical and traditional practices, suggests that changes in the appearance or condition of the mouth, including the tongue and soft tissues, can indicate underlying systemic health issues.
In a thoroughly researched and well written article by Professor Crispian Scully in 2016, he described the immense contributions of various stalwarts who were instrumental in the initiation and popularisation of the discipline of oral medicine over a 50-year period, between 1920 and 1970.7 In the UK, the evolution of oral medicine has its origin in oral pathology and resulted in its recognition as a dental specialty by the General Dental Council in 1998, with tribute paid to the founders of the British Society for Oral Medicine (BSOM) – the predecessor organisation of The British & Irish Society for Oral Medicine (BISOM) which was established in 1981.
Although not a substitute by any means for an extensive quality textbook on oral medicine, the editorial team felt it was timely to produce an issue of the Primary Dental Journal devoted to the common and important oral medicine conditions encountered in general dental practice. This themed issue on oral medicine is geared to primary care dental practitioners and dental care professionals as a refresher and an update on oral medicine-related diseases. The articles in this issue provide an overview of current thinking in the more relevant areas of oral medicine. The clinical aspects of the relevant disorders are discussed, including a brief overview of the aetiology, detail on the clinical features, and how the diagnosis is made. Guidance on management and when to refer is also provided, along with relevant websites which offer further detail.
A major challenge in the diagnosis of oral disease is the need for memorising long lists of oral lesions from oral medicine/oral pathology literature. This is made more difficult because many of these lesions are not frequently encountered by the primary care dental team. This new issue of the journal highlights common oral conditions that may be encountered in the dental practice. Pulpal, periapical, and periodontal diseases are intentionally not discussed in this issue since primary care dental clinicians are experienced in diagnosing and managing those conditions.
I trust that the oral medicine-themed issue of the PDJ will serve as a tabletop reference in General Dental Practice. The discussion of the entire spectrum of oral diseases is beyond the scope of this single issue; instead, we have selected what we believe to be important oral medicine conditions. The introductory article addresses an approach in formulating clinical diagnosis and management of the various types of oral candidosis. This is followed by articles on oral lichen planus and lichenoid lesions, managing a dry mouth in primary care, a review of common oral medicine conditions in children, oral facial pain, burning mouth syndrome, and chronic graft versus host disease (cGvHD). Although the latter is less common, it can occur in the increasing numbers of patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplants.8
The information presented is primarily aimed to cover the diagnostic aspects and an overview of patient management, including patient referral. The main objective is to provide readers with a cutting-edge update on the above topics, including raising awareness of the need to diagnose and manage patients with oral medicine conditions in primary care, and when to make a referral to an oral medicine service if available. Alternatively, a referral to a specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery can be made when appropriate.
It is hoped that this themed issue will help the primary care dental team to integrate the principles of oral medicine and oral pathology into clinically applicable concepts that will enable the practitioner to develop clinical differential diagnoses and participate in definitive diagnosis through a multidisciplinary approach with dental specialty teams. It is my further hope that the reader will not only be provided with updated information as to the multiple facets of oral medicine conditions but will also find new information to further aid them in the diagnosis and management of these occasionally enigmatic disorders.
No issue of the Primary Dental Journal could come to successful fruition without the contributions of well-qualified authors. I am extremely thankful to the guest editor, Dr Emma Hayes, consultant in oral medicine, and to all contributing authors for their invaluable input to this issue. I believe that this edition of the Primary Dental Journal will be an asset and resource to the general dental practice team.
The Primary Dental Journal is the College’s quarterly peer-reviewed journal dedicated to general dental practice. The titles and abstracts of PDJ papers are available to all dental professionals via the searchable PDJ homepage, with full paper access available to College members through the PDJ Library.
Printed copies of the Summer 2025 issue on oral medicine should arrive with College members in the second half of September.
References
1 Spielman AI. History of Oral Diagnosis, Medicine, Pathology and Radiology. In: Illustrated Encyclopedia of the History of Dentistry. [Internet]. New York: History of Dentistry and Medicine; 2023. Available at historyofdentistryandmedicine.com [Accessed Jun 2025]
2Peutz JLA. Over een zeer merkwaardige, gecombineerde familiaire pollyposis van de sligmliezen van den tractus intestinalis met die van de neuskeelholte en gepaard met eigenaardige pigmentaties van huid-en slijmvliezen (Very remarkable case of familial polyposis of the mucous membrane of the intestinal tract and nasopharynx accompanied by peculiar pigmentations of skin and mucous membrane). Nederl Maandschr v Geneesk. 1921;10:134-146. Dutch.
3Jeghers H, McKusick VA, Katz KH. Generalized Intestinal Polyposis and Melanin Spots of the Oral Mucosa, Lips and Digits — A Syndrome of Diagnostic Significance. N Engl J Med. 1949;241(26):1031-1036.
4Wilson E. On The Management of the Skin as a Means of Promoting and Preserving Health (3rd ed.). London: John Churchill; 1849. Retrieved 15 June 2025. Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org)
5Wilson E. On Diseases of the Skin (4th American, from the 4th & enlarged London ed.). Philadelphia: Blanchard & Lea; 1857. Retrieved 15 June 2025. Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org)
6Stone MJ. The wisdom of Sir William Osler. Am J Cardiol. 1995;75(4):269-276.
7Scully C. Oral medicine in academia. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2016;122(1):111.
8Passweg JR, Baldomero H, Chabannon C, et al. Hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy survey of the EBMT: monitoring of activities and trends over 30 years. 2021;56(7):1651-1664.
The latest issue of the Primary Dental Journal, ‘Oral medicine’, is now available to read online.
The papers in this issue of the PDJ have been brought together by Guest Editor Dr Emma Hayes, a Consultant and Clinical Lead in Oral Medicine at King’s College London Dental Institute.
A core theme in this collection of papers is to highlight the vital role that dental professionals contribute to the diagnosis and management of patients with oral medicine conditions. The issue covers the wide range of oral medicine conditions seen at various ages and stages of life, from an overview of conditions seen in the paediatric population, to salivary gland hypofunction, more often seen in an older population.
As well as common oral medicine conditions frequently encountered in dental practice, this issue of the PDJ also highlights some of the rarer conditions that may initially be presented to dentists (such as trigeminal neuralgia) and where early diagnosis is essential to improving patient outcomes. A full list of papers is below.
Dr Hayes describes the ambition for this Oral medicine issue of the journal:
“It is my hope that these papers will act as a useful reference for dental professionals into the future. I also hope that it will inspire primary dental care practitioners to continue to take an interest in oral medicine and feel empowered to participate in the early identification and management of these patients.”
This issue also marks the first where the College’s new Coat of Arms appears throughout, in light of its newly-acquired Grant of Arms received under Crown authority from the College of Arms. An image of the elaborate Grant of Arms can be seen on the inside front cover of the print edition. The News & Perspectives section of this issue examines the Grant of Arms, the symbolism behind the heraldic elements in the Coat of Arms, and how to donate to the College’s Coat of Arms fund for those wishing to secure a special place in the history of the development of the College.
Full online access to the majority of articles in this and previous issues is reserved for College of General Dentistry members and Primary Dental Journal subscribers, who can expect their printed copies to arrive by the end of September. 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.
Igor Blum FCGDent, Clinical Professor of Primary Care Dentistry and Advanced General Dental Practice at King’s College London and Editor of the Primary Dental Journal, and Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent, President Emeritus of the College and the journal’s first Editor, celebrate the publication of its fiftieth issue
Prof Igor Blum FCGDent (left)and Sir Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent (right)
The latest issue of the Primary Dental Journal (PDJ) – the 50th to date – is a truly special ‘general dentistry’ edition marking this significant milestone.
Not only does the PDJ have a rich history of serving general dental practice, but it is also one of the premier journals for intellectual discourse on all aspects of primary dental care pertinent to members of the whole dental team.
First published in 2012, shepherded under the tenure as Editor-in-Chief of the then Professor (now Sir) Nairn Wilson, it brought together three publications of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP[UK]): Primary Dental Care (a research journal for dentists), Team in Practice (a journal for Dental Care Professionals) and the newsletter First Hand.
The fourth volume of the journal, published in 2015, was produced with the assistance of a new Clinical Editor – Dr (now Professor) Igor Blum. In addition to themed issues on Consent (curated by Guest Editor, Andy Toy), Special Care Dentistry (Guest Editors, Debbie Chandler and Richard Valle-Jones) and Paediatric Dentistry (Guest Editor, Richard Welbury), the volume included the journal’s first ‘general issue’ with papers on a range of topics, including temporomandibular dysfunction, contemporary laboratory work, tooth surface loss, the effects of bisphosphonates in implant dentistry, reducing harm (iatrogenic damage) in the provision of care, risk assessment and the prevention and management of dry sockets.
Volume 6, issue 1 was a special, one-off, commemorative issue of PDJ to help mark and celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the formation of the FGDP(UK). In addition to a ‘conversation’ between Professor Nairn Wilson and the then Dean of the Faculty, Mick Horton, and a photo montage of the history of the faculty, the issue included commissioned papers by leading dental experts in the UK. This commemorative issue and the subsequent two themed issues – Dental Emergencies (Guest Editor, Russ Ladwa) and Extended Integrated Care (Guest Editor, Kathy Fan) were Professor Wilson’s last contributions to PDJ before passing on the baton to Dr Blum in 2017.
Professor Blum’s first issue as Editor-in-Chief was the December 2017 (Volume 6, issue 4) themed issue on Removable Prosthodontics (Guest Editor, Graham Stokes). Professor Blum’s vision for the journal was to evolve, grow and, in the process, continue to go from strength to strength. A further vision was to make the journal accessible on an international level, rather than limiting it to the readership in the UK, for the benefit of primary dental care teams and their patients around the world.
Within each annual volume, two or three issues are themed on specific and relevant fields of interest, and one or two ‘general dentistry’ issues cover a wide range of topics. Each issue offers a combination of research, clinical best practice papers and scenario articles which allow the whole dental team to work together to improve standards of patient care. In Spring 2021 the PDJ published its 10th Volume Anniversary special issue celebrating this remarkable milestone.
After nine years’ publication by the FGDP(UK), the College took over in 2021, and this 2025 Spring issue marks fifty issues of the journal as a source for dissemination of contemporary research, clinical and non-clinical articles relevant to general dental practice.
Since its inception, the PDJ has evolved substantially and earned an established place as an authoritative source in today’s dental literature. As such, it provides CGDent with one of its most valued membership benefits. While its purpose has been constant – to be a professional development journal for the whole dental team, and a record and source of news about the College – its editorial and production processes and standards have evolved over the years.
Most significantly, in 2019 the FGDP entered into a contract with Sage Publishing and the PDJ has progressed from an in-house ‘cottage industry’ publication to an internationally accessible publication with an electronic editorial management platform, ScholarOne. As such the journal benefits from the resources available through our publisher, which has facilitated its continued growth.
Over the years, we have watched with great pleasure how the PDJ has grown and gained ever-increasing standing and status in becoming an internationally recognised and esteemed journal, aimed at the whole primary care team. The journal is now indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus, and 1,500 papers – past and present – are available online to CGDent members through the PDJ Library and in over 10,000 academic institutions worldwide.
With the current international exposure of articles published in the PDJ, there have been many thousands of downloads and citations of articles. This confirms that the PDJ has an international reach and impact on the dental team and clinical practice, both nationally and internationally, improving standards of patient care.
As a result, the PDJ has started to attract international dental experts as guest editors. In the context of a new membership organisation borne out of a more established one, the journal has also played a central role in providing reassurance and continuity of service to members over the last four years and has developed an important role in supporting the College’s membership retention and growth.
Looking back, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the very many authors, guest editors, peer reviewers, staff and others who have contributed to each of the 50 issues to date and enabled us to reach this important milestone.
Special thanks must be extended to the former and current managing editors of the journal – Amy Brewerton, Hillevi Sellén, and Lily Atkins; to a member of the founding Editorial Board, Ario Santini FCGDent, who continues to provide highly rated abstracts of relevance to the contents of each issue of the journal; and to Darren Westlake, who has designed the covers and laid out the figures in each and every issue.
We are confident that we have created an attractive, distinctive, reader-friendly journal and it is our hope that you will enjoy the 50th issue and join the previous and current editorial team in celebrating all it stands for.
A list of the themed editions within the first 50 issues of the PDJ is available here
The titles and abstracts of PDJ papers are available to all dental professionals via the searchable PDJ homepage, with full paper access available to College members through the PDJ Library
The College has this week published the fiftieth issue of the Primary Dental Journal, its quarterly peer-reviewed professional development journal for General Dental Practitioners and Dental Care Professionals working in primary care.
Translating current evidence into best practice, each issue of the PDJ offers a combination of research, clinical best practice papers and scenario articles which allow the whole dental team to work together to improve standards of patient care. Unique in its dedication to general dental practice, the PDJ’s general issues include a range of papers on a variety of relevant topics of interest, and its themed issues explore subjects in depth and are guest edited by renowned experts in their fields.
First published in 2012, the PDJ brought together three publications of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FGDP): Primary Dental Care (a research journal for dentists), Team in Practice (a journal for Dental Care Professionals) and the newsletter First Hand. Since 2019, the PDJ has been published in partnership with one of the world’s leading journal publishers, and the College took over editorial production from the FGDP in 2021.
CGDent is the UK’s only medical college run by and for dental professionals, and welcomes all oral health professionals into Associate Membership and those with relevant postgraduate qualifications, skills and experience into Full Membership, Associate Fellowship and Fellowship. Supporting professional development and recognition for the whole dental team, the College is building on the achievements of the FGDP in setting standards for general dental care, and has a vision to achieve Royal College standing.
The PDJ is printed and distributed to the College’s UK and international members, indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus, and 1,500 papers past and present are available online to College members and in over 10,500 academic institutions worldwide.
In addition to 9 general issues to date, themed issues of the PDJ have been published on:
Infection prevention and control
Radiology and radiation protection (x2)
Implant dentistry (x3)
Management of caries
Aesthetic dentistry (x3)
Medical emergencies
Advances in the restoration of posterior teeth
Non-surgical therapy and management of periodontal disease (x2)
Prescribing in dentistry
Communication, complaints & consent
Special care dentistry (x2)
Paediatric dentistry (x2)
Oral mucosal disease
Endodontics (x2)
Tooth wear
Orthodontics
Operative dentistry
Dental emergencies
Extended integrated care
Removable prosthodontics
Digital dentistry (x2)
Primary care oral surgery (x2)
Dental pain & anxiety
Dento-legal matters
Fixed prosthodontics
Oral health and the ageing population
Leadership and professionalism
Urgent dental care & COVID-19
Dental trauma
The titles and abstracts for papers in all these issues are available to all dental professionals via the searchable PDJ homepage, with full paper access available to members of the College through the PDJ Library (members will need to be logged in to see this page).
Fittingly, the new 50th issue is a bumper ‘General dentistry’ edition with papers covering a wide range of topics such as an assessment of how artificial intelligence can assist in the evaluation of patients’ medical histories; a guide to skin cancer and what to look for in protecting your patients; how digital innovations can enhance occlusal diagnostics and treatment precision; the role of hypnosis in patient stress and pain management; and minimum intervention oral care. In this special issue, six papers have been made available in full to the whole dental profession free of charge. A full list of papers is available here
While full PDJ access is reserved for members, non-members can access the College’s standards and guidance publications free of charge online, and receive its free monthly email of news and events, by becoming a College Subscriber
Commenting on the publication of the 50th issue, Sir Nairn and Prof Blum said:
“The Primary Dental Journal has a rich history of serving general dental practice, and is pertinent to members of the whole dental team. It has earned an established place as an authoritative source in today’s dental literature and is one of the premier journals for intellectual discourse on all aspects of primary dental care. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the very many authors, guest editors, peer reviewers, staff and others who have contributed to each of the 50 issues to date and enabled us to reach this important milestone.”
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