College of General Dentistry News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

further information

Further opportunities for early career dentists

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

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

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

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

College of General Dentistry News

Occlusion and perio symposia for early career dentists

The College of General Dentistry is delighted to partner with the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation to host a series of symposia for early career dentists on the topics of Occlusion and Perio. 

Carefully curated for early career dentists, the symposia will be open to dentists who qualified in the UK or overseas between 2019 and 2023 and have been practising in the UK for at least the past two years.

Introduction to Occlusion Symposium

The first of the symposia, Introduction to Occlusion Symposium for Early Career Dentists, will take place on Saturday 5 April 2025 at the Kensington Conference and Events Centre in London.

A line-up of renowned speakers will deliver a series of lectures to enhance delegates’ understanding of the fundamentals of occlusion and how these principles can support the placement of successful, long-term restorations for patients presenting with tooth wear and other conditions.

The opening lecture will be delivered by Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent, a general dental practitioner with a special interest in restorative dentistry and founder of the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation. Dr Bereznicki’s presentation will be followed by sessions from Professor Paul Tipton FCGDent, Dr Ken Harris FCGDent, Dr Tif Qureshi FCGDent and Dr Shiraz Khan, and Dr Koray Feran FCGDent.

Dr Tom Bereznicki
Prof Paul Tipton
Dr Ken Harris
Dr Tif Qureshi
Dr Shiraz Khan
Dr Koray Feran
introduction to occlusion symposium
5 April 2025

Perio-Occlusion Symposium

The second in the series of symposia for early career dentists will focus on the aesthetic aspects of perio and functional occlusal aspects post orthodontic treatment and will also take place at Kensington Conference and Events Centre in London on Saturday 20 September 2025.

The event will consist of two half-day sessions delivered by Dr Reena Wadia MCGDent, a Specialist Periodontist and founder of Perio School, and Dr Raman Aulakh FCGDent, a Specialist Orthodontist, Invisalign Platinum Elite Doctor and co-founder of Aligner Dental Academy.

Dr Reena Wadia
Dr Raman Aulakh
perio-occlusion symposium
20 September 2025

Alongside the programme of lectures, delegates at either symposia who wish to develop their knowledge of occlusion or perio further, can visit a selection of education stands to learn more about leading postgraduate courses available in these fields.

To ensure the symposia are accessible to early career dentists, the fee for each event has been set at an affordable rate of £75 per symposium and they will each take place on a Saturday to avoid time away from clinic.

Tickets for the Introduction to Occlusion Symposium for Early Career Dentists will be made available from January 2025. Bookings for the Perio-Occlusion Symposium for Early Career Dentists will open later next year, and as places are limited, dentists are advised to secure a ticket early to avoid disappointment.

Eligible dentists interested in attending either or both symposia, are urged to ‘save-the-dates’ and sign-up to receive a notification as soon as tickets go on sale.

introduction to occlusion
5 April 2025
perio-occlusion symposium
20 September 2025

The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation supports educational initiatives for early career dentists and is working in conjunction with the College, and other collaborators, to provide a range of developmental opportunities for this cohort. Alongside the Introduction to Occlusion and the Perio-Occlusion Symposia, the Foundation funds the CGDent and GC Award for Foundation Trainees, which offers the chance to win fully-funded composite layering training in Belgium. An advanced aesthetic dentistry competition, which will provide each successful candidate with a fully-funded place on a hands-on digital dentistry course, is launching soon and other projects are also planned.

Subscribe to the College for free to receive our monthly newsletter and stay informed about all upcoming opportunities with the College and the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation.

College of General Dentistry Event

Perio-occlusion symposium for early career dental professionals

SAVE THE DATE:
Saturday 20 September 2025, 9am-5pm
£75 per delegate

Places at this event are limited – sign-up to receive a notification as soon as registration opens.

To sign-up, subscribe to the College for free, or sign-in to your existing account, then navigate back to this page, or refresh it, to see the ‘register your interest’ button below.

Don’t miss out – put Saturday 20 September 2025 in your diary!

Dr Reena Wadia MCGDent will deliver the morning session on Pink Aesthetics and in the afternoon session, Dr Raman Aulakh FCGDent will ask ‘Does Occlusion Matter before and after aligner Therapy?’. The programme is currently being finalised – check this page again for further updates.

Expert speakers

Our renowned speakers are both experts in their fields and have a wealth of experience of delivering high-quality education.

Dr Reena Wadia
Dr Raman Aulakh

Dr Reena Wadia MCGDent is a Specialist Periodontist and founder and principal of RW Perio, a four-surgery clinic surgery in London. She is the founder of Perio School, a leading teaching academy for periodontal courses.

Dr Raman Aulakh FCGDent is a Specialist Orthodontist, co-founder of Aligner Dental Academy and an Invisalign Platinum Elite Doctor. He is a clinical speaker and a post-graduate tutor at King’s College Dental Institute London.

Network with speakers in the lunch break and learn about the courses they offer to further hone and develop your knowledge around periodontics and aligner orthodontics.

Symposium fee

To ensure the Symposium is accessible to early career dentists, we will keep the fee at an affordable rate.

Verifiable CPD: approx 7 hours

About the Symposium

The aim of the Symposium is to update your knowledge and understanding on important areas of practice to support your professional development. If you are interested in enhancing your knowledge further in these topic areas, you are invited to visit our education stands in the breaks to find out more about high-quality postgraduate courses available to you.

The Symposium has been organised by the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation in conjunction with the College of General Dentistry. The Foundation supports educational opportunities for early career dental professionals in the UK.

You will gain approx 7 hours verifiable CPD.

Lunch and refreshments

Lunch is not provided in the venue. You are welcome to visit the restaurants, cafes and shops on the doorstep.

Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided throughout the event.

Getting there

The venue address is: Kensington Conference and Events Centre, Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London, W8

Kensington Conference and Events Centre is easy to access on public transport and a car park is also available onsite.

London Underground – the nearest London Underground station is High Street Kensington on the Circle or District Line.

Bus – busses 9, 10, 27, 28, 49, 52, 70, 328, C1 stop near the venue. Exit the bus at the Kensington High Street/Wrights Lane junction. Alternatively, busses 52 or 70 stop at nearby Kensington Church Street.

Car Parking – there is a public car park below the Kensington Conference and Events Centre. To access it, enter Campden Hill Road from Kensington High Street, turn first right into Phillimore Walk and turn immediately left down the entrance ramp to the car park.

Kensington Conference and Events Centre is fully accessible for anyone with mobility issues.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Register your interest

To sign up to receive a notification when tickets go on sale, subscribe to the College for free, or sign in to your existing account, then refresh this page to see the ‘register your interest’ button below.

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College of General Dentistry Event

Inaugural College lecture (by Martin Kelleher)

Friday 13 June 2025, 2pm-4.30pm

The Old Banqueting Hall, Cutlers’ Hall, 7-15 Church St, Sheffield S1 1HG

The Inaugural College of General Dentistry Lecture will be delivered by Martin Kelleher FCGDent.

‘Satisficing’ standards in dentistry: Who decides? Who benefits? will challenge the notion of the ‘ideal treatment plan’ and contend that subconscious bias and possible self-interests can lead some supposed experts to confuse their version of a questionable ‘gold standard’ with what is really in a patient’s overall best interests and with what the law expects.

Intended to stimulate and provoke healthy debate, the lecture will build on the rich legacy of the Malcolm Pendlebury Lectures hosted by the College’s predecessor organisation, the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP).

Martin Kelleher has been a Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at King’s College Hospital, London since 1984 and has well- known interests in solving seemingly complex dental problems with various minimally destructive approaches. He is on the GDC specialist lists for Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics and owned his own practice in Bromley, Kent for nearly 40 years.

He is a Fellow of the Faculties of Dental Surgery at the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Edinburgh and England, as well as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He is also a Fellow of the College of General Dentistry, a Fellow and former President of the British Society for Restorative Dentistry, and a former Chairman of the Southern Counties Branch of the British Dental Association. 

Mr Kelleher graduated from University College Dublin in 1971, holds a Master’s degree in Conservative Dentistry and is the author or co-author of very numerous peer-reviewed articles on a wide variety of topics, as well as chapters in dental textbooks and a book on dental bleaching. He served on the board of Dental Protection for a decade, including three years as Chair of its Advisory Committee for Dental Claims. He is a renowned speaker, having lectured to many national dental associations and specialist societies as well as internationally for over 40 years.

CPD approx. 2 hours

Registration for the inaugural College of General Dentistry Lecture will start at 2pm, with the lecture and Q&A taking place from 2.30pm-4.30pm. This will be followed by the College Summer Reception from 5pm-8pm, including the ceremonial admission of Associate Fellows and new Fellows of the College.

FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE SUMMER RECEPTION

For these events, we will also be gathering alumni, course directors and examiners to celebrate the achievements of the Diploma in Restorative Dentistry programme which was established 20 years ago by our predecessor organisation, the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP). 

All dental professionals, and others with professional interests in contemporary dental practice, are eligible to attend both the Inaugural College Lecture and Summer Reception.

Tickets are priced as follows:

Lecture onlyReception onlyLecture & Reception
Member or Fellow£20 £15£55 £40£65 £50
Non-member£30 £20£75 £60£95 £70

To secure your place at the above ‘Early Bird’ rates, click the button below:

BOOK YOUR PLACE

Associate Fellows and recent Fellows expecting to be ceremonially admitted may book their place at the reception free of charge until 30 April.

Non-members or existing members applying for Fellowship who wish to be ceremonially admitted at the reception are advised to submit their applications as soon as possible in order to allow enough time for admissions procedures to be completed.

Information on eligibility for Fellowship of the College (FCGDent) and Associate Fellowship (AssocFCGDent) is available here

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College of General Dentistry News

New register of implant dentistry mentors

The College has launched an online register of qualified mentors in implant dentistry.

Developed in conjunction with the Association of Dental Implantology (ADI) and the International Team for Implantology (ITI), the new Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry will support high standards of training and practice in implant dentistry by providing recognition to those who have met specific standards in their clinical and mentoring practice. Freely accessible and searchable by the profession at large, it will also enable those undertaking training in implant dentistry to identify and contact appropriately experienced and qualified mentors.

Mentoring is recognised as a critical element of a practitioner’s training in implant dentistry, and is among the requirements of the College’s Training Standards in Implant Dentistry document, which sets the minimum standards for training which those practising implant dentistry in the UK must have undertaken.

The specific experience, skills and qualities required of a mentor are articulated in the College’s Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines and are the basis for the eligibility criteria for inclusion the new register, all of which must be met:

  1. Postgraduate degree or qualification in implant dentistry, or documentary evidence of completion of a structured implant training course with at least 70 hours of verifiable contact learning and meeting, or (for those who commenced implant dentistry before 2005) demonstrably equivalent training and experience.
  1. Placed and/or restored at least 250 implants in a variety of clinical situations, depending on which aspects of care are being mentored. (Suitability can also be demonstrated from a lower number of cases with appropriate insight and reflection).
  1. Five years’ experience in the specific prosthetic or surgical technique that the mentee is being trained in. This should be in the form of a description of the mentor’s overall post-qualification experience and specifically their implant training, courses attended and clinical experience.
  1. Successful completion of an accredited medical education or mentoring course, or two years in a substantive implant-related teaching post which includes clinical supervision.

Applications to join the register are reviewed by a panel comprising representatives of CGDent, the ADI and the ITI. Once admitted, mentors will be subject to a Code of Conduct to ensure that any mentoring provided is in accordance with the guidelines, and they will also need to provide an annual declaration that they are still undertaking implant dentistry and that they are maintaining their expertise in both clinical and mentoring skills.

There is currently no application fee, however those admitted to the register will pay an annual fee for inclusion. The introductory annual fee is £500, but Full Members, Associate Fellows or Fellows of the College pay only £250. Members of the ADI and ITI also benefit from a reduced rate of £400, and those who are members of both the College and either the ADI or ITI pay just £160 per annum. The effective cost of the fee can be significantly reduced through tax relief.

For further information, visit the Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry

APPLY TO JOIN THE REGISTER

PDJ Implant Dentistry issues

Anyone joining the Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry (and/or the College) before 31 December 2024 will receive printed copies of the two upcoming issues of the Primary Dental Journal devoted to implant dentistry.

College of General Dentistry Event

British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show

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

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

The College will once again be a key education partner for the British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show (BDCDS), hosting four lectures in the Enhanced CPD Theatre during the two-day conference.

Members and non-members alike will be welcome to the College’s sessions, in which experts in their fields will share their knowledge and give advice on a range of subjects encompassing clinical dentistry and professionalism.

Details of this year’s lecture programme will be confirmed in due course.

Representatives will also be available throughout the conference at the College’s exhibition stand to talk to delegates about our vision for the profession, the benefits of membership and fellowship, and to answer your questions.

BDCDS is the UK’s largest dental event, bringing together the whole dental team with 10,000 dental professionals gathering under one roof.

FREE to attend for all registered dental professionals, attendees can expect 200 CPD lectures across up to 11 theatres. Co-located with Dental Technology Showcase, it is also a great opportunity to meet new and existing suppliers, with 400 exhibitors on site, including all the industry leaders.

REGISTER HERE FOR FREE

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College of General Dentistry Recent event

Dento-legal aspects of dental implants

CGDent webinar, Wednesday 26 March 2025, 7pm

Hosted by Amin Aminian FCGDent, a Specialist in Prosthodontics and guest editor of the recent ‘Implant dentistry (part one)’ issue of Primary Dental Journal, this CGDent webinar discusses the legal, ethical, and clinical responsibilities in dental implant dentistry. Participants will gain essential knowledge on consent, risk management, record-keeping, and regulatory compliance to ensure safe and effective patient care while minimising legal risks.

Speaker:

  • Mr Stephen Henderson FCGDent, Independent Dental Adviser

CPD approx 1 hour

GDC development outcomes: A, D

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

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

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

watch webinar

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College of General Dentistry Recent event

The mentor-mentee relationship

CGDent webinar, Wednesday 12 February 2025, 7pm

This CGDent webinar explores the requirements and expectations of a mentor during the early stages of a dental professional’s career. The discussion includes a reflection on alternative training pathways in implant dentistry, with a particular focus on a primary care setting. The speakers also provide an introduction to accessing and joining the College’s Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry.

Speakers:

  • Dr Amit Mistry FCGDent, Dental Implantologist and member of the Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry
  • Dr Choudhury Rahman, Associate Member of the College and general dental practitioner

CPD approx 40 minutes

GDC development outcomes: B, C

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

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

Membership of the College of General Dentistry is open to all registered dental professionals. Membership is available from £130 for dentists, £44 for dental nurses and £87 for other registered dental professionals. The full list of CGDent membership rates is here 

watch webinar

Sign up to the College’s monthly newsletter

College of General Dentistry Recent event

The edentulous patient: the impact of implants on quality of life

CGDent webinar, Wednesday 29 January 2025, 7pm

The World Health Organization classifies edentulism as a disability. This CGDent webinar unpacks the details of this disability, looking at both qualitative and quantitative research in this field. The quality of life of these individuals, both before and after all the teeth are lost, is discussed, along with treatment modalities, from the most commonly provided conventional complete dentures, to management with dental implants for both removable and fixed prosthodontic solutions.

The webinar is hosted by Dr Amin Aminian FCGDent, a Specialist in Prosthodontics and guest editor of the ‘Implant dentistry (part one)’ issue of the Primary Dental Journal, published in Autumn 2024.

Speaker:

  • Dr Sarra Jawad, Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Sarra Jawad is the author of ‘The edentulous patient: the impact of implants on quality of life’, which was published in the ‘Implant dentistry (part one)’ issue of the Primary Dental Journal, in Autumn 2024.

Members of the College can access the article in the PDJ online library by first signing in to their online account and then visiting the PDJ Library webpage.

CPD approx 45 minutes

GDC development outcomes: C, D

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

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

Membership of the College of General Dentistry is open to all registered dental professionals. Membership is available from £130 for dentists, £44 for dental nurses and £87 for other registered dental professionals. The full list of CGDent membership rates is here 

watch webinar

Sign up to the College’s monthly newsletter