British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show

Friday 15 May (9am-5.30pm) & Saturday 16 May 2026 (9am-5pm)Birmingham

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

The College will once again be an education partner for the British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show (BDCDS).

We will welcome members and non-members alike to our CPD lectures, with experts in their fields sharing their knowledge on a range of subjects and giving advice to support the professional development of the whole dental team. Details of the lecture programme will be announced in due course.

College representatives will be available throughout the show at the CGDent 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. Attendees will have access to over 200 CPD lectures in all across multiple lecture theatres, and the opportunity to network among 10,000 dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, practice managers, dental technicians and laboratory owners.

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.

Registration for BDCDS26 will be FREE for all dental professionals.

A link will be added below once registration is open.

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CGDent Scotland Study Day 2024: a review

Patricia Thomson FCGDent, Council representative for North and West Scotland, reviews the College’s recent annual study day in Glasgow.

The 6 December 2024 witnessed the most recent gathering of our dental community for the College’s annual Study Day in Scotland, at the Science Centre, Glasgow. This was the fourteenth year that we have held the event at this venue due to its convenient location and the superb facilities, including an Imax Theatre and an outstanding AV team. After registration, breakfast rolls and coffee, and an initial inspection of the sponsors’ stands, delegates entered the Imax Theatre at 9am for the start of the programme.

Once again the event was fully subscribed, with both sponsorship and delegate spaces sold out well in advance, and we had an in-person attendance of around 360 plus additional delegates who joined virtually. We were delighted to welcome back a core of GDPs and trade sponsors who are loyal supporters of the day, but we also welcomed many new faces, including those who had travelled from outside of Scotland.

It was a pleasure to host Dr Roshni Karia MCGDent, the recently appointed President of the College, as well as Professor Aileen Bell (Dean of Glasgow Dental School), Dr Andrew Paterson (Education Lead for Restorative Dentistry at Glasgow Dental School), and representatives of organisations including the BDA, GDC, National Services Scotland, Practitioner Services (Dental), NHS Education Scotland (NES), MDDUS, DDU/MDU, and LDCs from Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board and Lanarkshire Health Board.

This year we were also joined by several charities: Bridge to Aid; Maldent; GOHISS (Glasgow Oral Health Improvement Student Society); Smileawi (2019 winner of the Dean’s Award given by the former Faculty of General Dental Practice); and the Canmore Trust (whose CEO, Professor John Gibson, was awarded the College Medal earlier in the year). All had a very successful day, networking with the dental trade and our community of practice.

Glasgow Dental School also enabled its final year BDS students to attend, and they were joined by a number of undergraduates from Dundee Dental School.

Unfortunately, Government fiscal restrictions prevented NES funding the attendance of Vocational Dental Practitioners this year, but despite that, a group of trainers facilitated the attendance of their own VDPs,  recognising the value to early career colleagues of joining the wider professional community and attending face-to-face CPD events.

Our speakers for the day, all Fellows of the College, were: Dr Catherine Rutland, Clinical Director at Simply Health and Denplan, who leads a team providing clinical governance advice to all areas of the clinical group; Dr Andrew Chandrapal, practice owner and educator with a special interest in aesthetic dentistry, composite bonding and complex rehabilitation; and Dr Wendy Thompson, a microbiologist and GDP in Cumbria who is Chair of the FDI World Dental Federation Task Team on Preventing AMR and Infection.

The lecture programme commenced with tributes to the late Dr Louis MacKenzie FCGDent, delivered in the first instance by Professor Gibson, whose own personal tragedy brought about the establishment of the Canmore Trust, which raises awareness of suicide prevention and postvention and works with individuals touched by suicide.

We had engaged Louis as our main speaker eighteen months previously, and he was to present on the topic of anterior and posterior composites. On initially planning the day, Louis had suggested that Dr Catherine Rutland would be an ideal complementary speaker. The devastating loss of Louis before Christmas 2023 resulted in the painful dilemma of how to move forward with the Scotland Study Day 2024. After a period of reflection, Catherine agreed that she was willing to present at the event. It was felt that we should approach Andrew Chandrapal as an appropriate replacement speaker on the topic of composite restorations. We are immensely grateful to both of them, as they had been close colleagues and friends of Louis, and both delivered the most touching tributes to him that morning, despite the emotional difficulty that this involved.

All of these tributes ensured that Louis was not forgotten, and was an enduring presence throughout the day.

After our introductions, Catherine delivered a very thought provoking lecture on the “Ethics of Aesthetics”. This foray into the world of consumer-driven dentistry, and the perils of dentists engaging in social media without regard for professional ethics, was a timely reminder of the pitfalls that can be encountered, and made those of us of mature years relieved that we have the excuse of age not to engage in such activity.

After our mid-morning break, which involved networking, refreshments and a visit to the trade stands, Andrew Chandrapal spoke on the topic of anterior composites. His lecture was delivered in the format of “top tips”, and covered such subjects as the use of enamel and dentine composites, replication of tooth anatomy, shade selection, appropriate matrices and wedges, and tips on finishing.

Following this, the delegates retired for a sit-down lunch with an opportunity for further networking and professional fellowship. Old acquaintances were renewed, and new ones established.

After lunch, the final year students reconvened in another lecture theatre for the delivery of their own programme, initially addressed by Dr Karia, followed by representatives of three of our sponsors, Scottish Dental Care Group, Martin Aitken Accountants and MDDUS. On their way to the theatre, the students took full advantage of privileged access to the Science Centre’s fun exhibits of wonky mirrors and optical illusion floors, proving that they are still students!

Meanwhile, in the main lecture theatre, Andrew continued with his afternoon lecture, providing top tips on posterior composites and advice on establishing fissure depth and reproducing accurate occlusal morphology and anatomy. He also imparted excellent tips on rubber dam placement, sectional matrices and wedges.

The afternoon break allowed the students to re-join the main delegate body, and all to enjoy further refreshments and chat, and a final opportunity to interact with the dental trade.

Dr Wendy Thompson, our third speaker of the day, delivered the Caldwell Memorial Lecture on the subject of “Antibiotic Sustainability”. We were all extremely relieved when Wendy did not force the delegates to take part in an aerobics session that she was threatening, and allowed us to sit down and be thoroughly convinced that antibiotics do not cure toothache, along with a very sobering message on the effects of antimicrobial resistance delivered through video by a devastatingly affected patient.

After the rigours of the day we all retired to the much-deserved drinks reception, observing the rivulets of rain on the outside of the triple-height windows which signalled the arrival of Storm Darragh, proving once again that we have a lot of weather in Glasgow. There was also opportunity for the more mature delegates to sample the wonky mirrors and sloping floors of the exhibits, sensibly, before they had even touched a glass of wine.

The day is structured to provide six hours of high quality CPD, the opportunity for our community of practice to gather with ample time for professional networking, and interaction with the trade and other stakeholders.

We specifically thank the local members of our profession who give so much time and effort on an altruistic basis for the benefit of our professional community, and ultimately for the benefit of patients. We could not deliver this day without them.

We would like to acknowledge our gratitude to the various members of the trade whose sponsorship and loyalty enables us to deliver an event on this scale and subsidises the cost of attendance for delegates.

Specifically, our Platinum Sponsor was Scottish Dental Care Group, and our Gold Sponsors were Nexus Lab, MDDUS, Martin Aitken Accountants, the BDA, Clyde Munro, the Scottish Centre for Excellence in Dentistry and Strictly Confidental.

Our Silver Sponsors were Acteon, Align Technology, the DDU, Denplan, GC UK, the GDC, Haleon, Greater Glasgow and Clyde LDC, Kettenbach Dental, NHS National Services Scotland, Optident, Patient Plan Direct, Real Good Dental, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Septodont, Thorntons and Wrights.

This year’s event will take place on Friday 5 December 2025 and the programme for the day is already well advanced. All College members receive a hefty fee discount, and we strongly encourage you to come wherever you’re based in the UK (or elsewhere). There’s no better way to kick off the Christmas season and you’re guaranteed a warm welcome – hope to see you there!

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Presentations of Associate Fellows and Fellows

Thursday 5 February 2026, 6-9pm, London

Professor Sreenivas Koka FCGDent being ceremonially admitted into Fellowship by College President Dr Roshni Karia

The Livery Hall, Cutlers’ Hall, Warwick Lane, London EC4M 7BR

Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College are invited to be presented for ceremonial admission into our Fellowship community by the President of the College, Dr Roshni Karia.

The presentations will be incorporated within the Fellows’ Winter Reception, and will take place in front of gathered Fellows and Associate Fellows of the College.

This is only the second opportunity for Associate Fellows to be presented, and all Associate Fellows attending the Fellows’ Winter Reception will be ceremonially admitted and can attend the event free of charge (subject to timely registration – deadline to be confirmed).

New Fellows, and any College Fellow attending the Fellows’ Winter Reception who has neither been ceremonially admitted at a previous College Fellows’ Reception nor had their fellowship of the former FGDP(UK) conferred at a Diplomates’ Day will be ceremonially admitted and can likewise attend the reception without charge if they book early (deadline to be confirmed).

Each presenting Fellow or Associate Fellow may bring one guest. Guest tickets are charged at £55 if booked early and £65 thereafter. Guest tickets must be booked at the same time as the presenting member’s ticket.

Photographs of each presenting Fellow and Associate Fellow being ceremonially admitted by the President will be made available shortly afterwards to download free of charge.

The Fellows’ Winter Reception is an opportunity for dental professionals to network with their peers, as well as to meet College Trustees and members of the College Council and Faculty Boards.

Book your ticket(s) via the button below:

Associate Fellowship of the College recognises enhanced knowledge and skills, and demonstrates commitment to lifelong learning and the highest levels of patient care. Associate Fellows are senior members of the College who are advancing their journey towards Fellowship. Recognised as Enhanced Practitioners on the College’s Career Pathway, their professional standing is marked with the use of the postnominals ‘AssocFCGDent’.

Associate Fellowship is open to those holding an eligible Postgraduate Diploma or Masters level qualification in a relevant subject or those who successfully complete an application by portfolio.

Fellowship is the most senior membership of the College; a mark of distinction across clinical and professional domains, and of significant commitment to the art and science of dentistry through professional development, reflective practice and diligence in upholding the highest standards of clinical care. Recognised as Accomplished Practitioners on the College’s Career Pathway, the professional standing of College Fellows is signified through the use of the postnominals ‘FCGDent’.

Admittance to Fellowship can be achieved by experience or by equivalence.

Anyone who successfully completed an application to join the College as an Associate Fellow or Fellow (or who upgraded their pre-existing membership to become an Associate Fellow or Fellow) by 30 November 2025 will have the opportunity to be ceremonially admitted at the Fellows’ Winter Reception and can therefore book their reception ticket at no charge.

Places for ceremonial admission are subject to availability of tickets for the event, so once applications are approved, early registration is advised. Anyone unable to be accommodated, or whose application or upgrade completed later than 30 November 2025, will be given priority for registration at the next available Fellows’ Reception, which will be in Summer 2026.

Please note that the following events will also be taking place in and around the same venue earlier in the day:

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Driving quality in implant dentistry

Thursday 5 February 2026, 3-5pm, London

Candidates awaiting conferral of awards by the former FGDP(UK) at a Diplomates’ Day

The Court Room, Cutlers’ Hall, Warwick Lane, London EC4M 7BR

This event will celebrate the significant contribution of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) to raising the quality of education and practice in implant dentistry through its publication of Training Standards in Implant Dentistry and its renowned Diploma in Implant Dentistry programme.

Led by Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent, it will also highlight the College’s inheritance and continuance of these ambitions through the publication of guidelines on mentoring in implant dentistry and dedicated journal issues, an update of Training Standards in Implant Dentistry, the launch of the Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry and plans to introduce the validation of quality postgraduate courses.

Dr Pal will also outline the emerging Career Pathway for Implant Dentistry – a progression from new practitioner in the field to Associate Fellowship by Portfolio, Certified Practitioner in Implant Dentistry and ultimately Recognised Mentor – through which implant dentists can develop their careers and gain recognition for the skills, knowledge and experience acquired at each stage.

Dr Pal is Principal of The University Dental and Implant Centre in Birmingham, editor of Training Standards in Implant Dentistry, co-editor of Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines, Immediate Past President of the College and a member of its Career Pathways Reference Group.

This event is currently open to College Fellows, Members and Subscribers only. Subject to continued availability, booking will be opened to non-members/non-subscribers on Monday 5 January 2026.

Book your place via the button below:

Registering as a College Subscriber is free of charge and ensures you’ll be kept up to date through our regular newsletter. It also gives viewing access to our Standards & Guidance publications. Register via the button below:

Please note that the following events will also be taking place in and around the same location on the same day:

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Mentoring and coaching course for dental care professionals, part 2

Friday 16 or 23 January 2026 TBC

Funded places on this course are reserved for successful applicants for the Foundation Nakao – CGDent Award in Coaching and Mentoring. It is not possible to register on this course separately.

Delivered online via Zoom

Establishing a mentoring and coaching culture is key to the College’s commitment to workforce diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing. In promoting effective mentoring practice, we aim to foster appropriate support in the career pathway progression for all members of the oral healthcare team.

Now, thanks to sponsorship by Foundation Nakao, generously donated through Prof Avijit Banerjee FCGDent, the College is offering a very special opportunity for a three day training course in mentoring and coaching for dental care professionals. Our aspiration is to cultivate a community of College members amongst dental care professionals who are equipped and confident to nurture their peers.

The Mentoring and Coaching Course for Dental Care Professionals is offered only to the winners of the Foundation Nakao – CGDent Award in Coaching and Mentoring, with successful applicants each awarded a fully funded place on the course.

College members who are registered as a dental therapist, dental hygienist, dental nurse, orthodontic therapist, dental technician or clinical dental technician and who have at least two years’ post-qualification experience are eligible to apply.

Please note that the award is now closed for new entries.

The short course will be delivered synchronously online, using the Zoom platform, by UMD Professional, an organisation with more than thirty years of experience within dentistry, medicine, healthcare and law, to establishing coaching and mentoring practices within organisations.

Course dates

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Foundation Nakao – also known as The Nakao Foundation for Worldwide Oral Health – was founded in Luzern in 2018 by Makato Nakao, Chairman of GC Corporation, a leading manufacturer of dental materials and equipment. GC also partners with the College on the CGDent-GC Award for Foundation Trainees.

CGDent Scotland Annual Study Day

Friday 5 December 2025, 9am-5.30pm (registration from 8am, drinks reception until 7pm)

Glasgow Science Centre, 50 Pacific Quay, Glasgow G51 1EA

Passionate Perio for the Dental Team

and

Oral Cancer
“What you need to know, what you need to do!”

Lecture programme

The CGDent Scotland Study Day 2025 featured Dr Ian Dunn FCGDent, registered specialist periodontist, presenting on the topic of perio for the dental team.

Professor Jim McCaul, oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow, delivered this year’s Caldwell Memorial Lecture on oral cancer.

Format

The CGDent Scotland Study Day could be attended in person or virtually.

For in-person attendees, the six hours of CPD lectures was interspersed with two coffee breaks, a two-course lunch, and a drinks reception afterwards. Delegates could also to visit the accompanying trade exhibition. Free parking is available.

Fees

Non-member dentist: £349 (current early bird rate: £249)

Odonto ticket (Glasgow Odontological Society & The Royal Odonto-Chirurgical Society of Scotland Members) : £319 (current early bird rate: £219)

CGDent member dentist: £249 (current early bird rate: £149)

Non-member retired, technician, hygienist, therapist, nurse or practice manager: £149

CGDent member retired, technician, hygienist, therapist, nurse or practice manager: £129

Recent graduate (graduated in or after 2021): £149

Foundation Trainee / Vocational Trainee: £75

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  

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Registration opens for Occlusion Symposium

Dentists are invited to book their place at the Introduction to Occlusion Symposium for Early Career Dentists, which has been organised by the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation in conjunction with the College.

The Symposium is designed for dentists but others are welcome to attend. It is open to those who qualified in the UK or overseas between 2019 to 2023 and have been practising in the UK for at least the past two years.

Book your place here.

The event will take place on Saturday 5 April 2025 at the Kensington Conference and Events Centre in London. Six 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.

Dr Tom Bereznicki FCGDent, Founder of the Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation, explains why accessible postgraduate training on occlusion is essential:

“Occlusion is the cornerstone of everything that happens in your mouth and sometimes young dentists don’t appreciate that to maintain somebody’s healthy dentition you still have to consider their occlusion. You have to prevent wear which is very often occlusally-related. And when providing restorations, whether simple fillings, advanced multiple crowns, or indirect restorations which you want to last as predictably and as long as possible, if you don’t take the occlusal scheme into consideration then they are likely to fail prematurely.”

The opening lecture will be delivered by Dr Bereznicki, whose dental education charity also funds the CGDent-GC Award for Foundation Trainees, and the College’s new Award for Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry.

Further lectures will then be delivered by Professor Paul Tipton, Dr Ken Harris, Dr Tif Qureshi, Dr Shiraz Khan and Dr Koray Feran. Read speaker profiles.

Describing the programme, Dr Bereznicki said: “To cover the length and breadth of the subject of occlusion would in all probability take a week. In the time available we will try to deal with the basic fundamental principles involved, particularly the intraoral occlusal examination which is crucial in treatment planning.  In addition, examples of clinical success as well as occlusally-related failures will be covered.”

Alongside the programme of lectures, delegates who wish to develop their knowledge of occlusion further can visit a hand-picked selection of education stands to learn more about leading postgraduate courses available in this field.

To ensure the symposium is accessible to early career dentists, the fee has been set at an affordable rate of £75 and it takes place on a Saturday to avoid time away from clinic.

In this video, Dr Karina Kowalski, a Trustee of the Tom Bereznicki Foundation, asks Dr Bereznicki about the symposium and what delegates can expect.

You can find further information and secure your place by clicking the button below.

The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation, in collaboration with the College, will hold a second symposium for early careers on the topic of perio-occlusion on 20 September 2025, with speakers Dr Reena Wadia MCGDent and Dr Raman Aulakh FCGDent. Dentists interested in attending can register to receive a notification when bookings open.

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Oral medicine, leadership and TMD – PDJ themes for 2025

The College has announced the themes and guest editors for the 2025 issues (volume 14) of its Primary Dental Journal (PDJ).

(l-r) 2025 PDJ guest editors: Dr Ziad Al-Ani, Dr Emma Hayes and Professor Sreenivas Koka FCGDent

The Spring issue will be a general edition with articles covering a wide range of topics relevant to general dental practice. The 50th issue of the PDJ, it is expected to be published in April.

The Summer issue will be the first to be dedicated to oral medicine. Due out in July, it will be guest-edited by Dr Emma Hayes.

The Autumn issue, devoted to leadership in dentistry, will be guest-edited by Professor Sreenivas Koka FCGDent and will go to press in late September.

The Winter issue will be the first thematic edition of the PDJ to explore temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Guest-edited by Dr Ziad Al-Ani, it will be distributed in December.

Uniquely dedicated to primary dental care, PDJ is the College’s quarterly, peer-reviewed, professional development journal. In partnership with one of the world’s leading journal publishers, each issue is printed and distributed to the College’s UK and international members and subscribers, indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus, and made available online in over 10,500 academic institutions worldwide.

Dr Hayes is a Consultant and Clinical Lead in Oral Medicine at King’s College London Dental Institute, with special interests in facial pain and paediatric oral medicine conditions. After qualifying as a doctor from the University of Oxford in 2008, she worked in the north of England and gained Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. She then studied dentistry on King’s College London’s three-year programme for medical graduates, also working part-time in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Graduating in 2013, she completed specialty training in oral medicine at the Eastman Dental Hospital in 2019. She also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education from University College London and contributed to the 2023 update of the Oral Medicine Specialty Training Curriculum.

Professor Koka is Dean of the University of Mississippi Dental School. In addition to qualifying as a Doctor of Dental Surgery, he holds a Master’s in Prosthodontics from the University of Michigan, an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Master’s in Applied Sciences from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD from the University of Nebraska. He was the founder and owner of Premium Dental Editing in Rochester, Minnesota, and of both Koka Dental Clinic and the non-profit Career Design in Dentistry in San Diego. He has been a lecturer at the University of Michigan and University of California Los Angeles, and a professor at Loma Linda University, the University of Nebraska and the Mayo Clinic. Author/co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed articles and nine book chapters, he is co-founder of the Future Leaders in Prosthodontics (FLiP) programme and founder of the Shaping the Future of Implant Dentistry (SHIFT) leadership workshop series. Brought up in Romford, he emigrated to the United States at the age of 19 and is one of 16 dentists in his family.

Dr Al-Ani is a Senior Lecturer and Senior Recognised-Excellence-in-Teaching Fellow at the University of Glasgow Dental School, and former professor of Temporomandibular Disorders at the College of Medicine and Dentistry. He graduated BDS and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Damascus, before being awarded an MSc in Prosthodontics and PhD on temporomandibular disorders and occlusion at the University of Manchester. He then became a Clinical Teacher in Restorative Dentistry and Research Co-ordinator for the TMD clinic at Manchester, later obtaining Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice. He is a former Director of the International Association for Dental Research’s Prosthodontics Research Group, former member of the editorial board of the Journal of Prosthodontics, and author of the books ‘Temporomandibular Disorders: A Problem-Based Approach’ and ‘Practical Procedures in Dental Occlusion’. 

Submissions will be accepted for the issue on leadership until 7 January 2025 and for the issue on TMD until 7 April 2025. Submissions on any other topic relevant to primary dental care can be made until 7 July 2025 for consideration for the Spring 2026 general issue. Instructions for authors are available here.


Dr Al-Ani’s paper, Whiplash-associated temporomandibular disorders: a review article (PDJ vol. 12, no. 1, March 2023) has been made available for all dental professionals to download free of charge.

He was also author of Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthrosis: a review of clinical aspects and management (vol. 10, no. 1, March 2021) and Occlusion and Temporomandibular Disorders: a long-standing controversy in dentistry (vol. 9. no. 1, April 2020), and co-author of Occlusion on a single implant-supported crown: any differences? (vol. 11, no. 2, June 2022).

These are available in the online PDJ Library to College members and PDJ subscribers, as is Dr Hayes’ paper, An overview of vesicobullous conditions affecting the oral mucosa, (vol. 5 no. 1, March 2016).

Members can read these articles by logging in via the button below, then clicking ‘Access the PDJ Library’:

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Introduction to digital dentistry for early career dentists

Friday 28 November – Saturday 29 November 2025

Funded places on this course are reserved for successful candidates in the Tom Bereznicki Award for Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry. It is not possible to register on this course separately.

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

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

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

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

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

Refreshments and lunch are provided on both days.

The course accommodates 12 participants and also took place on Friday 14 – Saturday 15 November 2025.

Course leaders

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

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

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

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

Dr Bal Rohal
BDS (Kings) Hons

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

Attending the course

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

The award is now closed for new entries.

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

Mentoring and coaching course for dental care professionals, part 1

Friday 21 November – Saturday 22 November 2025

Funded places on this course are reserved for successful applicants for the Foundation Nakao – CGDent Award in Coaching and Mentoring. It is not possible to register on this course separately.

Delivered online via Zoom

Establishing a mentoring and coaching culture is key to the College’s commitment to workforce diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing. In promoting effective mentoring practice, we aim to foster appropriate support in the career pathway progression for all members of the oral healthcare team.

Thanks to sponsorship by Foundation Nakao, generously donated through Prof Avijit Banerjee FCGDent, the College is offered a very special opportunity for a three day training course in mentoring and coaching for dental care professionals. Our aspiration is to cultivate a community of College members amongst dental care professionals who are equipped and confident to nurture their peers.

The Mentoring and Coaching Course for Dental Care Professionals was offered only to the winners of the Foundation Nakao – CGDent Award in Coaching and Mentoring, with successful applicants each awarded a fully funded place on the course.

College members who are registered as a dental therapist, dental hygienist, dental nurse, orthodontic therapist, dental technician or clinical dental technician and who have at least two years’ post-qualification experience were eligible to apply.

Please note that the award is now closed for new entries.

The short course is being delivered synchronously online, using the Zoom platform, by UMD Professional, an organisation with more than thirty years of experience within dentistry, medicine, healthcare and law, to establishing coaching and mentoring practices within organisations.

Course dates

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Foundation Nakao – also known as The Nakao Foundation for Worldwide Oral Health – was founded in Luzern in 2018 by Makato Nakao, Chairman of GC Corporation, a leading manufacturer of dental materials and equipment. GC also partners with the College on the CGDent-GC Award for Foundation Trainees.