Record-keeping in the real world of general dental practice

Friday 6 October 2023, 1.15pm-2.00pm, London

Enhanced CPD Theatre, Hall N9, ExCeL London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL

This lecture discussed the importance of comprehensive and accurate record-keeping, and why it is fundamental for good clinical practice and essential for delivering quality patient care.

It was delivered by Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent, Principal of a mixed NHS-and-private dental practice and the first elected President of the College of General Dentistry. Dr Pal has worked in general dental practice since qualifying with honours and distinction from Guy’s Hospital, London, in 1987, and has practised at the The University Dental and Implant Centre in Birmingham since 1991. Editor of the College’s Training Standards in Implant Dentistry and Co-Editor of its Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines, he was elected to represent the West Midlands region on the National Board of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK in 2014, re-elected in 2017 and 2020, and was the Faculty’s eleventh and final Dean. In 2019 he was Guest Editor of the Primary Dental Journal issue focussed on dento-legal matters.

Objective:

  • At the end of the session attendees will have an understanding of the current guidance and best practice for dental record-keeping

Learning outcomes:

  • Understand what constitutes effective record-keeping in dentistry
  • Understand the dento-legal issues that can arise when storing, sharing and disposing of patient records

CPD:

  • 0.75 hours

GDC development outcomes:

  • A
  • D

This lecture was free to attend for both members and non-members of the College, and is one of five College sessions at Dentistry Show London 2023, a two-day conference hosting over 100 CPD lectures, 180 exhibitors and over 3,000 dental professionals. It is not possible to register specifically for this lecture in advance, but those wishing to attend will need to register for Dentistry Show London 2023 either in advance or on the day.

Conference visitors are also encouraged to drop by Stand G52 to meet College representatives.

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Sustainability in dentistry and healthcare

Friday 6 October 2023, 9.15am-10.00am, London

Enhanced CPD Theatre, Hall N9, ExCeL London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL

This lecture explored what sustainability means and how the dental sector can contribute to sustainability goals. It will cover the work of the FDI World Dental Federation, the BDA, CGDent and organisations such as the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, and explore how individual dental professionals and practices can best contribute.

It was delivered by Professor Paul Batchelor FCGDent, Associate and Dental Group Chair of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, and a contributor to the FDI’s report on sustainability in dentistry. Honorary Clinical Professor at the University of Central Lancashire School of Medicine and Dentistry and an Honorary Lecturer at University College London, he is also co-lead of the NHS Complete Care Community Programme and Chief Assessor for Intercollegiate Faculty Specialist Examination in Dental Public Health. He is a Fellow of the College of General Dentistry, the Faculty of Public Health and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, holds a PhD from the University of London and is Editor of the College’s Dementia-Friendly Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines. He is a past Vice Dean, Chief Fellowship Assessor and National Research Facilitator of the FGDP(UK) and was Course Director of its Diploma in Leadership and Management. He has also served as President of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry, Advisor to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee and as an ORE examiner.

Objective:

  • At the end of the session attendees will have an understanding of sustainability and how they can contribute to addressing the issues

Learning outcomes:

  • Provide a definition of what sustainability means
  • Explore the impact that the delivery of dental care makes
  • Understand how the individual can contribute

CPD:

  • 0.75 hours

GDC development outcomes:

  • B

This lecture was free to attend for both members and non-members of the College, and is one of five College sessions at Dentistry Show London 2023, a two-day conference hosting over 100 CPD lectures, 180 exhibitors and over 3,000 dental professionals. It is not possible to register specifically for this lecture in advance, but those wishing to attend will need to register for Dentistry Show London 2023 either in advance or on the day.

Conference visitors are also encouraged to drop by Stand G52 to meet College representatives.

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Dentistry Show London

Friday 6- Saturday 7 October 2023, 9.00am – 5.30pm, London

Hall N9, ExCeL LondonRoyal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL

The College was a key education partner for Dentistry Show London 2023, hosting five lectures in the Enhanced CPD Theatre during the two-day conference.

The College welcomed members and non-members alike to its sessions, with experts in their fields sharing their knowledge and giving advice on a range of subjects encompassing clinical dentistry and professionalism. Sessions included:

Friday 6 October:

Saturday 7 October:

Delegates had access to over 100 CPD lectures in all across multiple lecture theatres, as well as over 180 exhibiting suppliers, and the opportunity to network among over 3,000 dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, practice managers, dental technicians and laboratory owners.

College representatives were available throughout the conference at Stand G52 to talk to delegates about our vision for the profession, the benefits of membership and fellowship, and to answer questions.

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Shamir Mehta, Subir Banerji and Jason Leitch to lead study day

The College has announced Professor Shamir Mehta FCGDent, Dr Subir Banerji FCGDent and Professor Jason Leitch CBE FFGDP(UK)(Hon.) FCGDent as the speakers at its annual study day in Glasgow.

l-r: Professor Shamir Mehta FCGDent, Dr Subir Banerji FCGDent and Professor Jason Leitch CBE FFGDP(UK)(Hon.) FCGDent

Professor Mehta and Dr Banerji will deliver a series of lectures entitled Wearabouts – the how, what, wear and why of managing tooth wear in general dental practice, which will present the current evidence on tooth wear, provide a guide to managing tooth wear in general dental practice, and illustrate the clinical techniques applied in the rehabilitation of the worn dentition.

Professor Leitch will then deliver the annual Caldwell Memorial Lecture on Recovering from a Pandemic: NHS Scotland’s legacy post-COVID.

Shamir Mehta is a Professor and Course Lead for the MSc in Restorative Dentistry at the College of Medicine and Dentistry and Ulster University, Senior Clinical Teacher and Director of the MSc in Aesthetic Dentistry at King’s College London, and Visiting Professor and PhD supervisor at Radboud University, where he is part of the Radboud Tooth Wear Project. He has published papers, written book chapters and co-authored/co-edited textbooks on tooth wear and aesthetic dentistry, and is a member of the European Expert Consensus Panel on Severe Tooth Wear. In addition to his BDS, he holds a BSc, a Master’s in Clinical Dentistry in Prosthodontics and a PhD, as well as the Diploma of Fellowship of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice and Fellowships of the International College of Dentists, College of General Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and Faculty of Dental Trainers of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He is also a partner in two dental practices in Harrow, Senior Clinical Dental Advisor to the GDC on Fitness to Practise, and chaired the Careers Pathways Reference Group which guided the development of the College of General Dentistry’s Professional Framework for Career Pathways in Dentistry.

Subir Banerji is the Programme Director of the MSc in Aesthetic Dentistry and a PhD supervisor at King’s College London, co-author of books including Practical Procedures in the Management of Tooth Wear and Practical Procedures in Aesthetic Dentistry, and an Associate Professor in Prosthodontics at Melbourne Dental School. A general dental practitioner in the same private dental practice in Ealing which he joined after graduating from Newcastle Dental School in 1987, he is particularly interested in restorative, aesthetic, prosthodontic and implant dentistry, and has over 20 years’ experience of teaching undergraduate and postgraduate dentists both nationally and internationally. He has completed both a Master’s in Clinical Dentistry in Prosthodontics and a PhD from King’s College London, and is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists, International Congress of Oral Implantologists, International Academy for Dental Facial Esthetics, College of General Dentistry and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He is an advisor to the General Dental Council, on the editorial board of the Academy of Dental Excellence, director of his own postgraduate educational academy, and Head of Continuing Medical Education at i2i Telesolutions Pvt Ltd. In 2022 he was elected to the CGDent Council to represent members in Central London.

Professor Mehta and Dr Banerji also guest-edited the well-received most recent issue of the College’s Primary Dental Journal, Aesthetic Dentistry – Part One, with the much anticipated Part Two due to be distributed to College members at the end of September.

Jason Leitch is the National Clinical Director for Scotland, and became a popular and well-known figure to broadcast media audiences throughout the UK for the clarity of his communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. After graduating from Glasgow Dental School in 1991, he undertook training posts prior to becoming a clinical lecturer in oral surgery and sedation and honorary consultant in oral surgery. In 2005 he became the first dental professional to be awarded a Health Foundation Quality Improvement Fellowship to study at Harvard, where he later completed a Master’s in Public Health, and in 2004 he completed a PhD at the University of Glasgow. He has worked for the Scottish Government since 2007, with previous roles including National Clinical Lead for Safety and Improvement and National Clinical Lead for Quality. An Honorary Professor at both Dundee and Strathclyde universities, he is also a member of the US National Academy of Medicine, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston, and a Fellow of the College of General Dentistry, the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Higher Education Academy. He was awarded Honorary Fellowship of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) in 2020, and is a CGDent Ambassador, a non-executive board member of the MDDUS and a past Chair of both the GDC Conduct Committee and GDC Health Committee. He was awarded a CBE in 2019.

The annual study day, organised by CGDent Scotland, takes place at Glasgow Science Centre on the first Friday in December – 1 December this year – and includes six hours of CPD. Finishing with a drinks reception, the day is attended by up to 400 dental professionals from across Scotland and the wider UK, and for its many regular attendees also marks the start of the festive social season.

The Caldwell Memorial Lecture, delivered annually at the end of the study day, is held in memory of Robert Craig Caldwell, who graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1950 and became a much-loved Dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, before he died of leukaemia at the age of just 44.

The study day is open to all dental professionals, and can be attended in person or virtually.

Fee discounts are available to College members as follows: College dentist members can buy their tickets for just £149 until 9pm on Thursday 31 August, and £249 thereafter, compared to the full rate for non-member dentists of £349. The concessionary rate for dental technicians, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental nurses, practice managers, Foundation Dentists and retired practitioners is £149, but for College members in these categories it is just £129.

Breakfast, a three-course lunch, refreshments throughout the day and evening drinks are all included in the attendance fee, and there is an accompanying trade exhibition to visit.

Other discounts to the full rate are available to recent graduates, members of the CGDent Scotland study group and members of the Glasgow Odontological Society. Year 5 dental students at the University of Glasgow and University of Dundee will also be hosted.

The event is supported by Scottish Dental Care, Martin Aitken, Nexus Dental Laboratory, Real Good Dental, Strictly Confidental, Bryant Dental, Clyde Munro, Coltene, the DDU, GC UK, Haleon, IWT, Kerr, MDDUS, Orascoptic, NHS National Services Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland, Septodont, WEL Medical and Wright’s.

For further information, visit our events pages.

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CPD submission reminder

Colleagues are reminded that Monday 28 August 2023 is the deadline for all dental professionals other than dentists to submit an annual CPD statement detailing professional development activity undertaken between and 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023.

Delegates at the annual CGDent Scotland Study Day held at Glasgow Science Centre

The GDC requires dental therapists, dental hygienists, orthodontic therapists and clinical dental technicians to complete a minimum of 75 hours of verifiable CPD every five years, and dental nurses and dental technicians a minimum of 50 hours.

All dental professionals need to complete at least 10 hours of verifiable CPD during any two-year period, and must submit an annual CPD statement whether or not they have undertaken any CPD in the preceding 12 months.

The next submission deadline for dentists is 28 January 2024, covering education undertaken during 2023.


The College offers members access to a wide range of CPD opportunities:

CPD library

Free, on-demand access to a library of around 1000 hours of certified, GDC-compliant CPD. To access the content, log in to www.prodentalcpd.com using the details sent to you following your transfer/entry into College membership.

Live webinars

Live, College-hosted webinars covering a wide range of subjects are available free to members every month, powered by ProDental. Webinars this year have included:

Members also have free access to all of ProDental’s regular live webinars.

And if you miss a live webinar, you’ll find it in the online library within around 24 hours.

Details of all past and upcoming webinars can be found here

Study Days

Members receive heavily discounted attendance fees for the College’s study days and events as well as some events organised by third parties. The following are currently scheduled:

Details of all recent and upcoming study days and events can be found here

Stay up-to-date with news about our webinars, study days and member discounts by ensuring you are signed up to the College’s monthly newsletter here

Third party resources

The College also recommends the following online resources developed by third parties, each of which offers free CPD:

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Bruxism diagnosis management

Friday 29 September 2023, London

Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, Westminster, London, W1G 0AE

Bruxism can cause multiple debilitating problems throughout the body and can be difficult to diagnose and even harder to manage.

This one-day course was designed to help clinicians, including dental professionals, understand the condition and learn how to diagnose it sooner and create realistic and achievable multi-disciplinary treatment plans.

Expert speakers explored the cause and effects of Bruxism, discuss diagnosis and examined possible treatments. The programme ends with a Q&A session with Professor Gilles Lavigne.

Speakers:

  • Barabara Carey, Consultant in oral medicine
  • Luke Cascarini, Consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon and head and neck surgeon
  • Gilles Lavigne, Specialist in oral medicine
  • Sara McNeillis, Consultant in sleep medicine and anaesthesia
  • Javier Moraleda, consultant ENT
  • Clare Simon,  lead and founder of The London Dental Sleep Clinic

Fees:

  • Dentist £150
  • Dental Team £99

**COLLEGE MEMBERS RECEIVE 20% DISCOUNT IF THEY BOOK BY MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY 31 JULY 2023**

(You must sign in to the website in order to view the member discount code)

For more information on the Bruxism Diagnosis Management course, click here.

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The Hall Technique

CGDent on-demand webinar, Thursday 21 September 2023

This CGDent on-demand webinar explores the use of the Hall Technique for managing caries in primary molars and focuses on the theory, indications and contraindications for the use of the Hall Technique. Tips for the placement of Hall crowns, the structuring of appointments, challenges with the Hall technique and how to overcome potential difficulties which may arise are discussed. 

Speakers:

  • Reuben Bennett, DCT2 currently working in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Medicine in Bristol
  • Yi Loo, Registrar in Paediatric Dentistry at King’s College Hospital, London
  • Nabeel Ilyas, Specialist in Paediatric Dentistry, Registrar in Birmingham Community NHS trust and Birmingham Children’s Hospital

CPD approx 1.5 hours

GCD development outcomes: C

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

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

Membership of the College of General Dentistry is open to all registered dental professionals.  Membership is available from £125 per year for dentists, from £83 for other dental professionals, and from £42 for Dental Nurses and those eligible for a concession. See the full list of CGDent membership rates here.

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Dental Therapists and Aesthetic Dentistry

CGDent on-demand webinar, Thursday 7 September 2023

This CGDent webinar examines the role of Dental Therapists in providing aesthetic dentistry within a UK dental practice setting. We will review patient access through collaborative working and a shared care model, referrals, and direct access.

Speakers:

  • Arabella Marques, Dental Therapist
  • Linzy Baker, Dental Therapist

CPD approx 1.5 hours

GCD development outcomes: A, B, C , 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 is free to view live for all dental professionals, and College members also have free access to the recorded webinar and can claim CPD hours for free.  A £20 fee will apply for non-members who wish to claim CPD.

Membership of the College of General Dentistry is open to all registered dental professionals.  Membership is available from £125 per year for dentists, from £83 for other dental professionals, and from £42 for Dental Nurses and those eligible for a concession. See the full list of CGDent membership rates here.

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President to MPs: it’ll take more than contract reform to improve access to NHS dentistry

The President of the College, Dr Abhi Pal, has told a committee of MPs that it will take more than contract reform to persuade more dental professionals to deliver NHS dental treatment.

Dr Pal, a general dental practitioner and Principal of an NHS-contracted dental practice in Edgbaston, was addressing the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee during an oral evidence session on NHS dentistry in England. During a discussion focussed on the attractiveness of NHS dentistry to dentists, he said:

“I’ve heard the evidence earlier on, and first of all I have to concur with colleagues about the state of the contract and dental contract reform, which is sorely required. But it’s not just a question of contract reform – whilst that’s very important – it’s also a question of making dental professionals’ careers more fulfilling and providing some degree of recognition for what they’re doing.

“Everyone goes into dentistry to provide the best care they can, and it’s worthwhile pointing out that beyond Dental Core Training, which is some two years post qualification, there is no effective career pathway or structure for dentists to follow, and there is a large void left there.

“There’s also little recognition from the NHS for dentists who have sometimes invested significant quantities of money in order to enhance their skills. If working conditions in that sense, and recognition, could be made better, the NHS would be seen as a more attractive place – particularly for younger dentists, and international dentists – to come and work.”

He later added:

“We speak to a lot of early career dentists – dentists within the first three or four years of qualifying – and invariably they say a number of things. One is that they are a little bit lost as to which direction they should go. And they see less future within the health service – we’ve talked about all the reasons that there are before, and they can’t work to the best way that their training has allowed them to work. I think there are small changes, including contract reform, in terms of supporting professional development, that the NHS could be considering.”

He said that in order to retain dental professionals within the NHS workforce, consideration should be given to supporting their training and development, and to supporting the development of more professional networks, peer review opportunities and mentoring schemes. He summarised that:

“All of these things, put together, in addition to contract reform, would go some way in making the NHS more attractive than it is now.”

The College recently opened a Certified Membership programme built around its freely available Professional Framework for Career Pathways in Dentistry, and speaking during the same evidence session, the Chair of Health Education England’s Dental Education Reform Programme informed committee members that HEE was already working with the College to look at how the NHS might recognise the career progression of dental professionals working in primary care.

Written evidence previously submitted by the Faculty of General Dental Practice – which transferred into the College in 2021 – told the committee that the current NHS dental contract in England is “ill-conceived and not fit for purpose”, “crude and ineffective”, and that many patients struggle to access NHS dental care as “the funding simply does not provide the universal offer they expect”.

Last year, Dr Pal visited No.10 Downing Street for a discussion on access to careers and progression in dentistry, and he has also discussed these issues with the Shadow Health Secretary.

The Health Committee’s evidence session on NHS dentistry can be viewed in full here

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College to host new Professional Development Theatre and Careers Clinic at BDCDS23

The CGDent Professional Development Theatre and CGDent Careers Clinic will be among the new additions at this year’s British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show (BDCDS), which will be held at the Birmingham NEC on 12-13 May 2023.

BDCDS is the UK’s largest dental event, and delegates will have access to around 200 seminars across 13 lecture theatres, as well as over 400 exhibiting suppliers, and the opportunity to network with thousands of dentists, practice managers, hygienists and therapists, dental nurses, technicians and laboratory owners.

CGDent Professional Development Theatre

The College’s new theatre will host sixteen lectures over the two day conference, welcoming members and non-members alike to its sessions, with speakers sharing their knowledge and experience on a range of subjects encompassing career development, professionalism and clinical dentistry.

Sessions will include:

  • Advertising and social media: dento-legal considerations            
  • How to move into orthodontics
  • How to make the most of your career in dentistry          
  • The many routes to Fellowship: what will yours be?
  • How to waste your time and money on the wrong training
  • Mouth cancer: what does the dental team need to know?
  • How to get into practice in the UK after qualifying abroad
  • Creating prevention-led growth for your practice
  • The changing nature of dental careers
  • How to move into facial aesthetics
  • How to get into practice ownership
  • Beyond clinical practice: how to expand into teaching and research

Full and up-to-date details of the CGDent Professional Development Theatre programme can be found on the BDCDS website – click Conference then 2023 Conference Programme.

CGDent Careers Clinic

The new ‘Careers Clinic’, which will be within the exhibition hall, will enable conversations between delegates and senior members of the College about career aspirations, with sixteen themed times slots, during each of which the most relevant representatives will be present to answer your questions one to one. In many cases this will include College lecturers being available directly after their lectures. Themed sessions (subject to confirmation) will include:

  • College membership
  • Identifying the right training
  • Developing your career
  • Gaining Associate Fellowship & Fellowship
  • Moving into orthodontics
  • Moving into facial aesthetics
  • Becoming a practice owner
  • Expanding into teaching and research
  • Expanding into dento-legal work
  • Getting into practice after qualifying abroad

Full and up-to-date details of the CGDent Careers Clinic programme can be found on the BDCDS website – click Conference then On-stand Education.

CGDent Stand

College representatives will also be available throughout the conference at Stand Q01 to talk to delegates about the College and membership. We would be delighted to say hello to any College members attending the conference, and to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you there!

Conference registration is FREE for all dental professionals – just click the button below.