Community Dental Services CIC (CDS) has hosted a visit by members of the General Dental Council (GDC), including recently appointed Chief Executive, Tom Whiting, who is new to the dental sector. The visit was designed to demonstrate the importance of community dental services within the dental sector as a whole, and how CDS takes a highly person-centred approach to treating patients.
Photo caption: Jenny Baitup (CDS Strategic Oral Health Lead) Jyoti Sumel (CDS Dental Therapist), Laura Smart (CDS Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry), Glen Taylor (CDS Chief Operating Officer), Stefan Czerniawski (GDC Executive Director of Strategy), Helen Paisley (CDS CEO), Adrian Thorp (CDS Clinical Director), Tom Whiting (GDC CEO)
Mr Whiting, accompanied by Stefan Czerniawski, Executive Director of Strategy and Joanne Rewcastle, Associate Director of Communications and Engagement, visited the Dental Care Centre (DCC) in Bedford where they were met by CDS representatives: Helen Paisley, Chief Executive; Adrian Thorp, Clinical Director; and Glen Taylor, Chief Operation Officer.
Mr Whiting also spent time meeting members of the dental team and heard how CDS supports people with complex additional needs and paediatric patients. The group also visited the brand new CDS Training Centre in Bedford, which will offer career-long learning opportunities for the whole dental team in CDS and beyond.
Helen Paisley, Chief Executive of CDS, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to welcome Tom, Stefan, and Joanne to share how we support all our patients and the measures we take to help them undergo successful treatments. We also were delighted to share our new strategic plan and direction with the team from the GDC, and how we are addressing some of the issues the sector faces and working in communities to improve oral health.”
Tom Whiting, Chief Executive of the GDC, said: “It was a privilege to spend time with such a wide range of dental professionals delivering community dental care. Listening to what’s important to them and learning more about how regulation has a bearing on the services they provide was really valuable. Above all, it was a pleasure to spend the day with such a positive and professional dental team and understand where and how they work.”
CDS’s patients are typically on the margins of health and dental care and have complex additional needs such as learning disabilities, severe autism, mental health issues, or are in situations that traditional dental care cannot reach, for example due to homelessness. Very anxious children, with high levels of dental need are also referred to CDS.
