The College of General Dentistry (CGDent), sponsored by Foundation Nakao, has launched a new award offering dental professionals the opportunity of a three-day training course in mentoring and coaching.
The Foundation Nakao–CGDent Award in Coaching and Mentoring is open to registered dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, orthodontic therapists, dental technicians and clinical dental technicians with at least two years’ post-qualification experience in their role.
The course will take place on Friday-Saturday 21-22 November 2025 and Friday 16 or 23 January 2026 (to be confirmed). It will be delivered live online via Zoom by UMD Professional, an organisation with more than thirty years’ experience of establishing coaching and mentoring practices within the dental, medical and legal sectors.
Applicants must be available to participate in all three days of the training, and should be prepared to apply their acquired skills between the second and third days of the course to support less experienced colleagues. They should also be a member of the College at the time of application, and information on joining is available at cgdent.uk/membership
The application form for the award can be downloaded here. Applications should be made by email to contact@cgdent.uk and must be received by 5pm on Monday 22 September 2025. Successful applicants will be informed by email by Monday 6th October 2025.
CGDent is the first independent college for primary care dentistry in the UK. A professional body and registered charity serving the public interest in oral health, it is the UK’s only medical college run by and for dental professionals and welcomes all oral health professionals into membership. Supporting professional development and recognition for the whole dental team, it is building on the achievements of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FGDP) in setting standards for general dental care, and has a vision to achieve Royal College standing.
Establishing a mentoring and coaching culture is key to the College’s commitment to workforce diversity, inclusion and wellbeing, and the College aspires to cultivate a community of members amongst Dental Care Professionals, emerging leaders who are equipped and confident to nurture their peers.
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. The sponsorship was generously donated through Professor Avijit Banerjee FCGDent.
GC also partners with the College on the CGDent-GC Award for Foundation Trainees.
