An event will be held in the new year to celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of both the College of General Dentistry (CGDent) and former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) to raising the quality of education and practice in implant dentistry.
The event will take place 20 years after the publication by the FGDP of the first edition of Training Standards in Implant Dentistry. Recognised by the General Dental Council and now made available by the College, this document summarises the training that should be undertaken to carry out implant dentistry safely, and the standards which should be met by training courses.
Alongside the FGDP’s renowned Diploma in Implant Dentistry, which started in 2003, the Training Standards in Implant Dentistry have driven a significant improvement in the quality of postgraduate education in dental implantology in the UK over the last 20 years [i].
Led by Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent, the event will also highlight the College’s inheritance and continuation of this ambition through the publication of Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: good practice guidelines in 2022, the launch of the Register of Mentors in Implant Dentistry and publication of dedicated journal issues in 2024, development of an updated and amalgamated Training and Mentoring Standards in Implant Dentistry (due in 2026), and plans to introduce the validation of high-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.
The event, called Driving quality in implant dentistry, will take place from 3pm-5pm on Thursday 5 February 2026 at Cutlers’ Hall in London. Tickets cost £20 and are currently available to Members & Fellows of the College.
Booking will then be opened to College Subscribers on Monday 8 December 2025. Registering as a College Subscriber is free of charge and includes the College’s monthly email newsletter and viewing access to its standards and guidance publications. To register, visit cgdent.uk/register-new
Booking will then open to non-members/non-subscribers on Monday 5 January 2026.
Driving quality in implant dentistry will be followed in the same venue at 6pm by the College’s Fellows’ Winter Reception, including the Presentations of Associate Fellows and Fellows. This is a chargeable event with separate ticketing arrangements. It will be preceded in the same venue by the Lindsay Society’s Lilian Lindsay Memorial Lecture. This is a free event, and open to all, but prior booking is required.
To secure your place at Driving quality in implant dentistry, visit cgdent.uk/events
