Patricia Thomson and Matthew Collins have been elected as Vice Presidents of the College of General Dentistry for 2023-24.

Matthew Collins FCGDent is a general dental practitioner in Batley with a particular clinical interest in dental rehabilitations for patients with worn and missing teeth. He graduated from Leeds University in 1998 and has undertaken extensive postgraduate training in composite techniques, aesthetic dentistry and dental implantology, holding both a Master’s degree in Clinical Dentistry from the University of London and the Diploma in Implant Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He joined the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) in 2001, achieved Fellowship in 2010, and was later a Facilitator for the Faculty’s Preparing for Fellowship programme and a member of the Faculty Academy. He was elected to the FGDP Board as a National Representative in 2020, transferred to the College Council in 2021, and is a member of the College’s Membership Admissions Panel and Regional Funding Panel. He is also Chair of Calderdale and Kirklees Local Dental Committee and a member of the Association of Dental Implantology.

Patricia Thomson FCGDent has been re-elected after serving as Vice President in 2022-23. A general dental practitioner with an interest in orthodontics, she was Principal of a mixed NHS-and-private practice for over thirty years and is now a part-time associate dentist. She graduated from Glasgow Dental School in 1983, and is now also a part time Clinical Teaching Fellow there, teaching undergraduates in the restorative department. She was awarded an MSc in Primary Dental Care with distinction from the University of Glasgow in 2013, the Diploma of Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (MJDF) in 2014, and the Diploma of Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (MFDS) in 2015. Heavily involved in the highly active West of Scotland division of the FGDP for many years, she has tutored colleagues for entry exams for the Royal Colleges, presented teaching sessions on orthodontics to vocational trainees, and in 2021 she led the establishment of CGDent Scotland. Elected in 2016 to represent the West and North of Scotland on the national FGDP Board, she was re-elected in 2019, transferred to the College Council in 2021 and chairs the College’s Regional Funding Panel. She is also a Fellow of the International College of Dentists and a Past President of the West of Scotland branch of the British Dental Association.

The College of General Dentistry is the UK’s only medical college run by and for oral health professionals, and is unique in welcoming all dental and oral health professionals with relevant postgraduate qualifications into full membership. Its two Vice Presidents are elected annually by, and from within, the College Council, and support the President of the College in the delivery of the Council’s strategy and policy.

The College of General Dentistry (CGDent), which opened following the separation of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) from the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) in 2021, has now admitted 400 dental professionals into Fellowship in recognition of their high-level and wide-ranging capabilities.

Fellowship, which is denoted by the postnominal letters ‘FCGDent’, is the highest membership grade of the College. The mark of accomplishment in general dentistry, it indicates a dental professional’s commitment to professional development and reflective practice, diligence in upholding the highest standards of clinical care, and distinction across clinical and professional domains.

Fellows are listed in the College’s online Member Register, and are eligible to wear a special lapel pin and to attend biannual Fellows’ Receptions, at which new Fellows have their Fellowship formally presented. Most recently, the College presented 47 individuals with their Fellowships in front of 120 Fellows and Associate Fellows at their Summer Reception.

The primary means of establishing eligibility for Fellowship is by experience, a route launched last year to recognise a wide range of skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications relevant to dentistry and oral healthcare, with transparent criteria and a straightforward application process. Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the requirements of at least three of five fellowship domains, for each of which detailed criteria have been published: Clinical; Teaching, Learning & Assessment; Leadership & Management; Publications & Research; and Law & Ethics.

Fellowship eligibility can also be established by equivalence for those already awarded Fellowship by the former FGDP(UK), by any of the UK and Ireland Royal Colleges or their Faculties of Dental Surgery (FDS) or Dentistry (FFD), by the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (FRACDS), Royal College of Dentists of Canada (FRCDC) or College of Dentistry of South Africa (FCD[SA]), or to those who are Board Certified by the American Board of General Dentistry.

The College Council may also invite an individual into Fellowship when satisfied that their career and qualifications demonstrably meet the requirements for an application either by experience or by equivalence.

Additionally, former Fellows of the FGDP who elected to transfer directly to the College when the Faculty separated from the RCS were automatically admitted to Fellowship of the College without the need for application.

However, while there are different routes to College Fellowship, there are no different types of College Fellowship. Having demonstrated by whichever means that they meet the required standard, all College Fellows enjoy equal standing.

Addressing those gathered at the Summer Reception, College President Abhi Pal said:

“Fellowship of our College is a reflection of the years of sustained professional development you have undertaken throughout your career. No matter which path you have taken to Fellowship, it has required sacrifice and perseverance for the ultimate purpose of service to your patients and the profession. I not only commend you for that, but firmly believe the College of General Dentistry is the only body that will give recognition for these efforts. Admittance to Fellowship should however not be the end of a journey, but the start of another chapter.”

Fellowship is open to all members of the dental team should they meet the requirements, and suitably experienced and qualified dental professionals are encouraged to apply.

Prospective applicants may be interested to read about the career journeys of a selection of College Fellows here.

A list of College members admitted to Fellowship as at 30 June 2023 is available at https://cgdent.uk/2023/06/30/admissions-to-fellowship/

The College of General Dentistry (CGDent) has announced the recipients of its second annual award of honorary fellowships and the President’s Commendation.

Three individuals have received Honorary Fellowship, recognising their significant and career-defining contributions to dentistry aligned with the College’s mission.

William Beare is one of the UK’s leading prosthodontists, and has contributed both regionally and nationally to patient care and to the education of all members of the dental team. He worked in general dental practice from 1975-86 before serving twenty-three years in the Royal Army Dental Corps, including as First Consultant in Restorative Dentistry to the Armed Forces, until 2009. He also worked part-time in private practice in Devon and Cornwall from 2000-2018, and since 2012 has been the Clinical Lead of Derriford Dental Education Facility at Peninsula Dental School, while remaining an Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry to the British Army. As well as inspiring students, he runs numerous courses for practitioners in the South West, and many in the military dental services have benefitted from his support and revision courses.

Two recipients of Honorary Fellowship have been awarded it posthumously. The College does not often make posthumous awards, however as a new organisation it has not previously had the opportunity to provide these individuals with the special recognition they deserve:

Larry Browne was a proud and dedicated dental technician with fifty years of experience, who was highly influential for many dentists and dental technicians. The long-time editor of Dental Technician, he was one of the original dental implant technicians in the UK and indeed one of the very earliest Fellows of the International Team in Implantology, also guiding many dentists toward Fellowship. A former Fellow also of both the British Institute of Dental and Surgical Technologists and the Dental Technologists Association, and a former Licentiate of the City and Guilds of London Institute, his legacy lives on through his great contribution to the progress of dental technology, and through the education and training centre in Enniskillen which bears his name.

Philip Tucker began his career in the 1960s as an apprentice dental technician at a laboratory near his home in Potters Bar, and from the late 1970s he started campaigning for a new career pathway that would enable dental technicians to see the public in a direct capacity for denture provision. His tireless commitment to this cause was instrumental in the addition in 2007 of Clinical Dental Technician as a regulated title in the UK, and his contribution, alongside others, enabled later generations to pursue this career path. Throughout his career, he championed excellent patient care, education and the progression of dental technicians’ knowledge and understanding to become clinicians, and he influenced and mentored many dental technicians and clinical dental technicians in the UK and around the world.

One individual has received the President’s Commendation, which is conferred by the President on the recommendation of the elected College Council, and which recognises significant service to the dental profession by College members, at local or national level, including through the College or former Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP).

David Lynch MCGDent is the seventh winner of the award and has exemplified the College’s commitment to dental education throughout his career, both in his own training and in his support for students and peers. He has also been recognised for his dedication to NHS dental patients in a high needs area, and for his longstanding service to the College and former Faculty in the North East of England. A dentist at Frederick Street Family Dental Practice in Sunderland since qualifying from Newcastle Dental School in 2005, he holds the Diploma of Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties (Dip. MJDF) and the FGDP(UK) Diploma in Restorative Dentistry, and enjoys teaching and mentoring as a Foundation Dentist Educational Supervisor. Now in his thirteenth year as a trainer, he is regarded as a natural teacher and is appreciated by mentees. He is known for his encyclopaedic knowledge, for being a willing guide with dental complexities, and for his respect for the evidence in all that he does.

All four awards were formally presented by College President Abhi Pal at the 2023 CGDent Fellows’ Summer Reception. Larry Browne’s posthumous Honorary Fellowship was accepted on his behalf by his widow, Sue, and Philip Tucker’s by his son, Jody.

The College of General Dentistry is seeking two Trustees – one dental and one independent – to help it in its historic mission to build a future Royal College for dentistry.

Its dental Trustees are registered dental professionals, and its independent Trustees come from outside of dentistry. Both are central to the effective delivery of the College’s mission, contributing to custodianship of the organisation, and require a thorough appreciation of the role of a Trustee in a modern charity and professional membership body.

The Trustee Board, chaired by Dr Mick Horton FCGDent, works alongside the elected Council of the College, which oversees the professional affairs of the organisation and is chaired by its President, Dr Abhi Pal FCGDent. College Trustees, who are appointed for a term of three years, must demonstrate high standards of behaviour and attitude, reflecting the inclusive professionalism that we seek to embody and contributing to the development of the organisation’s values. They will appreciate the business imperatives underpinning a growing organisation, reconciling financial viability with delivery of the College’s overall mission in the patient and public interest.

For the position of Dental Trustee, applicants must be a registered dental professional. The College is particularly interested in attracting people who can help it to engage widely across the dental team, as it seeks to reflect the profession’s wide range of backgrounds and aspirations. The proportion of women and dental professionals from different backgrounds is growing, and the College wants its Trustee Board to be truly inclusive and reflective of the dental professional community.

The College’s independent Trustees, who come from outside of dentistry, play a central role in the effective delivery of its mission, and its Board of Trustees has identified a particular need to supplement its skills regarding legal matters as they pertain to a charity as well as matters relating to the College’s objectives as a professional body and member organisation.

The role profile for both positions is available on the College website at: https://cgdent.uk/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2023/06/CGDent-Trustee-Role-profile-Jun-23.pdf

For both positions, applicants should email their CV and a covering letter, citing two referees, to contact@cgdent.uk by Sunday 16 July 2023. Prospective candidates are advised that interviews are planned to be held in London in August 2023, and it is intended that appointees will be in place by October 2023.

The list of fellowships which qualify applicants for Fellowship of the College of General Dentistry (CGDent) by means of equivalence has been amended.

A year after the College first published Fellowship criteria, a review carried out on behalf of the College Council examined the assessment procedures and required training in relation to those qualifications already deemed equivalent, as well as to a number of additional overseas qualifications.

Fellows of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada (FRCDC) and the College of Dentistry of South Africa (FCD(SA)), and dentists who have been Board Certified by the American Board of General Dentistry, are all now eligible for Fellowship of CGDent by equivalence.

These are in addition to Fellows of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FFGDP(UK)); of the Royal Colleges of the UK and Ireland, their Faculties of Dental Surgery (FDS) or Dentistry (FFD); and of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (FRACDS), all of whom were already deemed to be of equivalent standing.

Honorary Fellows of the College (FCGDent(Hon.)) or former Faculty (FFGDP(UK)(Hon.)) who meet the College’s standard membership requirements may also be admitted to full Fellowship by equivalence.

However, Fellowship of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry will no longer be accepted for College Fellowship applications by means of equivalence; but since it is still considered a robust assessment of skills in implant dentistry, it has been added to the list of ‘gateway’ qualifications which provide automatic satisfaction of the Clinical domain for Fellowship applications by means of experience.

The criteria for automatic eligibility for Life Fellowship of the College have been similarly adjusted in light of the review.

Qualifications deemed equivalent will continue to be reviewed periodically, and additional qualifications may be determined to be equivalent over time.

Full details of the requirements for Fellowship are available at cgdent.uk/fellowship

Dr Fazeela Khan-Osborne, implant surgeon, educator and lecturer has been awarded a Fellowship for her contribution to dentistry by the College of General Dentistry (CGD).

Fazeela began her career in implantology over 20 years ago. She realised she wanted to create her own practice that reflected her ethos, that dental care should be holistic. She founded the One to One Dental Clinic in Harley Street, with general and specialist treatments delivered by practitioners who combine knowledge and state-of-the-art techniques for care that is cutting edge, yet always with the human touch.

Travelling as an educator, to lecture and to learn, Fazeela was inspired to establish the One to One Implant Education when she returned to London, to teach implant therapies at postgraduate and advanced levels. Thousands of dentists have now trained with Fazeela, who is course lead, and her prestigious teaching team. Past students talk of the ongoing support she has given them, enabling them to build the pillars of a successful career.

Fazeela is thrilled to be elected for a Fellowship from the CGD, the membership college committed to quality and standards of excellence in general practice dentistry.

To reserve your place on one of Fazeela’s courses, visit
https://121implanteducation.co.uk or call 020 7486 0000.

The College of General Dentistry (CGDent) has introduced Life Fellowship as a new type of membership for retired Fellows.

It is intended that Life Fellowship will make a greatly appreciated contribution to the mission of the College, elevating the standing of dentistry amongst other healthcare disciplines and helping to take the College on its way to Royal College standing.

It provides an opportunity for retired Fellows, and others whose careers meet the requirements of Fellowship, to make a life-long commitment to the College, to stay connected to the profession, and to retain the recognition earned during their careers throughout their retirement.

Life Fellows will enjoy all the usual benefits of retired membership, and the additional benefits of fellowship, for life. These include eligibility to attend the College’s regular Fellows’ Receptions, to join the College’s 1992 Circle, and to continue to use their Fellowship post-nominals.

Life Fellows must be at least 65 years old and fully retired from dentistry – i.e. no longer practising and no longer registered with the General Dental Council or any equivalent overseas regulatory or licensing body – and must remain in good standing within the profession.

Subject to these requirements, eligibility for Life Fellowship is automatic for current or former Fellows of the:

• College of General Dentistry (FCGDent or FCGDent(Hon.))
• former Faculty of General Dental Practice (FFGDP(UK) or FFGDP(UK)(Hon.))
• Faculties of Dental Surgery (FDS) or Dentistry (FFD) of the Royal Colleges of the UK or Ireland
• Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (FRACDS)

Additional eligibility criteria are expected to be announced soon.

All other retired dental professionals are also encouraged to apply for Life Fellowship if their career history meets the required standards of College Fellowship. A Life Membership option is also being developed.

The one-off fee for Life Fellowship is £2,500 for dentists; £1,700 for dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists; and £850 for dental nurses.

As the College is a registered charity, the fee may be treated as a donation, in which case if the individual approves Gift Aid they may claim income tax relief on the difference between their marginal rate and the basic rate (and in some circumstances the effective cost may be further reduced). As Life Fellows will also no longer need to manage or pay annually for retired fellowship, they are also immune from future fee increases.

Those interested in becoming a Life Fellow should contact Sir Nairn Wilson at nairn.wilson@btinternet.com

Andrew Hadden has been awarded the prestigious College Medal, the highest honour bestowed by the College of General Dentistry (CGDent).

Reserved for no more than one recipient per year, the College Medal is awarded for exceptional service of the dental profession and its patients in a manner aligned with the values and mission of the College. Dr Hadden has received the award in recognition of his considerable contributions over many years, including through the College and the former Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP). Previous winners (including of the preceding Faculty Medal) were Shelagh Farrell, Mike Mulcahy, Nikolaus Palmer, Professor Ken Eaton and Ian Mills.

After graduating BDS from Glasgow University in 1974, Andrew worked full-time in the dental hospital service for several years before entering general practice. In 1984 he become a partner in the practice, and also continued part-time as a hospital practitioner in oral surgery for over twenty years. He remained a partner until 2007 and continued with part-time associate work until 2010.

In 1993 he became a part-time dental advisor with the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS), becoming a full-time adviser in 2007, while retaining some sessional work in general practice. He holds an MPhil in Medical Law & Ethics, and on leaving the MDDUS in 2013 continued to be involved in the dento-legal field on a freelance basis, and to deliver undergraduate and postgraduate education in dental law and ethics.

Involved with the FGDP from its inception in 1992, he was one of the early holders of the coveted Membership in General Dental Surgery (MGDS) qualification, and subsequently the Fellowship (FFGDP(UK)). An active member in the Faculty’s West of Scotland Division, he was Secretary for eleven years and is currently assisting in the compilation of its history.

He was an examiner for the Faculty’s membership examination (MFGDP) from 1995 to 2004, and an Assessor for its Career Pathway route to Fellowship, becoming Chair of the Fellowship Assessment Board in 2009. He then served as a member of the Fellowship Development Group which rationalised the five different routes previously available, and in 2013 was appointed Chief Assessor for the newly unified route.

In 2003 he was elected to the National FGDP Board, and over the next eleven years, was a Member and/or Chair of its Education, Examinations, External Affairs, Revalidation, Finance and Credit Transfer Committees, served twice as Vice Dean and was closely involved in its Dental Care Professional Development Group. In 2020, he was appointed to the Faculty Academy as a Senior Member, and he is now a Fellow of CGDent.

He is well known as Editor of the second and third editions of Clinical Examination & Record Keeping: Good Practice Guidelines, which have received over a million page views online, and of which 10,000 print copies have been sold. Originally developed under the auspices of the FGDP, and now published by the College, it has been praised for its relevance, clarity and structure, and has for many years been the primary reference on its subject for practitioners and regulators alike, both in the UK and elsewhere. Notably, in the current third edition Dr Hadden introduced terminology to differentiate between ‘Aspirational’ and ‘Basic’ standards of practice. This change succeeded in reducing misinterpretation of aspirational guidance as essential requirements, and has since been adopted for other FGDP/CGDent guidance and standards publications.

He was also a contributor to the Faculty’s Key Skills in Primary Dental Care distance learning modules, and a reviewer for the second edition of Standards in Dentistry and most recently the College’s Mentoring in Implant Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines publication.

He has served on the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (1988-1997), as President of the Glasgow Odontological Society (1993-94), Council Member and President (2013-14) of the West of Scotland branch of the British Dental Association, and as a member of the Dental Council and Education Board of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, the General Dental Council’s Technical Advisory Committee on Continuing Assurance and the CPD Expert Advisory Group of the UK Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors. And over the past eighteen months, he has represented the College on a group which succeeded in persuading NHS England to reverse a recent change in its Record Keeping Code of Practice which had extended the retention period for dental records from eleven to fifteen years.

A Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, he has also been awarded the Certificate in Mentoring and Certificate in Practice Appraisal of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

The College Medal was formally presented to Dr Hadden at the CGDent Fellows’ Summer Reception, which was held in Cutlers’ Hall, London, on Thursday 15 June 2023.

Abhi Pal, President of the College, said: “Andrew is an exceptional colleague who has made an extraordinary contribution to the College, former Faculty and the profession at large. His altruistic dedication of innumerable hours, decade on decade, has been of immeasurable benefit to dentistry and dental patients, and is an example to us all. The College Medal is the greatest honour we can give, and it is my immense pleasure and privilege to be able to confer upon Andrew this most deserved recognition of his commitment and achievements.”

Professor Nairn Wilson CBE FCGDent, Honorary Founding President (now President Emeritus) of the College of General Dentistry, has been appointed Knight Bachelor in King Charles III’s first Birthday Honours List.

He is thought to be the first dental professional to be knighted since Sir Nicholas Sturridge KCVO in 2007, and is the first to be made a Knight Bachelor since Sir Ian Gainsford in 1995. His citation reads “Honorary Founding President, College of General Dentistry. For services to dentistry.”

Professor Wilson – now Sir Nairn – is a Founder and Founding Fellow of the College, and its first Chair, serving from 2017-20. He was then appointed Honorary Founding President, and following the full activation of the College with the transfer of the membership of the former Faculty of General Dental Practice in 2021, President Emeritus. He was founding Editor of the Faculty’s (now College’s) Primary Dental Journal from 2012-2017 and was also the College’s first Life Fellow.

A Patron of the Dental Wellness Trust, he is a Past President of the British Dental Association and Emeritus Professor of Dentistry at King’s College London, where he was Professor of Restorative Dentistry, Dean and Head of the College’s Dental Institute, and Deputy Vice Principal for Health. His many other positions have included Dean of Manchester University Dental Hospital and subsequently Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester, Editor of the Journal of Dentistry, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, President of the General Dental Council, Chair of the Council of Deans and Heads of Dental Schools (now the Dental Schools Council) and co-chair of the Forum of European Heads and Deans of Dental Schools.

He was made Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2004 for services to dentistry and healthcare regulation, and holds fellowship, in addition to the College of General Dentistry, of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, American College of Dentistry, Academy of Dental Materials, Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, British Society of Restorative Dentistry, College of Dental Surgeons of Hong Kong, King’s College London, Higher Education Academy, Faculty of Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Oman Dental College, Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and International College of Dentists. His awards for research excellence include the Hollenback Memorial Prize, a British Dental Association Tomes Medal and the International Association for Dental Research Ivar Mjor Award for practice-based research.

Sir Nairn will be formally ‘dubbed’ a Knight, and presented with his insignia, by HM The King or a senior member of the Royal Family at a ceremony of investiture at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle or the Palace of Holyroodhouse later this year.

Sir Nairn’s wife, Margaret – who is Honorary Curator of the British Dental Museum, Editor of the Dental Historian (the journal of the Lindsay Society for the History of Dentistry), and a retired Consultant in Restorative Dentistry whose posts included Clinical Director of Manchester Dental Hospital and Director of The National Advice Centre for Postgraduate Dental Education – is now Lady Wilson.

Commenting on his appointment, Sir Nairn said: “Being knighted is the high point of my fifty years in dentistry. I am hugely honoured but all the more challenged to try to put back into dentistry as much as it has given me. Very special thanks to everyone who has helped and supported me during my career.”

Dr Abhi Pal, current President of the College, said: “Many congratulations to Sir Nairn on this highly deserved recognition of his many accomplishments, not least of which is his unrivalled contribution to the establishment of the College of General Dentistry. The College is very fortunate indeed to have such a committed servant, and Sir Nairn’s elevation will only reinforce the College’s growing standing and status and that of the profession it serves.”

Sir Nairn also serves as patron of the Dental Wellness Trust charity.

Dr Linda Greenwall, founder of the Dental Wellness Trust says: “We are immensely proud of Sir Nairn’s outstanding achievements and honoured to have him as our patron. We also thank him for his continued support in helping the charity to grow and save more kids teeth across the world with our innovative oral health education programmes.”