The College of General Dentistry has announced that it will be launching its much-anticipated Professional Framework next month.

The Professional Framework will describe the knowledge, skills and other attributes that primary care dental professionals may aspire to at different stages of their career, and underpins the College’s Career Pathways programme. An initial framework published last year identifies five domains:

• Clinical and technical: the capability to diagnose, to advise and to treat
• Professionalism: the conduct and behaviour to engage patient trust and confidence
• Reflection: awareness of personal impact, abilities and limitations
• Development: commitment and capability to improve the service to patients
• Agency: the ability to resolve solutions independently and through others

The College of General Dentistry is the independent professional body into which the Faculty of General Dental Practice transferred last year. The UK’s only medical college run by and for oral health professionals, it is unique in welcoming all dental and oral health professionals with relevant postgraduate qualifications into full membership.

The creation of career pathways for general dental practice was a key founding purpose of the College, which has been developing sets of progressive steps for each dental team role in order to provide purpose and direction for dental careers, to enhance professional standing, and to help retain and nurture a motivated workforce.

These are being mapped out by four working groups representing dentists, dental hygienists & therapists, dental nurses and dental technicians, working together through a programme board chaired by Professor Avijit Banerjee and a reference group chaired by Dr Shamir Mehta.

The Professional Framework will be launched at the inaugural College of General Dentistry Fellows’ Summer Reception, which takes place on Wednesday 15 June at Barber-Surgeons’ Hall in London.

The College’s Career Pathways programme is generously supported by Colgate.

The College of General Dentistry has announced the recipients of its inaugural award of President’s Commendations, and has awarded fellowships to four dental professionals in recognition of their exceptional professional achievements. 

Six individuals have received the President’s Commendation, which recognises significant service to the dental profession through the College or former Faculty of General Dental Practice, at local or national level, by Associate Members, Full Members, Associate Fellows or Fellows of the College, and is conferred by the President on the recommendation of the elected College Council.

Three individuals have been made Honorary Fellows of the College, and one has been awarded Fellowship by Election.

College Fellowship marks out a dental professional’s ongoing commitment to professional development and reflective practice, diligence in upholding the highest standards of clinical care, and distinction across clinical and professional domains. While the main routes to fellowship are Fellowship by Experience and Fellowship by Equivalence, the Council makes annual awards of Fellowship by Election and Honorary Fellowship to a small number of individuals deemed to meet the required standard.

President’s Commendations

Mark Richardson FCGDent is commended in particular for his significant contribution to the Faculty’s education provision. He became an examiner for the MFGDP in 2007 and a Core Group MJDF examiner in 2013, later serving as a Facilitator for the FGDP(UK) Fellowship and as a key member of the Faculty’s Academic Board. He also represented the Wessex and Oxford region on the National Faculty Board from 2016 to 2021, chairing its Education & Qualifications and Finance committees, and serving on the Dean’s Executive Committee and as a Vice Dean from 2018-19.

Since 1989, Group Captain Richardson has served as an RAF dental officer in the UK, Europe, the Far East and Afghanistan. Now Assistant Head of Clinical Operations (Dental) and Chief Dental Officer (RAF and Defence), he was previously the Armed Forces’ Principal Dental Officer for the Wessex Region, and Armed Forces’ Clinical Adviser on Paedodontic Dentistry. In 2018 he was appointed Her Majesty The Queen’s Honorary Dental Surgeon.

Paul Friel MCGDent, a general dental practitioner in East Kilbride,is recognised for his service as Lead Tutor of the FGDP West of Scotland division’s MJDF Study Group, in particular his adaptation in response to coronavirus restrictions of the division’s highly interactive face-to-face study evenings into content-rich, virtual group meetings which have provided excellent support to candidates.

Jonathan Hiscocks MCGDent has been commended for his service to the Faculty in Scotland. A former director of its East of Scotland division, for many years he acted as a mock examiner in the preparation of MJDF examination candidates across the country, and was the Faculty’s representative on NHS Education for Scotland’s Dental Committee. Originally from County Down, he is a partner and dentist in a mixed NHS-and-private dental practice in Edinburgh.

Mutahir Rahman MCGDent has been awarded the President’s Commendation for his service to the Faculty and College in the West Midlands. A member of the FGDP since 2010, he has been active in its West Midlands division since 2012, soon being elected Treasurer. He was Divisional Director from 2016 until the Faculty’s transfer into the College of General Dentistry last year, energetically leading the delivery of many successful educational events and helping to support local colleagues, and is now a Director of CGDent Midlands. He works in the Community Dental Service in Worcestershire, and as Specialty Dentist in the Periodontology Department at Birmingham Dental Hospital, and is also a DCT1 Educational Supervisor in the West Midlands.

Charles Ormond Dip.FFGDP(UK) is honoured for his remarkable commitment to the Faculty, which he joined at its inception in 1992. He served its West of Scotland division for a quarter of a century in a variety of capacities, including Treasurer, Director, committee member, Candidates’ Counsellor for the DGDP and MFGDP, and throughout as a mock examiner for its Study Club. He also represented the region on the National Faculty Board for nine years, chairing its Education, Research and External Affairs committees, serving as Vice Dean from 2009- 2011, and representing it on the Scottish Dental Training Committee and the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme’s Oral Health Assessment Group. In addition, he was a member of the working group which developed the Faculty’s definitive Clinical Examination and Record-Keeping guidance, now published by the College.

Recently retired from dental practice, during his career he also served as President of both the Stirling and Clackmannan and the West of Scotland branches of the BDA, Chair of the Vocational Training Selection Committee and of NHS Education for Scotland’s Dental Education Committee, President of the Royal Odonto-Chirurgical Society of Scotland, and as a Board Member of Dental Protection.

The late John Craig Dip.FFGDP(UK) has been conferred the award posthumously in special recognition of his wide-ranging contributions to advancing the profession, and in particular his instrumental role in laying down the foundations of the FGDP in Scotland. Further information on this award is available at cgdent.uk/news.

Fellowship by Election

Allan Pirie FCGDent has been a dental implant surgeon for 25 years of a 40-year career, and receives referrals for complex implant treatment from all over Scotland to his practice in Glasgow. He was awarded the Diploma in General Dental Practice from the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1995, and an MSc in Implant Dentistry from the University of Warwick in 2006, has served as an examiner for the Diploma of Implant Dentistry at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh since 2007, and has tutored at the University of Warwick and the University of Glasgow Dental School. Generous with his time and greatly admired for the assistance that he gives freely, he teaches the restorative side of implant dentistry via local study groups, and mentors local practitioners to introduce implant dentistry into their own practices.

Honorary Fellowship

Maggie Jackson FCGDent(Hon.) has been a trailblazer at the forefront of the Dental Hygiene profession throughout her 60-year career. With unsurpassed skills as a communicator and dental hygienist, her patience, humour and clarity helped highly perio-compromised patients change their habits and gain a chance of keeping their teeth for longer, gaining her a reputation as an inspirational colleague and mentor. For 30 years she worked with specialists who believed in curing periodontal breakdown by empowering patients, without surgery where possible, before opening her own ‘Direct Access’ hygiene practice in Manchester, receiving referrals for the more difficult, non-surgical periodontal treatments from other dental practices. She lectures throughout the UK, and overseas, has had numerous articles published in international journals and books, and is the first and only hygienist to have been awarded an MPhil in Periodontology.

Kathryn Marshall FCGDent(Hon.) is a dental nurse of over 40 years’ experience, and is currently a Dental Educator in quality improvement and Professional Support Tutor at Health Education Improvement Wales (HEIW). She co-founded a general and specialist dental practice in Surrey, where she took the opportunity to support student dental nurses though their GDC-registrable qualifications, and was the DCP Tutor for the Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS) Deanery from 2000 until 2007, and the Training Programme Director for the KSS Dip CDT from 2013 until 2019.

A past examiner for the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses, she was a member of the GDC Fitness to Practice Panel for five years, and the only DCP appointed to the GDC’s e-CPD Advisory Board. She holds a Diploma in Dental Health Education, a Diploma in Leadership and Management, an MSc in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare, and was the External Examiner for the University of Central Lancashire’s Advanced Certificate in Facilitated Learning in Healthcare Practice, and Advanced Certificate in Mentoring and Coaching.

William John Parry FCGDent(Hon.) has been a Consultant Orthodontist at Gwynedd General Hospital in Bangor since 1984, and has particular expertise in managing complex and cleft lip and palate cases. Throughout his tenure, he has devoted considerable time to mentoring and training general dental practitioners to support the delivery of orthodontic care in general dental practice, helping ensure that the highest standards of care are available in remote and rural communities. This support is exemplified by the significant number of GDPs who since 1988 have worked with him as clinical assistants, many achieving accreditation to provide orthodontic care.

He has been Chair of the BDA hospitals group for Wales, President of the BDA hospitals and speciality services UK group, and regional adviser for postgraduate training for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, of which he is a Fellow. He is currently President of Y Gymdeithas Ddeintyddol (The Dental Society of Wales), which he co-founded in 1991. The society offers postgraduate training and development in Welsh, has delivered 30 unbroken years of annual study days as well as evening lectures for its members, and supports student education through its dental dictionary.

The College of General Dentistry has recognised the late John Craig FFGDP(UK) with the posthumous award of a President’s Commendation.

Born in Rutherglen in 1943, John graduated BDS from Glasgow University in 1966 and remained a general dental practitioner until he retired from practice in 2002. He spent over 30 years of his practising life as a partner in his own practice in Falkirk, where he earned a reputation for the highest standards of clinical excellence, strong mentorship of colleagues, and empathy for staff and patients.

Not content with confining his activities and boundless abilities and energies to his surgery, he was extremely active in almost every aspect of general dental practice through his involvement in many dental organisations.

John possessed excellent skills of diplomacy and organisation, and was active in the British Dental Association from the outset of his career, joining as a student in 1965. He later served as Secretary of the Stirling and Clackmannanshire Section and then the West of Scotland Branch, eventually becoming President of the West of Scotland Branch in the 1990s. He chaired the Scottish Annual Conference of Local Dental Committees, and was often a delegate at the LDC National Conference. He was elected to the BDA’s Representative Board in 1991 and was a member of the Executive Board for nine years, including three as Deputy Chairman. He was elected BDA National President in 2005, and to mark this distinguished accolade, the West of Scotland Branch commissioned a bagpipe tune called ‘John Craig of Rutherglen’, composed by Angus Lawrie, former Pipe Major of the Oban Pipe Band.

A Vocational Trainer from 1986, he was chair of the Scottish Dental Vocational Training Committee for seven years, and was a member of numerous postgraduate committees including the General Dental Council’s General Professional Training (GPT) Committee from 1997-98.

He was also involved in a number of dental practice research-based groups, and was a member of the development group for the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines on management of unerupted and impacted third molars in 1999, and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Oral Health Seminars Group from 1996-99, engaging in postgraduate lectures on practice management. In 2014, he joined forces with Martin Kelleher to write a paper on the damaging effect of the overpreparation and unjustified loss of tooth tissue in the attempt to gain aesthetic improvement of the anterior teeth, and he railed against dentistry being relegated to just another arm of the beauty and cosmetic industry.

Instrumental in laying down the foundations of what is now the College of General Dentistry, in 1992 he chaired the steering group which set up the Faculty of General Dental Practice in Scotland. Achieving the Diploma in General Dental Practice in 1992, he was a member of the FGDP’s national Finance Committee in 1993-1994 and the first Director of the Faculty’s West of Scotland Division from 1993-1996. In 2004, the Faculty awarded him Fellowship by Election, and he was also awarded Fellowship of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh for his work in postgraduate education.

His other areas of activity saw him as a Regional Dental Advisor to BUPA Dental Cover, a founder member of Forth Valley Independent Dentists Group, Chair of Glasgow Dental Educational Trust, Trustee of the BDA Benevolent Fund, occasional expert advisor to various legal firms and insurance companies, and a member of the Denplan Advisory Board, MDDUS Dental Advisory Panel, and Edinburgh Postgraduate Dental Institute’s management committee.

His talents were not limited to the dental profession; he was also a sportsman, whose first love was climbing, undertaking expeditions throughout Scotland and in the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Himalayas. He was a skier, golfer, and also an accomplished musician, being a folk singer, guitarist and jazz band banjo player.

He also had a deep interest and knowledge of literature, opera, art, politics, languages, history and astronomy, and was a past President of the Astronomical Society of Glasgow, and a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. In 2003, he was made captain of the BDA team which represented the nation’s dentists on BBC2’s University Challenge: The Professionals. Answering most of the questions himself, the team knocked out the General Practitioners in the first round before going out in the quarter finals to the Inland Revenue.

Unfortunately, John suffered a devastating stroke two and a half years ago, and was nursed at home by his wife Irene until he died in September 2021. His funeral drew hundreds, including many colleagues of all ages from all over Scotland, demonstrating the high regard in which John was held by so many generations in the profession.

Dr Abhi Pal, President of the College of General Dentistry, said: “John was a visionary, a pioneer in the establishment of the Faculty of General Dental Practice in the West of Scotland, and a tireless moderniser who endeavoured to keep our profession at the forefront of healthcare. He was also an inspirational colleague, whose principles, high standards and excellence earned the deep respect of all who encountered him, and I am delighted to have had the opportunity to honour his illustrious career.”

Commenting on the announcement that an additional £50m of funding will be provided for NHS dentistry in England over the next ten weeks, Dr Abhi Pal, President of the College of General Dentistry, said:

“New funding for dentistry is to be welcomed, and the announcement will provide short-term help to a significant number of people who have struggled to get their oral health needs met during the pandemic, especially children and patients with autism, learning difficulties and severe mental illness.  

“However, it is important that longer term underfunding and recruitment problems are also addressed, and the NHS dental contract reformed, as even before the pandemic only half of adults in England were able to access NHS dental care. The College will also be supporting workforce retention through its Career Pathways programme.” 

National dental and medical organisations have come together again to support the World Health Organisation’s Antimicrobial Awareness Week, which runs from 18-24 November.

The Association of Clinical Oral Microbiologists and College of General Dentistry, supported by the Association of Dental Hospitals, British Dental Association, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, British Association of Oral Surgery, British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, British & Irish Society for Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, are reminding patients that “antibiotics do not cure toothache”, and encouraging the dental team to adhere to best practice and only prescribe antibiotics as an adjunct to definitive clinical management of the cause when indicated according to national guidelines.

Prudent prescribing of antimicrobials can slow down the development of antimicrobial resistance, and all healthcare prescribers play a vital role. The dental profession has shown its commitment to addressing antimicrobial resistance by significantly reducing the use of antibiotics over the last decade, both in dental practice and a hospital setting. Dental hospitals in the UK and Ireland reduced antibiotic prescriptions by 22% and 30% for therapeutic and prophylactic indications respectively between 2018 and 2020 (prior to the Covid-19 pandemic).

It has been reported that Covid-19 had a negative effect on the profession’s endeavours in improving antibiotic prescribing patterns. The organisations therefore encourage dental teams in both general practice and hospital settings to re-start auditing their practice of antibiotic prescribing against the recently updated national guidelines, as this will help to reduce the use of antimicrobials and improve patient outcomes.

The successful management of acute dental infections requires accurate diagnosis and definitive treatment, and patients who have prompt access to emergency dental services have a much-reduced risk of developing life-threatening sepsis. Dental teams are encouraged to use the following resources to update their knowledge on the latest national recommendations on the use of antimicrobial agents in dentistry, and to audit their practice:

• Guidelines for antimicrobial prescribing in dentistry are available at https://cgdent.uk/standards-guidance/ and https://bnf.nice.org.uk
• Guidance for antimicrobials in dentistry in Scotland are available at https://www.sdcep.org.uk/published-guidance/drug-prescribing/ and https://www.sapg.scot/media/5473/statement-on-pen-v-in-dental-infections.pdf
• Antimicrobial prescribing audit tools are available at https://cgdent.uk/standards-guidance/ and https://heiw.nhs.wales/education-and-training/dental/quality-improvement/national-audit-projects/antimicrobial-prescribing/

Other resources, including the Dental Antimicrobial Stewardship Toolkit, are available via https://cgdent.uk/standards-guidance/ and https://bda.org/amr

The new Chair of the General Dental Council (GDC) will make his first public address to the profession tonight at an event celebrating the launch of the College of General Dentistry.

Lord Toby Harris, Baron Harris of Haringey, was appointed GDC Chair in July and took up office on 1 October, succeeding Dr William Moyes.

During his period of preparation for office, the Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) completed its long-planned separation from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, transferring into the new College of General Dentistry (CGDent).

Lord Harris will be the keynote speaker on Thursday evening (21 October) at a reception marking the birth of CGDent, the formation of which has realised the ultimate ambition of the FGDP’s founding members to establish an independent college for general dental practice.

The College assumed the Faculty’s remit on 1 August, and as well as publishing its guidance and standards, has already launched two postgraduate qualifications, offers membership benefits which promote and reward professional development, and has announced that it is developing a professional framework and career pathways for the whole dental team.

Speaking ahead of the event, Lord Harris said: “The creation of a dedicated College – for the whole dental team – is a significant moment and I am really pleased to join in celebrating this. The College of General Dentistry is an important partner for the GDC in supporting our role assuring education standards and ensuring patient safety and confidence in the professions.”

His keynote speech on Thursday, following an address by CGDent President Abhi Pal, will be broadcast live online from 6.45pm at: https://vimeo.com/event/1396485/embed/019a40fc84

Professor Avijit Banerjee and Dr Shamir Mehta have been appointed to key positions leading the College of General Dentistry’s career pathways programme.

Professor Banerjee is Professor of Cariology & Operative Dentistry and Clinical Lead in Restorative Dentistry at King’s College London, and has been appointed Chair of the Career Pathways Programme Board, which also includes the College’s Vice President, Roshni Karia, and CEO Simon Thornton-Wood.

Dr Mehta is a partner in two dental practices in Harrow, Senior Clinical Teacher at King’s College London and Senior Clinical Advisor to the General Dental Council, and has been appointed Chair of the Career Pathways Reference Group, which provides advice and guidance and also includes Andrew Dickinson, Sharon Hill, Andrea Johnson, Kirstie Moons, Fiona Sandom and Bill Sharpling.

The career pathways programme, which is supported by Colgate, is building structures to provide purpose and direction for careers across the oral health team, to enhance professional standing, and to help retain and nurture a motivated workforce in dentistry.

Career pathways with clear progressive steps are being mapped for each dental team role, underpinned by a professional framework which describes the breadth of capabilities of practitioners at each stage of their career.

These are being developed, together with the programme board and reference group, by four working groups reflecting the key roles in general dentistry:

Dentist Group

• Phil Dawson (Chair)
• Sefa Ahiaku
• Bilal Arshad
• Ian Dunn
• James Hamilton
• Nyree Whitley

Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy Group

• Emma Pacey (Chair)
• Leon Bassi
• Liam Ferguson
• Shaun Howe
• Kath Reynolds
• Kirstie Thwaites

Dental Nursing and Orthodontic Therapy Group

• Debbie Reed (Chair)
• Ken Binnah
• Jane Dalgarno
• Amanda Knight
• Sharon Morrow
• Marie Parker
• Tracey Rodgers
• Tracey Taylor
• Tracey Young

Dental Technology and Clinical Dental Technology Group

• Michael Brindle (Co-Chair)
• Darren Ware (Co-Chair)
• Stephan Avetoom
• Mark Gilbert
• Mark Maley
• Steven Martin
• James Neilson
• Caroline Persaud
• Stephen Wears

Further announcements are expected in the first half of 2022, and more information about the programme is available at cgdent.uk/career-pathways/