President’s Update

Since the last update, a number of notable events have taken place. In November the College held the inaugural and inspiring Next Gen Leadership Workshop in Manchester (see page 14), and in December CGDent Scotland devoted its excellent annual study day to the subject of tooth wear (see page 20).

The College in its role of supporting career development was also invited recently by two Health Education England (HEE) regions to give presentations to Foundation Dentists on careers in general dental practice, as part of their respective careers events. My thanks to the organisers of the events from HEE Yorkshire and Humberside and the West Midlands. It is very encouraging that the College is now seen as the body which is working most closely to create career pathways and provide advice on careers in general dental practice.

There have been some developments in membership benefits, which readers may wish to take advantage of. The first is the ability of Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows to demonstrate their professional standing by displaying their academic qualifications on the Member Register alongside their College membership. This recently-introduced functionality, in response to interest from members, reflects the current environment of professional development in which there are multiple education providers offering a plethora of courses and qualifications. It will provide further recognition for the often-significant investment that individuals make in their post-qualification careers. Members can also link their personal record to their practice website or LinkedIn profile in order to demonstrate their educational achievements and commitment to high standards. I urge members to take advantage of this exciting development – see further details on page 6.

Secondly, we have added the ability of members to download a copy of their Certificate of Membership from their College online account. These are available in PDF format for Student Members, Affiliate Members, Associate Members, Full Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows to save, print and display in their practices. (Further details are on page 11.)

We have also recently completed the internal review stage of the draft third edition of Standards in Dentistry. I was delighted that we opened up the internal review process to all College Fellows for the very first time. This process has demonstrated the wealth of knowledge that exists within the College, and I would like to thank all of those individuals who contributed. The resulting draft will next be consulted upon with external stakeholders, and we anticipate publishing the finalised new edition later this year.

On the political front, a recent report by the Nuffield Trust has made very plain the problems NHS dentistry is plagued with. Given the failure of present arrangements, change must come, and come quickly, in the interests of meeting essential, presently unmet urgent treatment needs amongst other things. In December the Minister for Primary Care, the Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP, convened a roundtable meeting of stakeholders from across the profession, including the College of General Dentistry, to discuss dentistry (see page 15). The College recognises the need for change and is ready to participate with government and stakeholders to assist in bringing about a solution. Our membership uniquely consists of experienced individuals drawn from across all dental professional roles, the majority of whom have some involvement with NHS dentistry. I believe we can play a vital role in dialogue about the future of the service. At the time of writing the long-awaited Dental Recovery Plan has just been released and the College has issued a point-by-point response (see page 10).

Looking ahead, in April we have our annual online Members’ Meeting, where we will discuss our progress and plans for the College, and take your questions (see page 25). Readers may also wish to note that the College will once again be present at the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show in Birmingham in May. We will be the headline supporter of the Enhanced CPD Theatre, and I will be on-site throughout the event and look forward to meeting both members and non-members alike at the College’s stand (see page 25 for further details).

This will be my last President’s Update as I come to the end of my tenure in June of this year. It has been the honour of my life to have served the College in this capacity, from our transition as the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) to formation of a brand-new organisation which has the aspiration of a Royal Charter body. We have built on the legacy and foundations of three decades of the Faculty and transformed it into the first independent College for dentistry which reaches out to the entire dental team, is creating a career pathway fit for the current environment of dentistry and continues to set standards of care, while working for the public good at all times.

Amongst the College’s achievements that I have been especially proud to have overseen are: the publication of the Professional Framework for Career Pathways in Dentistry; the creation of the Certified Membership Scheme; the development of routes to Fellowship; the publication of Mentoring in Implant Dentistry; the establishment of the Diploma in Primary Care Orthodontics; and the formation of Faculties extending to all dental roles. Many other exciting projects and initiatives are currently under development, and I am looking forward to the launch of our Register of Implant Dentistry Mentors and the publication of the updated Introduction to Research for Primary Dental Care Clinicians in the coming months. All these areas of work demonstrate the breadth of the profession the College is able to reach, and its growing confidence. It is notable that so many stakeholder organisations now seek to include the College in consultations and their own areas of work.

None of these achievements would have been possible without the dedication and hard work of the College staff who have toiled tirelessly in some challenging circumstances, strong backing from College Council and the Board of Trustees, and the endless support of our Founding President, Sir Nairn Wilson CBE. I wish to thank these individuals and the many other members of the College who have contributed to the College’s success.When I was elected to the board of the FGDP(UK) ten years ago, such change as we have seen was hard to imagine. But the realisation of the ultimate ambition of the Faculty’s founders – to create an independent College for dentistry – stems from the resolve and determination of elected board members to pursue the long term interests of the profession and its patients by establishing an organisation constituted to serve their needs. The continued building and development of our College is now guided by the elected College Council, and elections for twelve regional and role-based seats on Council are currently underway (see page 8). Being on Council requires commitment, but helping shape the future of the profession is rewarding. If like me you are inspired by the vision for the College, and feel able to give of your time to support it, I urge you to consider standing – nominations close on 15 April.

Finally, I would like to thank both the Editor-in-Chief, Igor Blum, and Managing Editor, Lily Atkins, for their considerable work in making this journal such an excellent publication. Amidst the upheaval of transition from the Royal College of Surgeons and the early months and years of the establishment of the College, the PDJ has provided much-valued continuity and stability. Its dependable quality, focus on the practical and unique tailoring to the general dental community epitomise the purposes of our College.