College of General Dentistry - What’s in it for technicians? By Andrea Johnson

THE COLLEGE OF GENERAL DENTISTRY

WHAT’S IN IT FOR TECHNICIANS?

By Andrea Johnson

Lets start with - Who am I? that is a good question, I am currently a highly specialised orthodontic technician, orthodontic & OMFS laboratory manager, deputy clinical governance lead, quality improvement coach, chair/founder of registered charity Den-Tech, editorial board member of the Dental Technician magazine, advisory & reference group member of

CGDent and a part time Masters student. I have previously served as a STEM ambassador,

Chair of the OTA, a DTA council member, have taught dental technology in various education establishments, I lecture both nationally and internationally at conferences and events and generally get involved in trying to further and support my profession wherever and whenever I can.

Is this who I have always been? No. I actually retrained into dental technology in my early 30’s, I had spent the years previous to this in a variety of different roles, ranging from manufacturing, cleaning and even a milk round for 3 days! But it was predominately, for around 10 years, in various retail management roles.

I must admit that it was a little scary in some respects going back to being a student and knowing I would be one of the eldest in the group. However, I needn’t have feared because I was welcomed with open arms and treated as just one of the group. Having said that, I did end up mothering them all to some degree and to this day I am still referred to as ‘mama goose’ by one of my fellow classmates who is now a very successful business owner and company director. I love the bonds that we all built during that time and they have lasted the test of time as we still keep in touch and try and meet up whenever our busy lives will allow.

My career in dental technology has been relatively straight forward, I started out in small private denture laboratory and then after a couple of years moved into the hospital service training further in orthodontic technology and have not looked back since. I didn’t realise at the time just how much I would enjoy the challenges I would face in the field of orthodontics, especially the more complex and challenging patient cases we see in the hospital service.

When I started at my first hospital-based post, my then manager insisted that I become a member of the Orthodontic Technicians Association (OTA) and attend their annual conference. He realised the value of contact with fellow technicians from other labs and the networking opportunities these events provide. Little did I know at that time where that would lead, but I am very grateful for the nudge, because after only 2 years as a member I was approached by the then chair of the OTA and was asked to present at their conference and subsequently to sit on the council. Ultimately, I spent over 8 years on the council serving in a variety of roles including secretary, BSI liaison, newsletter editor, vice chair and finally becoming the OTA’s first female chairperson.

My time with the OTA gave me the opportunity to engage with professionals and regulators from across dentistry in a variety of settings, but the common theme I always noticed was the inequalities in the opportunities and engagement offered to our various groups within dentistry and the old fashioned and outdated hierarchy clearly still very present.

Throughout my working life so far, I have found that the only true positive and productive way forward is through a strong team working ethic. I have held various managerial roles throughout my working life but I have never considered myself as someone who just manages people, but rather as a leader of a team, and that only through

strong team working will we achieve the very best results, not just in the end product we are working towards but in the job satisfaction we all achieve from this.

These are the reasons that I was very excited and honoured to be approached to work with the newly forming College of General Dentistry, to be given the opportunity to work with like-minded, forwards thinking professionals from across all of dentistry and help set up the dental college of the future that we all want and most definitely need.

A college that would treat every member of the team as an equal, that would recognise the incredibly important role that each and everyone of us plays in achieving the very best in patient care and outcomes. A college that will break down those old hierarchical barriers, that will help to forge new and exciting team relationships and that will support every team member to be the very best that they can be at what they do and ensure that is fully recognised and acknowledged.

‘The College of General Dentistry is being established in the UK with a vision of leadership in the professional team - to foster excellence and confidence in oral healthcare, for all.’

So how will this be achieved? One of the key and very exciting steps is the development of a Careers Pathway. This pathway is being developed separately for each of the dental groups but also designed to be inline, and with parity, between all the dental professional groups, we will all have equivalent progression, recognised associated post nominals and membership status regardless of our role within the dental profession. It will be our experience, skill, ability, training and education that will determine our position and standing within the college, allowing all to stand proudly shoulder to shoulder with our peers.

‘The College of General Dentistry aims to take a distinct approach to its role, fully embracing the dental team as a whole in its membership and cultivating the best in a teambased approach to healthcare service delivery. That approach is essential if we are to continue delivering for our patients, meeting their needs and expectations, in a way that is sustainable.’

We have a very dedicated, able and determined group of representatives from across the profession working on these pathways and they are looking fantastic already. Although there will still be some tweaking needed to complete these pathways even after the college has officially opened up these pathways will be integral to the college membership structure and will be flexible enough that regular reviewing of the structures will ensure that they are kept up to date and relevant for all the years ahead. As you can see below, the pathways will start at safe beginner and lead right through to accomplished practitioner. This structure will underpin and foster career long professionalism for all members of the dental team. Qualifications will also be built to support a holistic approach to development and succession. The college aims to underpin their Career Pathways with a “Professional Framework“, which will describe the breadth of capabilities of the practitioner at each stage of their career. College membership will provide clear evidence of career standing for every member of the dental team.

The college will consist of faculties, there will be one for Dental techs & CDT’s, Dental Nurses, Dental Therapists & Hygienists and of course one for Dentists.

SAFE BEGINNER

SAFE PRACTIONER

CAPABLE PRACTIONER

ENHANCED PRACTIONER

ACCOMPLISHED PRACTIONER

‘We are planning to convene Faculties of the College for the various dental team roles, each of which will have a membership structure that reflects that same progression from “safe beginner” to “accomplished practitioner” - from Associate Member to Fellow. Membership of a Faculty will go hand-in-hand with College membership, for no additional membership contribution.’

THE MEMBERSHIP FEE FOR TECHS WILL BE:

MEMBERSHIP

Fellow £144

Associate Fellow £117

Full Member £94

Associate Member £33

Student Member £10

Student Affiliate Free

In short, I have real belief and faith in what the college is determined to achieve and although I have outlined only a tiny part of what will be an amazing college structure for all, I urge you all in the strongest possible way to join the college and be proud to be a part of something amazing.

Membership of the College will be activated on the 1st July, so, if you wish to pre-register and be one of the first to register when it opens please go to:

https://cgdent.uk/join-or-upgrade/ to put your name down.

NOTE: All direct quotes, references and pics were obtained from: https://cgdent.uk/