The Educational Supervisor: Glen Taylor: qualified from Kings College London in 2000 and have been an ES since 2010. I have worked in both NHS and private practice and joined CDS for a new challenge. I work with some access patients, but have found focusing on the care of children and adults with additional needs exceptionally rewarding.
I am passionate about lifelong learning, gaining diploma’s in Restorative Dental Practice and Medical education. I have a post graduate certificate in Advanced General Dental Practice, have studied Sports Dentistry; allowed me to pass on the new skills I have learnt to my FDs.
I have worked with over 15 FDs and enjoyed every moment of it! I always have an open door and will be available to offer guidance, help and support whenever required. I find seeing my FDs grow in confidence and develop their skills as the year progresses remarkably rewarding.
Lydia Chao: I graduated from Kings College London in 2007 and completed my dental foundation training in general practice on the South West scheme. I joined the Community Dental Service as an MJDF trainee and have stayed with CDS since then; I especially enjoy the variety, challenges and team work involved. I have a PG Cert in Special Care Dentistry from the Eastman Dental Institute and a PG Dip in Dental Sedation from Kings College London. I am involved in providing sedation to anxious patients and regularly attend general anaesthetic sessions at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital.
The Practice: Community Dental Service is a large social enterprise and we pride ourselves in delivering quality, patient-centred dental care. A social enterprise is an organisation that re-invests its profits back into the organisation or into the community, and so, when they profit, the community profits too!
The Dental Care Centre (DCC) is one of our biggest practices and it is a modern clinic containing 8 spacious surgeries (see picture of the FD surgery below), an x-ray room, a decontamination suite, a beautiful summer garden, a staff room and three separate office spaces.
We have a bariatric chair, right/left-handed units, a wheelchair recliner and 3 microscopes. All surgeries have built in facilities for inhalation sedation and some of our clinicians also provide regular IV sedation sessions. Starting from February 2019 we now also have a visiting Consultant Anaesthetist who offers in house IV sedation for more complicated cases, leaving our clinicians free to focus on treatment.
Liverpool Road This is a 7-surgery clinic where you will work alongside other dentists and dental therapists. You will have the opportunity to provide treatment under inhalation sedation and will also accompany us on General Anaesthetic sessions at Luton and Dunstable.
The Areas: Bedford was founded on the River Great Ouse which passes through the town centre. We are close to Milton Keynes and are less than a 1 hour train ride from the centre of London. It is a great town and whilst many of our team reside locally, each year we have many different clinicians who choose to commute (drive or train) from the London area. Bedford hosts an annual international Kite festival, and bi annual River festival. Just outside the town lie the Cardington airship hangers, famous for the construction of the infamous R101. The hangars have been used to shoot scenes for movies such as Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Inception. Milton Keynes is great for shopping, and socialising. It has several cinemas including an IMAX, a ski centre, and a sky diving centre. Willen Lake is one of Milton Keynes’ most popular parks. Over one million visitors a year take part in water-sports activities, go cycling, enjoy the playground, try the high ropes course or simply picnic along Willen’s shores.
Luton is a diverse and exciting place to work and is easily accessible via the M1 and Thameslink rail network
Further information on CDS can be found at: www.communitydentalservices.co.uk
Other Points of Interest: What do previous FDs say?
FD 2019-20: “I couldn’t have asked for a better environment to work at than CDS during my FD year! It will be a different feel to working in general practice, but I have found the perks of working here to be incredibly valuable for my development, a lot of which other FDs in other practices have missed out on. The staff here really are all friendly and approachable, all willing to provide support when you will most need it, particularly in the first few months of the FD year. Glen and Lydia are both exceptional ESs who have a wealth and breadth of knowledge to pass on relating to general practice and community settings, and yet are also so approachable to the point that you feel like another colleague of theirs rather than a student at Dental School – and this is something which is encouraged at CDS, to slowly but surely transition from a recent dental graduate to independent and confident clinician. We are very fortunate to have specialists to approach and seek advice from – periodontal, endodontic, special care, and restorative specialists to name a few – so you will never feel short of support here. The true colours of this depth of support has really shown through during the COVID-19 pandemic - we’ve been given some well organised and detailed tutorials over video conference calls each week, so that we are making the most of our time during this pandemic. All in all, one of the best decisions I made"
Further information on CDS can be found at: www.communitydentalservices.co.uk