We dive into a snapshot of this week’s industry news and updates, including the CQC’s new chief executive and a study which found dentists are quoted more than the average person for car insurance premiums.
Dentists quoted higher car insurance premiums
Dentists were quoted above-average car insurance premiums in research by Marshall Motor Group.
The study analysed quotes across 100 occupations using identical driver, vehicle and postcode details, changing only the job title and gender entered. Dentists were quoted £436.82 for the male profile and £446.15 for the female profile.
According to Marshall Motor Group, male dentists were quoted 4.3% above the average male premium across the jobs analysed, while female dentists were quoted 2.2% above the female study average.
Emily Miles appointed CQC chief executive
Emily Miles was appointed chief executive of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
She will join the regulator from her current role as director general for food, farming and biosecurity at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She is expected to take up the role in October, replacing interim chief executive Dr Arun Chopra, who will return to his substantive role as chief inspector of mental health.
Kay Boycott, interim chair of CQC, said Miles’ regulatory experience would be important as CQC continued its work to become a ‘strong, effective regulator’.
Bristol Dental Hospital opened refurbished facilities
Bristol Dental Hospital opened its newly refurbished oral medicine department and specialist children and young person surgical theatre.
The oral medicine department now includes additional consulting rooms, privacy screens and new flooring, while the theatre has larger recovery bays for children and young people receiving routine extractions, surgical extractions and comprehensive care for complex dental needs.
The hospital treated 2,068 children in its theatre suite and 5,400 patients in its oral medicine department between April 2025 and March 2026.
Professor Tim Whittlestone, chief medical and innovation officer, said the improvements would support patient privacy, clinical care and training for the next generation of dental clinicians.
BeCertain raised £1.7 million for dental diagnostics AI
BeCertain, a spin-out from King’s College London and the University of Surrey, raised £1.7 million in pre-seed investment to support clinical-grade AI for dental diagnostics.
The investment round was led by specialist AI venture capital firm SVV, also known as Sure Valley Ventures, and supported by Innovate UK’s Investor Partnership Growth Catalyst programme.
BeCertain has developed an AI software assistant to support clinicians, with its first use case assisting the interpretation of 2D intraoral X-rays. The company said the system was designed to improve diagnostic reliability, protect patient data and support operational efficiency.
Dr Yunpeng Li, chief executive officer and co-founder of BeCertain, said the system was designed to show clinicians how confident it was in its assessment, rather than issuing a ‘black-box verdict’.
BSPD hosted European paediatric dentistry congress
The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) hosted the 18th European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry Congress in Liverpool from 1 to 4 July.
The congress brought together clinicians, academics, researchers and policy leaders from across Europe for four days focused on children and young people’s oral health.
Dr Urshla (Oosh) Devalia OBE, president of BSPD, said it was an honour to welcome colleagues to Liverpool and that paediatric dentistry shared a mission to advocate for the oral health of all children and young people, particularly those who are vulnerable or living with complex needs.
FDS and BOS announced orthodontic research awards
The British Orthodontic Society (BOS) and the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England announced the recipients of their 2026 research awards.
This year’s FDS-BOS pump-priming grants will support two early-career researchers. Joshua Kennedy is developing an e-learning resource on cleft lip and palate for undergraduate dental students, while Daakshini Patel will examine the carbon footprint of orthodontic patient travel in NHS Highland.
Professor Peter Mossey, director of research at the BOS, said the awards reflected the ‘strength and diversity’ of the orthodontic specialty.
BCDIS set out UK-based implant training pathway
The British College of Dental Implant Surgery (BCDIS) set out a UK-based implant dentistry training pathway combining academic teaching with supervised live-case surgery.
The flagship qualification is the EduQual Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Level 11 Diploma in Dental Implant Surgery, independently awarded by EduQual.
BCDIS said the programme integrated evidence-based teaching, supervised clinical experience and assessment, with a focus on diagnosis, treatment planning, surgery, prosthetics and complication management.
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