Training matters

All clinicians will recognise the importance of life-long learning, both as a means of revalidation with the General Dental Council and as a means to grow and progress in your career. This learning can take many forms, and doesn’t just have to include formal qualifications. It can for example include making it a habit to regularly read articles in the dental press, or to take part in webinars and other sources of online learning. Study days are also a useful form of learning, while some academies, manufacturers or individuals also offer their own training courses to help you gain new knowledge and new skills.

To ensure dental professionals continue this ethos of ‘life long learning’ the GDC has stipulated that clinicians complete a set amount of continuing professional development in each five-year cycle. While CPD in itself is quite a flexible term and can of course take any number of forms, there are some subjects that are of greater necessity than others. Typically these relate to specific health and safety issues, and consist of: medical emergencies; disinfection and decontamination; and radiography and radiation protection.