Dental CPD and education

Continuing professional development (CPD) is now compulsory for the whole dental team. The General Dental Council (GDC) defines continuing professional development (CPD) as:
‘Study, training courses, seminars, reading and other activities undertaken by a dental professional, which could reasonably be expected to advance his or her development as a dental professional.’
Undertaking CPD is compulsory and key to maintaining your place on the dental care professional (DCP) register.
CPD can be verifiable or non-verifiable – verifiable CPD has clear aims, outcomes and objectives, coupled with quality control measures, and carries documentary proof of completion/participation. This includes:
• Attending conferences
• Completing online CPD tests
Non-verifiable CPD encompasses all self-directed activities that will benefit your lifelong learning, such as (but not limited to):
• Reading books
• Reading journals
As a registered dental professional you are required to demonstrate a specific number of hours of dental CPD over a five-year cycle. A minimum of so many hours of this requirement must be verifiable CPD.
Core knowledge topics for dental CPD includes:
• Medical emergencies
• Disinfection and decontamination
• Radiography / radiation protection
Remember that CPD is not restricted to just these topics; these are the mandatory requirements from the GDC but CPD can be carried out in any subject relevant to your work. And also remember that a key advantage of the dental CPD is that it can be used as a fantastic team-building exercise. The core subjects for dentists and dental care professionals are the same, meaning that learning can be carried out together. This makes dental CPD more fun while creating a strong working bond within the team.