Expert eductation

Continuing professional development (CPD) has been a legal requirement for all registered dentists for the last 14 years, and for all other dental care professionals (DCPs) since 2008. Last July over 35,000 DCPs came to the end of their first five-year cycle, logging a minimum of 150 hours of CPD, whilst 6,000 dentists recently completed their required 250 hours of CPD at the end of January.

The CPD cycle has put a great deal of extra responsibility onto a profession that is constantly facing new challenges, ever-changing regulations and bureaucracy, whilst striving to maintain patient expectations and endeavouring to keep up with the latest technology, techniques and product developments. However rather than looking at CPD being yet another professional burden, it should be looked upon as the opportunity to continually learn and develop skills and techniques to remain on top of these challenges. This can only be a positive thing, and shows that across the board training and education has never been so important.