Increase in Dental Care Professionals (DCP’s) doing research
Following the General Dental Council’s implementation of compulsory Continued Professional Development (CPD) for Dental Care Professionals (DCP’s) in August 2008, DCP’s are required to update their knowledge and skills for optimal patient care. One third of CPD hours needs to constitute certified verifiable CPD. CPD involves study, courses, lectures, peer review and clinical audit.
As a result, November 2010 marked an increase in Dental Care Professionals (DCP’s) engaging in and presenting research at a Research Day sponsored by Proctor and Gamble, and hosted by the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) and the British Society for Dental Hygiene and Therapy. Some of these DCP’s are using CPD and research to achieve a PhD in dentistry.
Besides presentation of research, Research Days for DCP’s are aimed at providing information on avenues of research, research topics, and help available for research. Ario Santini, Chair of Research at the FGDP(UK) said, “…I am fully behind any venture which encourages and facilitates the participation of DCPs in research and would urge any DCP wishing to progress with research to contact me or one of the two National Research facilitators.”
Dental Care Professionals are also encouraged to conduct research by organisations, such as Colgate and The Oral & Dental Research Trust, for the purpose of supporting investigations into clinical relevance and preventative care. Interested professionals are able to submit research to The Oral & Dental Research Trust by April 2011 and four successful candidates with receive an award to the value of £2,500 each at the upcoming British Dental Association (BDA) Conference & Exhibition in Liverpool on 20 May 2011.
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