DLA: Committed to Education

 

EXPERIENCED - BUT NOT 7 YEARS?
NO QUALIFICATION?
UNABLE TO REGISTER?

The University of Kent Division of Dentistry has applied to the GDC to agree a new route to Registration for Dental Technicians who have a minimum of 3 years experience working as a Dental Technician. No approval has yet been given, and you can continue to work as a process worker within the limits allowed. We will not know until the autumn, whether the training programme will be accepted or not, as the approval process takes time.

The programme is being designed to lead to the award of Certificate for Registration, is called DTCert and works as follows:

• You enroll on the course (once it has been accredited by the GDC)
• You will then be classed as “under training” and can work legally as a trainee dental technician on a recognized learning programme
• You will be sent a learning pack consisting of CDRoms and reading material covering a series of Key areas, listed below.
• You attend at least one weekend of study to confirm your registration in person, to get some face to face learning (and CPD!) and enable you to begin work on your course.
• There will also be a need for you to provide “evidence” of your prior experience. There are likely to be further “lectures” but these may be delivered over the internet.
• The programme will cost approximately £350 - £400
• You follow the modular course on the CDRom, which enables you to
  • Print out an enrolment certificate
  • Teaches and assesses you unit by unit
    
  • On completion of each unit you receive a progress and completion certificate
  • You sit a written test consisting of Multiple choice and Short answer questions
  • Your practical work is assessed by a nominated GDC registrant

On successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a Certificate for Registration, which you can send to the GDC to register, along with your application form.

The course is designed as a one off, for those dental technicians who have experience, and will be a one shot programme, although the material produced will also then be available for CPD for other dental technicians.

Key areas for study and assessment

You must have a minimum of 3 years whole time, or equivalent in part-time, experience as a Dental Technician.

The course will cover the following key sections identified in the General Dental Council’s Developing the Dental Team:

a. Health and Safety and Infection Control
b. Legislation, Good Practice, Record Keeping and use of Information Technology
c. Medical Emergencies, CPR and First Aid
d. Lifelong Learning, Personal Development Plans, Reflective Learning and CPD record.
e. Working as a Dental Professional, team-working and communication skills
f. Evidence of competence in manufacturing custom made dental appliances from one (or more) of the following dental technology disciplines:
i. Removable Prosthodontics (Denture work)
ii. Fixed Prosthodontics (Crown and Bridgework)
iii. Orthodontics

The evidence required will be to set standards and guidelines, and will be signed off by a GDC Registrant working with or receiving work from the applicant.

Medical Emergencies theory only will be taught and assessed, students will be required to produce evidence of satisfactory completion of CPR training.

To progress this, we really need to know how many of you out there would be interested in taking up this opportunity to convert your experience as a dental technician into a registerable certificate.

Register your interest now, by sending your full name and contact address, e-mail address (if you have one) and a telephone number you can be contacted on during the day.

Send to DTCert, Dental Department, KSS Deanery, 7 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 2DD or e-mail to boundary@talktalk.net.

You will be sent an application form to complete and return. Your application will be assessed, and you will be informed if you could be accepted onto the course, if it takes place. As soon as the GDC give the go-ahead for the course, (assuming they do!) you will be sent further information.

 

 

DLA introduces brand new handbooks!

The Dental Technology Student’s Prospectus

Produced in conjunction with the Dental Technicians Association and aimed at all individuals interested in embarking on a career in dental technology.  This booklet, from the DLA’s ‘Work Behind the Smile’ range of publications, covers what a dental technician does and emphasises the skills and qualifications required to register with the General Dental Council and the career structure up to and beyond this point.  The booklet features the up to date information on college courses and contact details for the new academic year starting September 2007.

You can download this handbook for free by clicking here. The file is a PDF and requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Please Note

The new course being run at Leeds Dental Institute and featured in the Prospectus received provisional approval from the GDC in July 2006 and the first cohort will commence in September 2007.  A full article on the course will feature in the next edition of DLJ.

  

The Dental Laboratory Owner’s Handbook

This revised handbook also from the DLA’s ‘Work Behind the Smile’ range of publications brings together information on how to recruit new employees, the employment process, education and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities.  It also provides up to date information on career grades and salary scales.  This useful booklet also features the new prospectus style college information pages covering courses and contact details for the new academic year starting September 2007.

This handbook is available to DLA members only and can be downloaded from our members only section.

 

The Professional Dental Technician’s Handbook

This booklet is the latest in the DLA’s ‘Work Behind the Smile’ range of publications and is aimed at all registered dental technicians, either self-employed or employed who want to make the most of their career in dental technology.  It focuses on career development post registration and covers CPD requirements and opportunities, details of supporting organisations and contacts as well as information relating to important issues such as indemnity insurance.

This handbook is available to DLA members only and can be downloaded from our members only section.