This programme, developed jointly by the British Orthodontic Society and Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK), is designed for primary care dentists wishing to enhance their skills in orthodontics and/or for those wishing to develop a special interest in orthodontics. The training programme, leading to a recognised diploma in orthodontics for primary care dentists, provides a quality standard to assist Primary Care Trusts wishing to contract with dentists for special interest services. It also provides the potential for practitioners to progress to an MOrth and specialisation. The programme equates to 120 postgraduate credits, which can be transferred to the Faculty’s Career Pathway, a career development framework that leads to the Fellowship of the Faculty, the FFGDP(UK).
Programme
The training programme will take place over a three-year period, with academic teaching and clinical supervision. It will feature contact learning, workplace-based training and distance learning.
Contact learning (15 credits): 12 units (first introductory unit is over 3 days with further units of 1.5 days throughout the programme), consisting of lectures, seminars and practical exercises.
Workplace-based training (50 credits). During the three-year programme, participants will undertake approximately one clinical session per week of supervised clinical teaching and observation, supported by a specialist trainer (a consultant or specialist practitioner).
Distance learning (55 credits). This will be via electronic self-directed learning modules with built-in tasks and self-assessment.
Assessment
Participants will complete a minimum of 20 supervised cases, with mentored support from the treatment-planning stages through to completion. Cases will be reviewed on a continual basis and two cases will be selected for formal assessment by the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) and Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England at the end of the programme. Distance-learning and other coursework will be assessed on an ongoing basis.
Syllabus
Core skills: Critical reading . Information and computing technology . Orthodontic practice management
Core orthodontic subjects: Normal and abnormal development of the dentition . Facial growth (normal and abnormal) . Tooth movement . Radiology and imaging techniques . Orthodontic materials and biomechanics
Clinical orthodontic subjects: Aetiology . Diagnostic procedures . Diagnostic assessment, treatment objectives and treatment planning . Long-term effects of orthodontic treatment . Iatrogenic effects of orthodontic treatment
Orthodontic techniques: Removable appliances . Fixed appliances . Retention appliances
Treatment procedures and multi-disciplinary care: Orthodontics and restorative dentistry. Guiding the development of occlusion
Management of oral health: Oral health . Health education . Health and safety . Legislation and ethics
Academic Lead: Jonathan Sandy
Professor Jonathan Sandy qualified at King’s College Hospital in 1976. He was appointed as a Consultant Senior Lecturer at the University of Bristol in January 1991, promoted to Reader in 1997, and awarded a Personal Chair in Orthodontics in 1999 when he took over as Head of the Division of Child Dental Health in 1999. Jonathan is a Council Member for the Dental Faculty at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, where he is also Chairman of the Specialist Advisory Board in Orthodontics. He developed the Professional Doctorate (DDS) in orthodontics at the University of Bristol and was Training Programme Director for the South West Region in Orthodontics from 1993–2006. He is currently Director of the Dental Care Professionals School and was a founder member of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Course Director: Iain Hathorn
Iain Hathorn was a consultant at Bristol Dental Hospital and Frenchay Hospital from 1979 and lead cleft consultant based at Frenchay Hospital for the South West region in 2005. Iain has led the Orthodontic Clinical Assistant course for 12 years in the South West/Wessex and Oxford regions. He has also been involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching at Bristol Dental School, and was on the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England for six years. Iain is currently chairman of the British Orthodontic Society.
General information
Venue: The venue for most of the contact sessions will be the BOS headquarters in Bridewell Place, London. Two sessions a year will be held in Manchester at the Manchester Dental Education Centre. Contact learning sessions may also be held at regional centres, and details will be publicised in advance.
Cost: £16,500 FGDP(UK)/BOS members, £17,500 non-members. This fee covers contact and distance learning components, workplace-based training, course notes, assignment marking, materials for practical sessions and catering for contact learning. Access to journals is not included and participants will be required to have access to a library or internet. Participants are responsible for their own subsistence, overnight accommodation and travel. A non-refundable registration fee of £4,500 will be payable at the start of the programme. The fees of £2,000 (members) and £2,166 (non-members) will then be payable in advance of each of the six terms. In order to qualify for the discounted fee, participants must be a member of the BOS and FGDP(UK)
How to apply
Applicants will be required to complete an application form, and provide a current curriculum vitae and covering letter in support of their application (no more than one side of A4). The prerequisites for acceptance on the programme are as follows: A licence to practise dentistry (BDS or LDS or equivalent, or national diploma). Registration with the General Dental Council or equivalent. Participants should have a specialist trainer (a consultant or specialist practitioner) and a letter of support from their trainer. Participants should normally be currently practising in an environment where there is sufficient demand for orthodontic treatment, and ideally have an orthodontic contract with a Primary Care Trust. Indemnity or insurance cover at an appropriate level. MJDF or equivalent postgraduate qualifications are desirable.
Participants will be required to show that their practices are compliant with current clinical governance standards, through the completion of a practice portfolio, before the programme can be accredited towards the FGDP(UK) Career Pathway. The portfolio must provide evidence of completion of the Faculty’s seven key skills. An email address, broadband internet access and a webcam are essential prerequisites for participation on the programme.
Closing date: applications for the October 2009 intake are now invited. The starting date is to be confirmed. For further information please contact:
Education Department, Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) The Royal College of Surgeons of England 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE Telephone: 020 7869 6757
Email: fgdp-education@rcseng.ac.uk
Website: www.fgdp.org.uk
