As a qualified UK dentist, you become one 40,000 people keeping patients happy and healthy. But it's not a quick process to get there.
First you spend 4 to 5 years at dental school, setting yourself up with a solid foundation in dentistry. Once you graduate as a qualified dentist, you still need to complete more training. At this point, you'll also register with the General Dental Council.
So what can you expect after finishing your dental degree?
What is Dental Foundation Training?
In the UK, Dental Foundation Training (DFT) is the next step after dental school. In Scotland, the process is the same but the name is different - Dental Vocational Training or DVT.
A foundation dentist (FD) must complete a one-year NHS training scheme. National education providers run these scheme:
- Health Education England (HEE)
- Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW)
- Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NIMDTA)
- NHS Education for Scotland (NES)
You'll practice under the supervision of an experienced dentist, you educational supervisor (ES). Your supervisor and Deanery arrange weekly tutorials and regular educational study days.
The goal of your DFT year is to learn and show the necessary clinical and administrative competence to practice alone. You'll be assessed in a variety of ways and must record your progress in an online portfolio. Assessments include case-based discussions, dental evaluations of performance and patient assessment questionnaires.
In this foundational year, the curriculum competency framework covers four ‘domains’ of competency:
- Clinical
- Communication
- Professionalism
- Management & Leadership
As a practicing foundational dentist you'll earn £34,728 per year and work 35 hour weeks.
Applying for Dental Foundation Training
If you're a final year student from a UK dental school, you need to apply for DFT through the national recruitment process.
The process is usually in two parts. A Situational Judgement Test (SJT) and an interview (although this has been paused since the COVID-19 pandemic). Each counts for 50% of your mark. Together, they determine your ranking and which practice you're allocated to.
For 2023 the interview process has still been paused and the SJT counts for 100% of your mark.
Situational Judgement Test
The SJT is a measurement technique. It assesses your judgement in the different work-related situations you'll face as a foundation dentist. The test does not test your knowledge of clinical dentistry.
SJT tests are usually computer-based. But, you must travel to an assessment centre on specific days to complete the test.
It examines professional qualities such as integrity, empathy, resilience, and teamwork. Consider what the General Dental Council expects of its registrants when picking your answers.
Situational Judgement Tests are not unique to dentistry and other professions use them as well.
Competency Interview
The interview part of the DFT assessment has been on pause since the COVID-19 pandemic. This will not be part of the entry process for those applying in 2023.
The DFT interview involves two, 10-minute long stations. One covers 'Professionalism, Management, and Leadership' (PML) and the other 'Communication'.
During the PML station, you'll discuss how you would approach a challenging situation. You'll need a thorough understanding of current GDC standards and guidelines. Make sure to revise these!
In the Communication station, an actor will play the role of a patient. You'll need to show empathy, avoid jargon and be clear in your explanation. Most importantly, involve the patient in their treatment plan while alleviating their concerns.
To complete the DFT application you need an account on Oriel. This is a portal used to recruit UK health professionals for postgraduate training.
Process for International Dentistry Students
You may not need to undertake DFT or DVT if you are from the European Economic Area (EAA). Students from the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are exempt from Dental Foundation or Vocational Training. If you’re not a British citizen, you may be asked to complete an induction course to the NHS before you begin, but this is not a legal requirement.
If you are a student from the EAA wanting to take your DFT year, you'll need to register with the GDC. This is regardless of your citizenship.
It is your responsibility to make sure you meet the requirements. Many EAA dental schools don’t support students in understanding the requirements for working in the UK.
For students outside of the EAA, you need to register with the GDC and pass the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) before you can work in the UK.
As an international dentist, you may need to pass certain assessments, for example, to prove you meet language requirements. If you’re from outside the UK, you’ll also need a valid UK Visa with no training restrictions.
We recommend reading ExamineDental’s article on the ORE for more information. You can also check out the UK Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors (COPDEND) website
Preparing for Foundation Training
So, you've passes your tests and you're on your way to being a foundation dentist. You've got your allocated training practice and educational supervisor. This is both exciting and challenging!
You're starting a new job, with a new dental team, and possibly even in a new area. How can you best prepare yourself for the year ahead?
Set yourself up for success
Don’t miss out on our free guide for helping you survive this year! Our team of dentists have shared their expertise in our handy cheat sheet to hacking your foundation dentist year.
The tips in our guide will help you to:
- Deliver excellent patient care with confidence
- Build good relationships with the people in your dental team
- Develop good note-taking templates for stress-free appointments
- Free up appointment time to spend focusing on patients
We also offer a dedicated plan for DFT dentists. This includes essential note-taking templates and an audit feature so can see where your notes need more substance. That way, you can focus on your patient communication skills and sleep well knowing your notes are as best as they can be.
This plan is available for DFT or DVT students for your entire foundational training year. All we ask is that you complete a set number of appointments when you sign up, and the rest of the year is free! So put a note in your calendar to sign up when you start your general practice training in September.
Don't let notes cause you stress
Don't take it from us, keep reading to see what Dr Sohail Ahmed thinks. He graduated during the pandemic and was aware that many dentists spend a lot of time note taking.
He wanted to find a more efficient way to take notes. Someone recommended he try Kiroku, so he signed up for the DFT plan.
If you're curious about what your Dental Foundation Training year will involve, this one's for you. We spoke to ExamineDental founder Dr Prateek Biyani about the 4 focus areas for foundation dentists.
Passing your DFT or DVT
To pass the foundational training you need to do four things:
- Complete 12 months of training, demonstrating satisfactory progress
- Demonstrate the competencies as set out in the DFT or DVT curriculum
- Undergo a formal competence review panel in your 5th month of study (the Interim Review of Competence Progression or IRCP)
- Undergo a formal competence review panel towards the end of your study (the Final Review of Competence Progression or FRCP)
Upon satisfactory completion of your training, foundation dentists receive a Foundation Training Certificate. You need this certificate to be accepted onto the National Performers Dental List (NPL) for England and Wales, and the Health Boards of Scotland and Northern Ireland. If you’re on the NPL or registered with the relevant Health Boards, you can practice in the NHS without supervision.
After Dental Foundation Training
You can now either continue to practice dentistry in general practice or apply for Dental Core Training (DCT). DCT can last anywhere between 1 and 3 years, depending on what you want to study.
Some dental Deaneries offer a combined DFT and DCT Year 1. This two-year dental training called Joint Dental Foundation Core Training. This is also known as DFTDCT or General Professional Training (GPT).
Dental core training posts provide an opportunity to gain broad experience. These are good if you want to explore your career options or branches of specialist training. For example oral surgery, paediatrics or community dentistry. Most DCT posts are based in maxillofacial units or dental hospitals.
Lots of dentists use DCT to reinforce what they learned in DFT and then return to primary care. Others will follow core training pathways (DCT2 and DCT3) leading to Specialty Training.
Curious about Dental Core Training? Find out more about the DCT application process on ExamineDental's website.
You might not yet know what your future career pathway is. Dental foundation training will provide you with a platform for developing key skills. This year will teach you professional and interpersonal skills in a supportive environment.
All in all, your DFT year helps you to reach your greatest potential as a dentist. And Kiroku is here to help your notes reach their greatest potential too. So don't miss out on using Kiroku for free during your DFT year!
