Dentists' preparedness to provide Level 2 services in the North East of England: a mixed methods study.

Background Dentists capable of delivering Level 2 complexity treatments may benefit patient access to dental care and increase workforce morale. However, little is known about attitudes, capability and training needs relating to Level 2 dental services.Aims To examine attitudes to, and perceived readiness for delivery of Level 2 dental services by NHS dentists in the North East of England and North Cumbria.Method A sequential mixed methods study with an online survey and semi-structured interviews. Participants were general, community, and hospital-based dental practitioners. Descriptive statistics of survey and thematic analysis of qualitative data were undertaken.Results Overall, 56% of 124 respondents had a limited understanding of the Level 2 performer role. A minority felt they were already providing Level 2 care across all speciality areas; 9% (n = 11) had a professional portfolio suitable for Level 2 accreditation. Confidence to undertake Level 2 competencies varied by speciality area, being highest in paediatric dentistry, and lowest in endodontics and orthodontics. Qualitative data identified motivations, and personal, organisational and system factors that were seen as barriers or enablers to upskilling.Conclusion The regional NHS workforce is unprepared to provide Level 2 dental services. Successful introduction will require review of necessary infrastructure and transparency of accreditation and contracting processes.

Student debt of UK dental students and recent graduates.

Introduction Studies conducted in 2013 estimated the total average debt of UK dental students in their final year. Student tuition fees in the UK have increased over time and maintenance grants abolished. With the current landscape changing, it's important to understand the effect on dental students and the current total debt upon graduation.Aims Quantify the level of debt among dental students graduating in 2021/2022 and the two years prior, understand the impact of debt, and investigate socioeconomic differences.Materials and methods An online survey with final year UK dental students and recent graduates was conducted, resulting in 103 valid responses. The survey design was adapted from a validated British Dental Association (BDA) survey conducted in 2013.Results The mean total debt among respondents was £52,922.12, a substantial increase compared to the BDA data reported in 2013, with commercial and informal loans doubling from 2013 to 2022. Three-in-five (60.2%) experienced financial difficulties during their studies. Significant differences were found among socioeconomic groups.Conclusion Findings from this study show that dental student debt continues to grow, having detrimental impacts on students and their studies, specifically those from lower income households. Interventions should focus on addressing these issues.

Representation: raising awareness of opportunities and skill development with undergraduate dental students.

Representatives for dentists are required for many governing committees, local and national, that contribute to many aspects of the profession related to politics, the workplace, education, or community-building. Developing skills as a representative can begin as an undergraduate in student representation systems as part of UK university governance structures. At one UK dental institution, there was a plan to explore the learning and skill development of current student representatives, review the training, identify any areas where there were gaps or where they should be strengthened, and consider whether a new training programme could be developed. Training gaps in the representation process and preference for peer mentoring in training were identified as students acknowledged learning 'on the job' through observation of experienced peers. Current representation training also fell short of highlighting the relevance to their future dental profession. Staff and students co-designed a bespoke programme of training to help students develop their representation skills, as well as align them to the development of professional skills which were determined to be relevant for their future dental career.

Do I consider a career in dental academia and if so how do I go about it?

Medicine has around 450 academic foundation roles available every year involving research and teaching, leadership and management, or quality improvement. However, an academic career in dentistry is not as clearly defined immediately post-graduation. The North East General Professional Training scheme is a two-year longitudinal dental foundation training scheme and this year, for the first time, has conducted a pilot programme allowing two trainees the opportunity to complete a research project. The experiences of the two trainees confirm the benefit of dental foundation research posts and support the need for additional positions nationally.

Oral health training for general practitioners and general practice teams.

The role of oral health in promoting general health and wellbeing is recognised, but there is minimal oral health training for doctors, including GPs. The Directorate of Multi-Disciplinary Dental Education (DMDE) at Health Education England North East and North Cumbria has introduced oral health training for GPs, incorporating training recommended by NICE oral health guidance. DMDE oral health training for GPs and general practice teams covered the diagnosis, prevention and management of oral disease, relevant prescribing and accessing dental care. Training has been shown to be worthwhile, positively impacting upon the clinical practice of GPs and thereby improving patient care. General health benefits are anticipated. Interactive training, as outlined in the DMDE lesson plan, was deemed effective. 1-hour courses conveniently delivered within general practices were most popular with GPs. Online courses have been less popular. Barriers to training were overcome through producing a promotional brochure and gaining the support of NHS medical leaders, who assisted with its distribution. A shift to training the trainer will improve the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of training. It is recommended that all GPs receive oral health training.