Edinburgh Clinical Dental Technician Course A UK First

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 10 Aug 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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The first stand-alone course for clinical dental technicians in the UK will begin in Edinburgh later this year following provisional approval from the General Dental Council. The course is open to GDC-registered dental technicians.

The GDC gave provisional approval to the 37-week course at the Edinburgh Dental Institute at a recent meeting. But full approval won't be given until the course has been inspected by the GDC ahead of the first intake graduating.

GDC Chief Executive and Registrar Duncan Rudkin said:

"Congratulations to Edinburgh Dental Institute on starting the first stand alone CDT course in the UK. Dental technicians, I am sure, will be encouraged by this initiative. I know it has been a source of frustration that until now there hasn't been a course in the UK for them to train as clinical dental technicians. We hope this is just the start and other training providers will be encouraged to investigate starting their own CDT courses."

Edinburgh Dental Institute Director Professor Richard Ibbetson said:

"The Edinburgh Dental Institute is pleased to be able to offer the first stand alone clinical dental technician course in the UK. The course will contain a mixture of lectures and practical demonstrations and exercises in our excellent facilities at the Department of Restorative Dentistry."

The course being offered by the Edinburgh Dental Institute takes into account the level of skill trainees will already have as dental technicians.

Dental technicians interested in enrolling on the course should contact Morag McDiarmid on 0131 5364976. Applications for enrolment close on 30 August.

All dentists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, dental technicians, dental therapists, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists must be registered with us to work in the UK. The GDC opened its registers to clinical dental technicians in 2006. Until then it was illegal to work as a clinical dental technician in the UK.

General Dental Council