Education for the dental team: make your practice a centre of learning excellence.

Abstract

This paper discusses the future educational needs of the changing dental team, the potential for new institutions and teachers to deliver and assess that education, including outreach-based teaching and learning, and interchangeability of educational credits between institutions. The author's opinion is that primary care practices can become 'centres of learning' where all members of the dental team can interact to teach and learn together at the same time. The development of a career pathway for dental care professionals (DCPs), a more unified pan-Europe approach to integrated dental education and the development of further roles for senior dental students are proposed. The importance of dentistry acting upon sound, innovative concepts, and of not resisting educational change, is stressed.