Organsiations and Governing Bodies

COPDEND

The Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors

They manage postgraduate dental education and training. Their role also encompasses the recruitment into Dental Foundation Training and Specialty Training.

On their website they publish details about the recruitment dates and contact details for all the dental Deaneries. They also produce the gold guide, which is a guide to dental specialty training.

 

GDC

This is the regulatory body for dental professionals. All dentists need to be registered with the GDC if they wish to practice in the UK. Once you qualify, you will need to register with them. Barts and the London should provide you with a registration form.

Annually, after registration, you will need to provide them with evidence to show that you are keeping your skills up to date.

 

Dental Schools

This is where you train for your BDS qualification. If you complete this, then you are eligible to work as a dentist in the UK

 

Deaneries

These are the educational institutions which provide postgraduate education. This includes foundation training as well as specialty training. There are 14 Deaneries across the UK. This is who you will apply to for your foundation training. Each Deanery organises their recruitment differently. For more information on recruitment to foundation training, please see the Applying to Foundation Training pages.

 

Associations and organisations

These offer various benefits, ranging from indemnity and insurance to advice, support and information.

 

The British Dental Association (BDA) www.bda.org  

 

The Association of Dental Implantology UK (ADI)  www.adi.org.uk

 

Dental Professionals Association (DPA)  www.uk-dentistry.org

 

Dental Defence Union (DDU) This is part of the Medical Defence Union (MDU) www.the-ddu.com

 

The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) www.mddus.com

 

Dental Protection (DPL) www.dentalprotection.org

 

Towergate MIA www.towergatemia.co.uk

 

Insurance and Indemnity

You are required to have legal cover when you practice as a dentist and also during your elective as a student.

There are two main types:

Indemnity and insurance

 

There are benefits and drawbacks for both systems:

 

Insurance

This covers you for everything in the policy (so read the small print carefully)

As long as you comply with the policy rules and the issue is covered by the policy then the insurance scheme will support your claim and cover legal and other costs etc.

It is often not retrospective, so if you join an insurance scheme and a complaint is made about something which happened before you joined you may not be covered or may have to pay extra.

 

Indemnity

This is often a discretionary scheme. Although this may feel less secure (until you are in a situation, you won’t know if they will cover you) it can be more flexible in that they will not refuse to cover you if the claim doesn’t fit within the exact wording of a policy. It is also usually retrospective and covers you for things which have happened before you take up the policy.