UK Primary Care Dental Therapists: education and teamwork issues

Introduction: To enhance the capacity of complementary roles within the dental team, recent UK legislation now permits dental therapists (DTs) to work in a broader range of primary dental care settings, including the general dental practice (dental office).

Objectives: To investigate the educational and teamwork implications of the role of DTs in UK primary dental care. Specifically, to survey early career DTs, more experienced DTs and employing dentists about: learning needs, a proposed induction education program, and integration into dental teams.

Methods: Three questionnaires and an interview schedule were employed over a 12-month period (2007/8). Targeting early career DTs, questionnaires were distributed to undergraduates and newly-qualified DTs from a UK dental school (n=15; 2007 cohort; n=11; 2006 cohort). In addition, 38 more experienced DTs in the West Midlands and their employing dentists (n=19) were surveyed. Interviews further explored views of employing dentists (n=5).

Results: Although most early career DTs were aware of their learning needs (62%), only 31% had a continuing education plan. Strong support for a part-time induction program into dental practice for newly-qualified DTs was indicated. Topic priorities included: restorative dentistry, paediatric dentistry and medical emergencies.

Experienced DTs (73%) thought there were too few relevant continuing education courses. Their learning priorities were: restorative, medical emergencies, cross infection, preventive dentistry, and communication with patients.

Nearly all employing dentists (95%) strongly/agreed that having a DT in the team had worked out well; most (75%) would encourage use of the full range of their skills. Some dentists (35%) would welcome training in how best to support the DT.

Conclusion: There is scope for a well-targeted program for the induction of newly-qualified DTs into dental practice, more continuing education courses for experienced DTs and support for employing dentists new to the role of a DT.

Funded by West Midlands NHS.