Aims: To determine the self-assessed continuing professional development (CPD) needs of dental
practitioners and identify how each discipline can best be served by a dental CPD programme. To set
findings in the context of the available literature and contribute to the development of CPD programmes.
Method: Topics were arranged into eight disciplines: practice management; paediatric dentistry;
preventive dentistry; orthodontics; behaviour management; dentistry for people with a disability; oral
medicine and surgery; and, restorative dentistry. A web-based questionnaire was constructed and
administered using a MarkClass 2.21 online survey tool.
Results: Fifty-six self-reported assessment responses were received, with three-quarters of participants
having graduated within the past 10 years. Topics in oral medicine and surgery attracted consistently high
levels of interest. A tendency to favour topics with a perceived direct clinical application was observed.
Topics recommended by the Dental Council as core areas for CPD were given a high level of priority by
respondents.
Conclusions: Traditional lectures remain a valued mode of CPD participation. Practical courses were
valued across all dental topics offered. A varied approach to determining the requirements of dentists is
essential to appropriately support the practitioner.