This is a summary of the key requirements that will apply under the new National Registration Standard and Guidelines for CPD as laid down by the Dental Board of Australia (DBA).

Changes to requirements
While there are some similarities to the arrangements that applied under the Dental Practice Board of Victoria (DPBV) Code, there are some major differences:

• the cycle spans three years - not two

• Infection Control and CPR courses are not mandated

• there is no formal recognition of providers by the DBA.  The onus will be on practitioners to use their professional judgment as to which providers are offering CPD courses that meet the nine standards required by the DBA. 

CPD credits reset to zero
The first three-year CPD cycle will commence on 1 July.  Credit accumulated under the DPBV Code is not transferrable into the new DBA cycle - from 1 July, all practitioners in Victoria will have zero CPD credits.  

Need to average 20 hours per year
Members will need to take care to ensure that they maintain an average of 20 hours of CPD credit each year. By doing this, they can avoid the problem of getting close to the end of the cycle and finding there are insufficient programs available, or insufficient time to attend the programs offered.

Key aspects of the CPD guidelines
The DBA Guidelines state:

“1. Practitioners must:

a) complete a minimum of 60 hours of CPD activities over three years.   80% of the minimum 60 CPD hours must be clinically or scientifically based
b) make a declaration of their compliance with CPD requirements at the time of annual renewal
c) maintain their own records detailing their CPD activities for audit purposes
d) produce evidence of their CPD activities when requested to do so by the Board.
(Evidence will take the form of an electronic or paper-based logbook with details of the activities and the number of hours spent. The Board may ask for additional supporting information, such as certificates of attendance.)

2. When a person registers for the first time or has his or her registration restored after it has lapsed, the number of CPD hours to be completed will be calculated on a pro rata basis according to a formula published by the Board.”

Source: http://www.dentalboard.gov.au accessed on 12 May 2010.

What qualifies as CPD?

CPD under the National Registration Scheme

Types of activities that can be completed

• Completing courses, seminars, lectures and webinars

• Writing journal articles and book reviews

• Preparing and presenting lectures and courses

• Reading the Clinical Update article in the ADAVB Newsletter and correctly answering the quiz

What qualifies as CPD?

For any of the above activities to qualify as CPD, dentists must contribute to the maintenance and enhancement of an oral health practitioner’s knowledge and skills in providing oral health care.

1. Clinical or scientific CPD must be scientifically independent, evidence based and not commercially biased.
2. Non-scientific CPD must be supportive of dental care.

For further information
Further details of the Guidelines on CPD can be found at the DBA website - www.dentalboard.gov.au

The Next Step...
A network of reputable CPD providers

The ADA Branches and ADA Inc, along with the Australian dental schools, are actively working towards developing a system to identify, badge and publish courses that meet the nine standards required by the DBA.  This will take the guesswork out of the process for members of trying to determine whether courses are acceptable to the DBA.  Members will therefore be able to select courses with confidence.  As this proposed network develops, information will be provided to members.