Dental Care Professionals

The most important and significant component of the course is the workplace-based training, Trainees undertake supervised clinical training within an orthodontic practice, hospital, or salaried dental service environment, under the direct supervision of a GDC-registered Specialist Orthodontist. This work-based experience enables Trainees to develop and demonstrate the clinical knowledge, skills, behaviours and professional competencies required of an Orthodontic Therapist.  

Final Examination  

Prospective applicants must:

• Hold a qualification that is registrable with the General Dental Council (GDC) as a Dental Care Professional (DCP).
• Have current GDC registration and maintain registration throughout the duration of the programme.
• Hold a relevant post-registration qualification.
• Have appropriate professional indemnity arrangements in place.
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuing professional development (CPD) and lifelong learning.
• Be employed within an orthodontic environment and have the support of a GDC-registered Specialist Orthodontist who is willing to act as their trainer for the duration of the programme.
• Have a minimum of one year of full-time post-registration experience (or part-time equivalent) within an orthodontic setting, providing chairside support across a range of orthodontic treatment procedures.
• Have current experience of undertaking additional duties within their scope of practice, such as:  
  • Impression taking and/or intra-oral scanning
  • Clinical photography
  • Providing oral health education  
  • Dental Radiography
• Demonstrate effective and sensitive communication skills when working with patients, carers and members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrate good manual dexterity, attention to detail and a high standard of clinical accuracy.
• Be highly organised, with effective planning, prioritisation and time management skills.
• Demonstrate professionalism, integrity and personal accountability in accordance with the GDC Professional Standards.
• Demonstrate a commitment to reflective practice and continuous professional development.
• Be able to access and effectively use digital learning platforms and standard IT applications, including Microsoft Office and Microsoft Teams, to support participation in the programme.
• Demonstrate the motivation, commitment and capacity to successfully undertake a demanding programme of academic study and workplace-based clinical training. 

Prospective Orthodontic trainers must:

• Be registered on the GDC Specialist List in Orthodontics.
• Have appropriate professional indemnity arrangements in place to supervise trainees.
• Undertake and maintain the required Educational Supervision training to become and remain an approved trainer and apply this learning effectively within their supervisory role.
• Demonstrate the motivation, commitment, and capacity required to provide high-quality orthodontic therapy training and supervision.
• Reorganise their own clinical workload, and where applicable that of the practice or clinic, to accommodate the trainee orthodontic therapist throughout the duration of the programme.
• Supervise the trainee's clinical practice by maintaining an appropriate caseload, selecting suitable patients, and providing direct supervision and support during patient care delivered by the trainee.
• Monitor the trainee's progress within the clinical environment, undertake Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) assessments, and provide regular, constructive feedback throughout the training period.
• Work collaboratively with the programme team, participate in scheduled review meetings, and contribute to the trainee's overall development and progression.
• Ensure the training environment is safe, supportive, and consistently meets programme and work-based learning requirements, including access to appropriate facilities, qualified dental nursing support, and administrative support.
• Support the trainee in achieving the programme learning outcomes and developing the knowledge, skills, behaviours, and professional standards required for safe and effective orthodontic therapy practice.

The Trainee Orthodontic Therapist must:

• Have clinical activity overseen by a GDC-registered Specialist Orthodontist for a minimum of 27 clinical hours per week (or the part-time equivalent) throughout the programme with appropriate chairside support provided by a registered and qualified Dental Nurse.
• Have access to a sufficient breadth and volume of orthodontic patients and clinical procedures to support the development of the knowledge, skills, behaviours and professional competencies required of a safe and effective orthodontic therapist, and to enable achievement of all programme learning outcomes.
• Be based within a practice or clinic that has adequate administrative infrastructure, including a fully staffed reception and patient administration function, to support patient management and the trainee learning experience.
• Be provided with protected learning time throughout the programme to undertake tutorials with their trainer, complete programme assessments, and engage in directed and self-directed study.
• Participate in a Virtual Practice Appraisal (via Microsoft Teams) to demonstrate that the workplace environment meets PSD Scotland's requirements for clinical training and provides appropriate facilities, resources, patient access, supervision, and support for work-based learning.
• Overall be supported within a training environment that promotes patient safety, professionalism, equality, diversity and inclusion, and compliance with all relevant regulatory and programme requirements. 

GDC Safe Practitioner Framework: The Safe Practitioner: A framework of behaviours and outcomes for dental professional education - Orthodontic Therapist

GDC Scope of Practice: https://www.gdc-uk.org/standards-guidance/standards-and-guidance/scope-of-practice

Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh: https://www.rcsed.ac.uk/ 

For any queries email: DCP Hub dcp.hub@nes.scot.nhs.uk