Journal based learning app-ears to be an effective way of undertaking verifiable Continuing Professional Development (CPD), according to a survey to be published in the next issue of the British Dental Journal (BDJ). In the survey, four hundred dentists who had registered to undertake CPD with the BDJ were randomly selected and sent a questionnaire. Around 87% said that the BDJ CPD satisfied their personal CPD needs while 92% said that their knowledge has been increased as a result of undertaking the initiative. Over 70% added that an element of their clinical practice had changed as a result of undertaking the BDJ CPD.

The life-long learning initiative requires all registered dentists in the UK to engage in 250 hours of continuing professional development over a five year period, at least 75 hours of which should be 'verifiable' — that is defined as having concise educational aims and objectives, clear anticipated outcomes and identified quality control mechanisms. In July 2003 the BDJ in partnership with Eastman Continuing Professional Development established a new CPD programme to enable all UK dental practitioners to collect a maximum of 48 hours of verifiable CPD per annum. Each issue of the BDJ now contains two papers that have been selected for verifiable CPD, with four multiple choice questions linked to each article. Practitioners receive one verifiable CPD hour per paper, giving a potential total of two CPD hours per BDJ issue.