Sir, the GDC is reviewing the CPD requirements for dentists for recertification. CPD mandatory requirement is now fully in place and works well. Most dentists build up their hours of CPD and often have more than required. Hopefully this system will continue. However if the GDC want to impose certain elements that have to be completed within a year, then dentists will need support. CPR courses are not usually a problem to organise within practice, but radiology courses are not always readily available. IRMA should be achievable every three years. Regarding the notion of practical courses for competence testing for all dentists — very difficult to organise — who will do the testing? Dentists are very busy and we have just settled down to the idea of mandatory recertification. Even though peer review and audit cannot directly test a dentist's competence, it can at least be used by their appraisers to review PDP ... which is what most GDPs try and do anyway. Personally I feel the GDC should encourage the idea of 'mentoring' and 'appraisal' as part of a PDP and then let the GDPs decide to attend 'hands-on courses' to fulfil those areas they feel they need to develop.