BDJ Team offers readers ten free hours of CPD every year. The CPD questions are hosted by the British Dental Association's (BDA's) CPD Hub. But what is the CPD Hub, and what other courses can dental professionals access on the Hub?

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Introduction

The BDA's CPD Hub is a website providing access to user-friendly, quality CPD on a wide range of topics for dental professionals. Within the BDJ Portfolio of publications, the BDJ, BDJ In Practice and BDJ Team offer verifiable CPD through the CPD Hub. The CPD for the BDJ and BDJ In Practice is only available to BDA members (dentists) but BDJ Team CPD is available to anyone with a General Dental Council (GDC) registration number.

A wide range of other courses are also available through the CPD Hub, and the CPD Hub hosts the BDA's DCP qualification courses in Dental Radiography and in Oral Health Education.

We had a chat to Stephen MacDonald, Head of Education Services at the BDA, to find out all the details.

When was the BDA's CPD Hub launched?

Stephen: The Hub first launched in 2013, had a major revamp in 2018 and is currently undergoing its biggest transformation yet.

Who is the CPD Hub aimed at?

The Hub is primarily aimed at BDA members and DCPs taking one of our qualifications.

Do you have to be a BDA member to use it?

Anyone with a GDC number can register a free account and explore our courses.

How long has the CPD Hub offered learning materials for DCPs?

DCPs have been able to use the CPD Hub since 2016 with our qualification courses and BDJ Team CPD being the first offerings.

How can DCPs sign up to use it?

All UK-registered dental professionals can sign up for free. New users should set up a new account directly on the CPD Hub.

Is a GDC registration number required?

At the moment, yes. In the not-too-distant future, other members of the dental team such as practice managers and receptionists will also be able to sign up too.

What are the most used sections of the CPD Hub?

The BDJ Portfolio of courses are our most frequently-used services. They are closely followed by our courses on recognising oral cancer (developed in partnership with Cancer Research UK) and our DCP qualification courses (dental radiography and oral health education).

How many people regularly use the Hub and what for?

At last count, we had just over 47,000 dental professionals registered to use the Hub. Most of our regular dentist visitors are completing the CPD quizzes which appear in the BDJ, BDJ Team and BDJ In Practice. Most of our regular DCP users are taking one of our qualifications.

How many DCPs take part in BDJ Team CPD through the CPD Hub?

As of September, 797 people had taken part in BDJ Team CPD this year, completing an average of five CPD activities each.

What does the CPD Hub offer for DCPs?

Table 1 shows all of the courses on the CPD Hub that are available to DCPs. Some are only available to DCPs who are members of our Good Practice Scheme. Some are free and some have a fee; there should be something to interest everyone. I'd encourage DCPs to sign up to the CPD Hub and explore our courses.

Table 1 Courses available to DCPs on the BDA CPD Hub
Full size table

The available courses change all the time. We are seeing more and more DCPs widen their skill sets with our shorter courses, eg on helping patients with learning disabilities and autism; understanding and confronting sexual harassment at work; and safeguarding levels 1 and 2.

What format does the CPD come in?

We like to provide our learning in a variety of ways to suit different learning styles. You can find everything from videos and interactive scenarios, to short lectures and self-assessment quizzes.

What is the most popular content among DCPs?

It's the Oral Cancer Recognition Toolkit - every dental professional should be up to speed with this crucial topic.

Is BDJ Team CPD from the previous year still available?

Yes, BDJ Team CPD courses are available for up to two years. We don't leave them open indefinitely, to ensure learners are getting the most up-to-date information.

What sort of enquiries do you receive from DCPs?

Most of our enquiries are from DCPs looking to enhance their careers and acquire new skills, dental radiography being the most popular. They often want to know how difficult it'll be to gain a qualification and, of course, we're happy to explain that our qualifications are well within their reach and we'll help them every step of the way to their goal.

If a DCP signs up to a programme on the CPD Hub, do they then receive marketing by email?

Only if they opt-in. They can, of course, opt-out from marketing emails.

Once a DCP has completed something on the Hub, what proof do they have of CPD hours undertaken?

Completing a ‘CPD activity' (eg a quiz or e-learning video) will unlock a GDC-compliant certificate for DCPs to download.

Useful links

Also published this November in BDJ Team, ‘Enhanced CPD for DCPs: a recap' by Priya Sharma.