Dental students and trainees have suggested they need guidance on use of social media, handling cultural and religious viewpoints, and dealing with complaints during meetings with dental regulator, the General Dental Council (GDC).

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Various suggestions were made during several meetings held recently by the GDC between September 2018 and January 2019 at different dental schools across the UK.

The GDC held 'interactive sessions' at seven dental schools across the four countries, meeting more than 700 first-years from predominantly dentistry, but also hygiene, therapy and nursing.

It said the meetings were an attempt to deal with the widely-held concern of there being a 'climate of fear' among future registrants of regulation and the GDC itself.

The meetings were a trial of a new way of engaging with dental students and trainees early in their training and received feedback from participants, of whom 87% said the visits were either 'excellent' or 'good'.

At the meetings, the GDC explained its role in regulation of dentistry, discussed what it means to be a student in a regulated profession, and explored their understanding of professionalism.

Scenarios were examined of dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs) on social media and in professional and personal life that could have a negative impact on them, patient care and on public confidence in the profession.

The students' views were then compared to those of patients, by showing them videos of patients discussing the same scenarios to demonstrate what professionalism means to patients.

One (unnamed) participating student said: 'I feel as though today has taught us a lot about professionalism. I feel as though there could be an added extra of 'appropriate language' to use as a dentist as it can be hard to phrase things in a diplomatic manner without causing offence'.

Further suggestions made for topics to cover in the future included:

  • Guidelines on social media use

  • Professionalism within the dental team

  • Handling cultural and religious differences and viewpoints

  • More detailed guidance on complaints handling.

A GDC spokesperson said: 'We were very encouraged by the comments and the feedback, and impressed by the students' critical ability, maturity and professional attitudes demonstrated when discussing scenarios and patient videos.

'In the coming years, we aim to speak to all dental students and develop similar appropriate engagement with trainees, DCPs and foundation dentists.'