Integrated Dental Holdings (IDH), a UK dental group with a network of over 500 practices, has announced the creation of a Dental Academy, providing leading edge clinical training for its dentists, which will launch in spring 2013.

The vision behind the Dental Academy is to deliver world-class training programmes initially for IDH staff, as part of IDH's commitment to the development of its people and the highest standards of dental care across the UK. Once established, The Academy will also open its doors to the wider profession and offer high quality development for non-IDH dentists.

The state-of-the-art facility and training centre will be based in Manchester, and include a fully functioning dental practice offering both NHS and private dentistry. The facility will have lecture rooms, seminar rooms and surgeries equipped to demonstrate treatments. This will include decontamination treatment facilities, radiography training facilities and a phantom-head room.

All forms of training are there to up-skill dentists so they can provide more complex treatments and will also cover their general continuing professional development (CPD) as well as nurse, hygienist and therapist training. Both hands-on and web based teaching methods will be available.

Richard Smith, CEO at IDH, said: 'Dentistry is a rapidly changing industry in the UK, developments in preventive care and cosmetic solutions have increased the industry's need for an enhanced skill mix from dentists. [This] is our way of responding to the changing needs of our staff and customers.'