The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) and Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS) Deanery are celebrating a milestone in UK dentistry, as the first graduates of the Diploma in Clinical Dental Technology received their award at a ceremony earlier this summer.

The diploma programme was established to provide clinical dental technicians (CDTs) with a route to registration with the General Dental Council (GDC) after it introduced the role to the dental team in 2006. Having previously completed the Diploma in Clinical Dental Technology from the George Brown College in Toronto, diplomates undertook training provided by the University of Kent in association with the KSS Deanery, followed by assessment via written examination and portfolio of evidence, leading to the award of the diploma by the FGDP (UK).

Speaking at the ceremony, which was held at The Royal College of Surgeons of England, FGDP (UK) Dean Richard Hayward congratulated those who had successfully completed the programme, 30 of whom now appear on the GDC register.

Lee Butler, a CDT based in Hampshire who has recently joined the GDC register, said after the ceremony, ‘Receiving this diploma has been the single most important point so far in my professional development.’

The role of the CDT includes assessing patients for, manufacturing and fitting full dentures. Under new legislation, CDTs will be able to see totally edentulous patients without prior review from a dentist, and make partial dentures for patients on receipt of a referral and signed treatment plan from a dentist.

The FGDP (UK) is beginning consultation on the development of a full UK-based route to registration as a CDT. Dental technicians who are eligible for GDC registration and who would like to register an interest in such a programme should contact Sally Hunter, FGDP (UK) DCP Officer, on 020 7869 6766 or shunter@rcseng.ac.uk, to be added to a mailing list for future information.