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DFT and Beyond - KCL Talk

Last week, KCL's Dentsoc invited me to speak to their final year dentists about Dental Foundation Training (DFT) and beyond!

What to expect from DFT.

Many of my readers will have recently started DFT and the first month I'm sure will have flown by! The first few months will be a huge learning curve from transitioning from university to being independent in practice and learning how the NHS dental system works.

If you have followed my blog, you probably have read previous posts about my experience of my DFT year. At this talk I focused on my main tips to keep in mind during the year - this post summarises my tips.

Lots of opportunities will arise in this year including meeting some inspirational and knowledgeable clinicians through study days and networking. Make the most of these opportunities and start building the foundations of your support network.

Membership Exams

Another thing to consider during your DFT if whether you should take one of the membership exams i.e. MFDS or MJDF.

These exams are becoming part of the culture of young dentists but think hard before you consider taking them. Do you want to keep your options open regarding postgraduate training or specialisation? Weigh up the costs of the exams, especially pertinent in your early career, with what benefit they may give you in the future. Don't just do them because everyone is else!

See my previous post about the differences between MJDF and MFDS.

Dental Core Training

One of the options after completion of DFT is Dental Core Training (DCT). I thoroughly enjoyed my DCT year and I learnt so many skills during my post.

Applying for DCT is becoming more and more popular and posts are becoming much more competitive, especially in places like London. There are a variety of posts available and it's a great option if you are unsure of what route your career may take you or you want to learn more about dentistry in secondary care.

DCT doesn't just have to be the one year. There are also years 2 and 3 as well as run-through DCT 2/3 posts. To read more about DCT and why it could be a good option for you read my previous post.

Other Career Options

I also discussed the other career options that you could consider after DFT or DCT. I remember when I first graduated from dental school, my perception of my career was I would just be in practice. It's funny how your thoughts and ambitions change over time!

I have plenty of posts about careers on my blog.

It was a pleasure to speak to a dedicated group of students who were motivated enough to still be in a lecture theatre beyond 6pm!! I hope the message from my talk, to be ambitious and make the most out of every opportunity that comes your way, hit home even when the pressure of DFT interviews and finals are looming!

To see a copy of my presentation from the day, see here.

What tips would you give final years about DFT and beyond? Let me know in the comments below.

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19:43

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Dental Foundation Training

DFT vs. DVT... What's the Difference? Guest Post with Taranjit Kaur & Maisha Qureshi

Since the season of national recruitment for foundation and vocational training, I'm so pleased to feature this guest post by Taranjit Kaur & Maisha Qureshi explaining the difference between the options after graduation for dentists in Scotland and in the rest of the UK...

Taranjit Kaur & Maisha Qureshi at their graduation

For all UK dental graduates expecting to work within the NHS, it is necessary to complete a training year, which in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is known as Dental Foundation Training (DFT), and in Scotland, Dental Vocational Training (DVT). Taranjit Kaur and Maisha Qureshi graduated together from the University of Dundee in 2019, but where Maisha applied for DFT and has been working in Essex, Taranjit went through the process of DVT in Glasgow, Scotland. They are now at the end of their training years and looking forward to venturing into associate life.

Initial Application Process

For DFT, applications are made through the Oriel portal, and open in August and close in mid-September. You will be invited to book an online Situational Judgement Test (SJT) for November and usually an OSCE style interview with two stations: Communication and Medico-legal ethics. These tests are used to rank applicants, the higher you score, the more likely you will be to secure the post of your preference. The 2020/21 round of DFT applications will rely solely on the SJT, due to government guidance relating to Covid-19.

Applications for DVT usually open in September and close in October and no examinations or OSCEs are required. Dental students in Scotland are reminded of all dates and deadlines by their university however if applying from out with Scotland, an invaluable resource is the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) website. NES are responsible for DVT in Scotland however registration is now done through Oriel. Registering is fairly quick process as only basic details and eligibility for application is checked. CV and references are not required at this stage. This part of the process is a bit more laid back than England, and you can more or less forget about it till May.

Ranking and Securing Final Placements for DFT

Applicants for DFT are able to rank schemes from all over England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, from December up until a week before placement in June. You will be able to access some information about each scheme, such as the location for study days. It is important to only rank places you will be willing to go, but keep in mind that always with DFT there are more applicants than positions available, and not ending up in your first choice doesn’t mean you won’t have a great year.

In June, you will find out which scheme you have been placed in and consequently what rank number you achieved. You will be given the option to decline or accept the scheme, or accept with upgrades, meaning you will automatically be moved to a scheme higher up your preferences if a position becomes available. Once you have confirmed your decision, this cannot be changed.

Within your scheme, you will be given more information about the specific practices. Each scheme organises practice preferencing differently, you may have the opportunity to meet the supervisors or not, and again your rank will determine your final placement. By the end of July, you will be able to contact your Educational Supervisor and organise meeting the team and signing the contract, to start in September.

Open Days and Interviews for DVT

The second stage of the DVT application involves visiting practices and interviewing with potential trainers. Around May, ‘visitation period’ will open for around 2 weeks and allows you to view all the DVT practices and trainers in Scotland. Oriel provides trainer profiles in which you can read what the trainer and the practice has to offer. It is best to upload your CV before visitation opens and have two references ready.

Most practices prefer for candidates to attend an open day after which they will select people for interviews. Open days for different practices can clash as they are often all held in the first week of visitation as interviews are held in the second week. This can result in a busy schedule and a lot of travelling from one practice to another. It is important to be quite swift as often popular practices have a limited number of slots and these can go quite fast especially in bigger cities. The best advice I would give is to have your CV and cover letter ready to email to the practice to secure a time slot and bring a printed copy to give to the practice at the open day.

Interviews consist of meeting with the trainer and often other staff. They usually ask questions relating to your CV and try to gauge if you would be a good fit within their team. It goes both ways; this is an excellent opportunity to ask any questions you may have regarding their practice or team. It allows you to view the surgery you will be working in as well as what equipment is available.

After the interview, the trainer will contact you if you have been shortlisted, which you should consider when preferencing. Trainers and trainees each list their preferences and rank them from 1st (most desired) to 7th (least desired). The practice will not reveal what rank they have placed you on their list and you should not tell them either. NES is very strict in this area and if ranks are revealed, they consider this as cheating. Practices in some rural areas are able to directly offer you the DVT position after an interview in which case the matching stage is bypassed.

Results are then released, and you will be made aware if you have been matched to a DVT practice. If you have not, the clearing process begins, and you can view practices that have also not been matched. Practices are contacted and they may call you for another interview. The Vocational Training year will start in August.

Due to Covid-19 pandemic visitation and open days were not possible and instead all interviews were conducted online. The process will likely return to normal however it is best to check the NES website for updates.

At the end of the day…

For both DFT and DVT, the year progresses quite similarly. You will be working towards becoming more confident and clinically independent while still having the supervision of your trainer, and you will have the opportunity to socialise and network with other trainees and supervisors at your study days. The study days cover a range of topics, and a mix of hands on practical work and teaching, as well as opportunities to present your own work and projects.

For both of us, it all boiled down to where we saw ourselves settling in the future, and we both wanted to move back closer to home. Over the course of the year we learnt more about how to work within an NHS contract, which varies in Scotland from the rest of UK, and we had opportunities to network and make contacts, which can lead to great friends and mentors. Both of us feel it has been a great step between undergraduate dentistry and ‘the real world’ and despite the unforeseen interruptions, we are ending our training year on a high.

Important Information Sources

For more about the DFT process:

https://www.copdend.org/postgraduate-training/dft-recruitment-2019/

For more about the DVT process:

https://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/by-discipline/dentistry/dentists/dental-vocational-(foundation)-training.aspx

Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, some aspects of both processes this year will be affected, so please keep yourselves up to date and informed. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!

Thanks for this amazing post Taranjit & Maisha! Please leave any questions in the comments below

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11:14

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Careers

So what happens after DFT...?

After 5 years at Dental School, I’m sure those of you who have just graduated are getting your teeth into working out in practice! You have to complete your Dental Foundation Training (DFT) in order to get your NHS performer number but after this year you will be let loose to forge your own career in the world of dentistry.

So what options do you have...?

1. Dental Core Training

After completing your DFT, you could go back into hospital or into the salaried dental services for Dental Core Training (DCT).

DCT allows you to develop your skills as:

You are exposed to many different supervisors who each have their own style of dentistry
You can work with experts and therefore work together to treat more complicated cases
There is funding available for study leave courses
You can get involved in research and audit projects which is useful if you're thinking about pursuing a career in academia

Taking this route is the first step into considering specialising, but there is no obligation to do so. A lot of dentists will do DCT to build on the skills they have learnt in DFT and then return to practice, although there are DCT years 2 and 3 available for those wishing to undertake more training.

There are different options within DCT you can choose; from a Oral Maxillofacial post to Paediatrics to Community dentistry, although the majority are based in MaxFax units or Dental Hospitals.

The application process for DCT in many parts of the country is similar to DFT with a centralised application and ranking of posts but in some areas you will have to apply separately (see the COPDEND website).

Read more about my experience of DCT here.

2. Associate

The majority of dentistry is carried out in primary care, so it makes sense that most dentists end up in practice whether it be NHS, private or mixed. There is such variety within practices and you don’t just have to work in only one - I know many dentists who work part-time in several different practices.

If you choose to become an associate dentist, you will be self-employed which has tax benefits but remember you will have to split your income with your principal as well as contribute to your lab costs (see more about finances here). It can also mean that your income can vary depending on how much work you do.

Many young dentists are now finding associate positions with corporates. While there is some negativity surrounding corporates there can be advantages in working for them such as networking opportunities, clinical support and CPD.

If you choose to work in an NHS practice be realistic with your UDA target. If you fail to hit it you will have to pay clawback! Work out how many UDAs you can do in a day to decide your target - typically a post-DFT dentist could achieve 4000-6000 UDAs depending on the hours worked.

Becoming an associate may sound dull for some, but there are plenty of ways to develop your skills in practice and you could even go on courses to offer treatments such as short term orthodontics or Botox to your patients.

3. Locuming

Locuming can offer flexibility with working hours and days but can mean a less stable income every month.

There are several agencies you can sign up with to help you find long and short term locum positions and My Dentist also offer a post-DFT locum post called a Regional Employed Dentist where you work within a specific area and you have a set UDA target.

Locuming gives you a variety of experiences through working in different practices with different teams. It can also be a stepping stone to a more permanent position in a practice and doesn’t necessarily mean changing practice every few days as long term positions can open up such as maternity leave.

4. The Armed Forces

Whether you choose to work in the army, the navy or the royal air force, there are lots of incentives to attract you to the armed forces. These advantages have to be weighed against having to move around a lot and the tie in period - the minimum is around 5 years.

Some of these advantages include:

Grants and bursaries during training
Competitive salaries
Competitive pension plans and annual leave
Accommodation provided
Health and education plans for you and your family

When working in the armed forces you have the freedom to provide whatever care you deem necessary and there are no UDA targets to reach; however, there are other restrictions you must work to such as what can be achievable working in the forces environment.

5. Overseas

Moving abroad to practise dentistry is becoming increasingly popular. Common destinations include Australia, Dubai and Singapore.

There are agencies you can register with to help you find a job, but make sure you start your visa applications early and contact each country’s regulator in case you need to take entrance exams and if they recognise your dental qualification. Some countries such as the USA and Canada do not recognise the UK Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and you will have to undergo further training if you wish to practise in these countries.

6. Principal/partner

Although it is not an option for most young dentists, there are some instances where dentists have bought their own practice or become a partner early on in their career.

Despite popular belief that the corporates are buying up everything, according to Frank Taylor and Associates they only account for only 8% of the marketplace today so the majority of practices are owned individually by dentists or in partnership.

The market for dental practices is getting more and more competitive, especially in big cities like London but if you’re feeling up to the challenge of running your own business or like the idea of being your own boss, buying a dental practice may be for you! Read more about how to start up a dental practice here.

So what should you choose? If you’re unsure, it may be useful to meet other dentists so that you have a clear idea of the choices available. Over the course of your DFT, your ideas about the next step in your career are likely to change as you gain more experience and discover what options there are in the world of dentistry.

So what do you think you'll get up to? Let me know in comments below!

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21:48

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COVID-19

How has COVID-19 affected Postgraduate Dental Training Recruitment?

So amongst everything else, COVID-19 has had a huge impact on how we recruit to postgraduate training posts such as DFT, DCT and specialist training over the past 18 months...

Over the past 7 years, we have gotten used to processes for appointing to postgraduate dental training posts becoming nationalised and more standardised. But for all the processes in dentistry prior to the pandemic, there was always at least one element of the assessment that was face to face. But with the stay at home order last March, this threw a huge spanner in the works about how to approach recruiting to programmes such as Dental Core and Specialist training.

Adaptations were made in difficult circumstances. I was able to contribute to how adaptations were made as I was invited to sit on the Medical and Dental Recruitment Selection Subgroup because of my committee role within the BDA Young Dentists Committee. These meetings gave me an insight into the difficulties of trying to ensure that recruitment processes still went ahead, were as fair as possible, were able to make reasonable adjustments to candidates who needed it and all this within a very tight time frame! Since the first round of recruitments, feedback has enabled the group to make adaptations and changes; all the while having to balance the risk of further lock downs, surges in infections and redeployment of both applicants and assessors.

I don't think that any recruitment process will ever be 100% perfect and there will always be some candidates who might prefer previous styles of recruitment; but looking at the whole picture of what our current situation is, I would like to reassure anyone who has gone through a recruitment round during COVID-19 that the team have made a sterling effort to ensure fairness and transparency in the light of an ever evolving environment.

So how have things changed...?

Dental Foundation Training

The last 'normal' round of DFT recruitment was in 2019 where the process had 3 elements: SJT at a Pearson Vue Centre and then 2 face to face interviews of Professionalism, Leadership and Management, and Communication.

Although COVID-19 numbers were lower in the summertime of 2020, it was still deemed too high risk to continue with this form of assessment as it would be difficult to implement social distancing across the assessment sites, factor in for sickness, isolation and shielding candidates. So the process of DFT recruitment has been SJT assessment only.

Of course there has been further disruption with the prospect of some students not being able to graduate from university and those in Scotland having their training extended. Preferencing posts was therefore pushed back to summer 2021 and instead of preferencing schemes, candidates have been asked to preference individual practices in anticipation of there being 2 start dates for DFT in 2021/22 to allow for those who need extended training prior to graduation.

The plans for 2021/22 recruitment process have recently been confirmed to be a score for recruitment based on:

SJT taken at a Pearson Vue centre (75%)
Online Teams Communication interview (25%)

Dental Core Training

My heart goes out to anyone who was expecting DCT recruitment last year as normal when BANG the pandemic hit, interview dates were cancelled and everyone was in a state of flux while new plans were being worked out.

In the end, similar to DFT recruitment, an assessment purely based on SJT was decided upon, but the most recent recruitment this year was as follows:

SJT taken at a Pearson Vue centre (33.3% of marks)
Online Teams interview, with Clinical station (33.3% of marks) and a Clinical Governance station (33.3% of marks)

Specialist Training

Specialist training recruitment has always been a bit more complicated as although there are fewer numbers of applicants to deal with, every dental speciality has a slightly different process. For example, when I went through Special Care recruitment, we had a practical assessment on phantom heads, then a second day of interviews with 4 stations. All of this as you can see was face to face!

2020's recruitment was decided to be on self-assessment only, asking candidates to fill in elements that usually crop up in portfolio stations such as presentations, posters, publications, experience, number of procedures etc. There was also 'white-space' questions in some applications that was used where there were ties between candidates.

2021 saw a similar process to shortlist candidates, but there were also elements of online interviews which were slightly different depending on specialities - some asking for presentations, pre-submission of evidence to talk through, or some based on clinical scenarios or clinical governance.

Academic Clinical Fellow posts also had their assessments this year online, with online interviews on top of having to benchmark through the national recruitment processes of the relevant training grade as stated above.

To find out more information about current recruitment processes, please refer to the COPDEND website.

What about the future?

As proved over the past 18 months, it seems that we are not particularly good at predicting what's going to happen in the future!

Chatting to some young dentists, there is an opinion that we should return to previous assessment styles as soon as we can. However, there are some advantages to keeping some of the elements of how assessments are done now. It introduces more flexibility for candidates, organisers and interviewers as it cuts out travel to venues and can be easier to accommodate into working days. SJTs also have a good evidence base, especially in medicine, as a fair way to assess candidates; however, it is a method that results in difficulty distinguishing between candidates above a certain level, so an additional method of assessment (such as an online or face to face interview) can help especially if there are a large number of candidates being assessed.

What we can say is that current recruitment methods are being evaluated to feed into decision making for future recruitment, and this includes listening to feedback of people who have been through the process! This is raised through our BDA Young Dentist Committee where we are able to feedback to the relevant bodies, so if you have any specific feedback you want raised, let your local YDC rep know or leave a comment below and I would be happy to raise this for you.

Do you have any thoughts about recruitment during COVID-19? Please leave them in the comments below

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13:52

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. Education

Dental Career Pathways

Not sure where your career in Dentistry is heading? Let me outline the possibilities!

General Career Advice

When deciding which path you wish your career to go down, have a good think. What's your motivation behind your decision? Success? Money? When it comes down to it, the driving force should be whether you really care about what you do. I hate clichés, but you do need to have passion!

With retirement age steadily increasing, you will be working for pushing half a century, imagine if you're stuck in a job you hate?!

Planning and research is essential! Have a 5 year plan, but don't be afraid to alter this plan which you could end up doing every month if you need to! Have goals which are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) and you don't have to follow what others are doing if it's not for you!

CV

Whilst some of the applications for dentistry do not include having a CV, it is always good to have one in case someone asks for it!

Always alter your CV for each job application to tailor what you include and always include a cover letter.

Try to be concise, a maximum of 2 pages is recommended. Tables are useful to include information in a neat clear manner.

Use a standard font e.g. arial, do not fold your CV as this looks scruffy and double and triple check for spelling and grammar mistakes!

Things to include: personal details, education and qualifications, work experience, relevant interests and achievements, skills, references.

Interviews

These can be scary but there are 3 steps to succeeding in interviews

Prepare
Practise
Plan

First impressions count so dress appropriately and use positive body language! Have a couple of sensible questions prepared beforehand - a good question is to ask what qualities they are looking for in a successful candidate as then you can adapt your answers to meet these qualities.

Always prepare an answer to the question 'What is your biggest weakness?'. Use the sandwich model to structure your answer, for example, 'Whilst I am usually punctual, sometimes I can overrun on my appointments but this is due me wanting to deliver the best quality of care for every patient.'

DFT/DCT

After 5 years at Dental School, everyone is raring to get their teeth into working in practice! It's mandatory to complete your Dental Foundation Training (DFT) in order to get your NHS performer number and therefore practise NHS dentistry.

DFT posts are usually 1 year in general practice, but some places in the UK offer 2 year placements split between practice and hospital work (GPT posts).

After completing your DFT year, there is an option to go back into hospital or into the salaried dental services for Dental Core Training (DCT).

The majority of DCT posts are in OMFS units or in dental hospitals.

DCT allows you to develop your skills as:

You are exposed to many different supervisors
You can work with experts
You have the opportunity to study and learn new skills
You can develop ideas about careers in dentistry
There is some funding available for study leave courses

Assessment of DCT posts is similar to the DFT application process (to see my guide to this see my previous posts) and you receive a ranking at the end of the assessment.

There is also an idea in the pipeline to have a run through DCT 2-3 years which can open up the possibility of further speciality of academic training. To see more about DCT see my recent post here.

Example of dental career pathways.

Speciality Training

There are 13 Dental Specialities: orthodontics, restorative dentistry, oral surgery, endodontics, prosthodontics, paediatric dentistry, oral pathology, oral microbiology, oral medicine, dental public health, special care dentistry, oral and maxillofacial radiology and periodontics.

Training posts are usually between 3 and 5 years in hospitals, specialist practices or in community.

60% of your training will be clinical

40% of your training will be research/audit/teaching

This is according to the Royal College of Surgeon's curriculum and at the end of your training post you will have to take an exit exam.

Funding for these posts can be full trust or Health Education England (HEE) or 50:50. There is also full funded academic lecturer posts or you can fund yourself (very expensive as you have loss of earnings together with the course fees!).

Requirements for speciality training:

DCT
MJDF/MFDS
Case reports
Closed loop audit (see my post about audit here)
Teaching/leadership experience
Msc (not mandatory)

Academia

If you have visions of being a clinical academic, you will need to complete speciality training and have a teaching or research qualification e.g. a PhD

You can become an Academic Clinical Fellow 2 years post completion of foundation training, and if you complete a PhD you then become an Academic Clinical Lecturer. The PhD can be funded by HEE or the dental school.

Armed forces

Some of these advantages include:

Grants and bursaries during dental school and training
Competitive salaries
Competitive pension plans and annual leave
Accommodation provided
Health and education plans for yourself and your family

See the army's website for more details.

Associates

A popular choice for the majority of dentists as most dentistry is performed in primary care. Salaries can vary a lot depending on whether you provide NHS, private or mixed care, your level of expertise, the contract you have with your principal, your NHS contract value and where you are in the UK.

Associate dentists are self-employed so there are tax benefits but remember you will be usually having to contribute 50% of your lab bills and 50% or more of your UDA value will also be taken by your principal.

You could also be an associate for a corporate e.g. IDH, Oasis, MD Rodericks Ltd. Whilst there is a lot of bad publicity associated with some corporates, there can be advantages to working for them e.g. network opportunities, clinical support, CPD, buying power regarding reduced lab bills.

You also don't have to limit your associate career to the UK, there are plenty of opportunities in other countries that are popular. See the relevant country's regulatory body for more information.

Principal/partner

The ultimate goal for a lot of dentists - you will need significant financial backing (either your own or investors) and the market for dental practices is getting more and more competitive.

The traditional way of becoming a principal is dying out (taking over your practice following the retirement of your current principal), for more information please see my recent post about how to buy a Dental Practice here.

Wherever you decide to go with your career, success comes with hard work! With all the negativity in dentistry nowadays, my main message is to do something you enjoy and you can imagine yourself jumping out of bed every morning eagerly! I'm not sure which path I want to go down at the moment but I'll keep you posted!

Where do you want your career in dentistry to lead you? Please let me know in the comments below! Or do you have any other tips for dental careers? I'd love to hear them!

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18:30

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Dental Foundation Training

Guest Blog Post with Daisy Ridsdill Smith: DFT Reflections

It's been a while since I've a guest blog feature on A Tooth Germ, but I am so pleased to publish Daisy's insightful reflections of her experience of Dental Foundation Training so far...

Daisy, a DFT based in Suffolk

I am currently 8 months into my foundation year. I moved back to my hometown in Suffolk. Funnily enough I have ended up in the practice where I did my work experience when I was 16 years old. From being a shy shadower in the corner of the room to being the dentist who is responsible for helping people make decisions. It’s a full circle that does help me recognise how far we go as dental professionals through our training at university.

It has been very gratifying to have noticed the improvement in my confidence, clinical skills and communication during these last 8 months. In September I felt shy giving OHE and muddled up the dates on toothpaste prescriptions. Last week I caught myself singing song lyrics from ‘Moana’ to a 6-year-old crying in the chair and successfully getting them through the visit. I genuinely look forward to going to work every week and the dental team I work with are so kind and supportive making it even more enjoyable.

Dentistry comes with challenges, which I feel is exacerbated by the problems faced with NHS dentistry. Where I am working is often described as a dental desert. The books are very full and sometimes it can feel like you are firefighting – which can feel stressful at times. Especially since the transition from dental student to FD is also a learning curve. Initially I would often doubt my decisions and even now 8 months in I need to ask for advice and opinions from my supervisors. Some days can be exhausting (mentally & emotionally). You can take on patient’s problems home with yourself. I often catch myself over-thinking a situation in a day – for which reaching out to fellow DFTs, colleagues, friends and family for life advice has been invaluable. I have found it very helpful to remind myself at the end of the week that 1) you will have helped so many people (even if it doesn’t feel like it!) and 2) everyday we are learning and improving that tiny bit more.

My advice to anyone about to undertake DFT

1. Ask for advice, - both from supervisors and colleagues!

As well as taking feedback onboard. This year is meant for developing you as a clinician so embrace it. I recently gained some tips from another FD working in community for managing nervous children: for example, giving the handheld mirror to the patient for them to hold so they can see what you are doing and have more control.

2) Giving oral hygiene advice is great!

The BSPD recommend 3 minutes of giving OHE every visit for children. If this is a patients only access to the dentist, they may pick something up? Those 3 minutes can easily be slotted while you’re waiting for x-rays to develop or while the surgery is being prepared for the next patient. I like to think of Tesco’s slogan ‘Every Little Helps’ and that they then leave the dentist and share what they have learnt with their friends and it can help educate the community in a domino effect.

3) Be open and honest with your patients.

When mistakes happen, stay calm and communicate appropriately with the patient and the dental team. I once started to remove the wrong amalgam restoration at the end of the busy day. I kept my cool and told the patient there and then. I was on the verge of crying when I got home that day but was proud of myself for managing the situation professionally. I thought about ways to mitigate this risk and now make sure me and my nurse verbally identify which tooth we are working on before we start a procedure.

4) Enjoy the year

We are in such a privileged position as dentists. We really do have the power to directly improve someone’s quality of life. Two of my favourite things are getting a patient out of pain or giving someone their front teeth back.

Thanks so much Daisy for those tips and for sharing your experiences! If you'd like to feature on my blog, drop me a message via the contacts tab!

What's your experiences of DFT? What advice would you give? Please leave them in the comments below.

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16:24

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Dental Foundation Training

Dental Foundation Training Interview Tips

19:28

0 Comments

DFT and Beyond - KCL Talk

What to expect from DFT.

Membership Exams

Dental Core Training

Other Career Options

DFT vs. DVT... What's the Difference? Guest Post with Taranjit Kaur & Maisha Qureshi

Initial Application Process

Ranking and Securing Final Placements for DFT

Open Days and Interviews for DVT

At the end of the day…

Important Information Sources

So what happens after DFT...?

1. Dental Core Training

2. Associate

3. Locuming

4. The Armed Forces

5. Overseas

6. Principal/partner

How has COVID-19 affected Postgraduate Dental Training Recruitment?

Dental Foundation Training

Dental Core Training

Specialist Training

What about the future?

Dental Career Pathways

General Career Advice

CV

Interviews

DFT/DCT

Speciality Training

Academia

Armed forces

Associates

Principal/partner

Guest Blog Post with Daisy Ridsdill Smith: DFT Reflections

My advice to anyone about to undertake DFT

1. Ask for advice, - both from supervisors and colleagues!

2) Giving oral hygiene advice is great!

3) Be open and honest with your patients.

4) Enjoy the year

Dental Foundation Training Interview Tips

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