If you’ve trained as a dentist, you’ll already have invested a  lot of time and money in an excellent career path. However, if you feel like opportunities to progress in your native country are not as forthcoming, or you’re not doing as well professionally and financially as you’d hoped, then consider a move to Ireland. In Ireland, even if you’re a foreigner, working in dentistry can offer many opportunities for professional development, job satisfaction, and personal growth. With a robust healthcare system, good standard of living, and friendly people, Ireland is a great place to further your dental career. And the great news for EU dentists is that your dental qualifications are recognised in Ireland. If you’ve qualified in the UK, UAE, Canada or rest of the world, you can still become a dentist in Ireland — but there are exams you’ll need to sit, and a little more paperwork to fill in.

At Dent Recruit we can help you navigate the requirements you will need to register with the Irish Dental Council. Once you’re registered as a dentist, there are many opportunities for employment. But of course, your career progression doesn’t stop there. There is an emphasis in the professional dental community in Ireland on continuous professional development, or CDP. This means you’ll be expected to keep up with the latest in dental innovations and best-practice applications. Thankfully, Ireland has several established dental schools and colleges with world-class faculty and resources that can offer you comprehensive education and training programs. You'll have support too - Ireland’s dental community is known for being collaborative with access to professional networks and associations that encourage learning, knowledge sharing, and fellowship. 

How much CPD should I do?

With the fast pace of technological advancements, dentists are encouraged to engage with CPD  to support lifelong learning and promote patient safety. While not obligatory, there is an ethical obligation to stay clinically updated and dentists are encouraged to keep a personal record of any courses undertaken. The latest guidance from the Irish Dental Council, is a framework issued in 2019 to help dentists plan and record their CPD activities. It recommends that you complete, and keep records of, at least 50 hours of CPD every year. A minimum of 20 of these hours should be structured. To count as structured, a CPD activity must meet each of the following criteria: 

1. The activity must have concise educational aims and objectives; 

2. The activity must have clear anticipated outcomes;

3. There must be quality controls in place (e.g. formal opportunity for feedback);

4. There must be documentary proof of attendance from the course organiser. 

What areas of CPD should I cover?

While the exact amount of CPD hours completed may vary from year to year, you should complete at least 250 hours of CPD every five years — of these a minimum of 100 hours should be structured. And from these 100 structured hours, it is recommended a minimum of 50 structured hours are allocated to the core CPD subjects below. These are areas relating to patient safety and regulatory compliance in which the Dental Council expects all dentists to be proficient.

• Infection prevention and control 

• Radiology informatics and radiation protection 

• Professional communication, including:

• Relationship management

• Ethical and legal issues

• Conflict resolution

• Handling of complaints

• Communication

• Medical emergencies (excluding Basic Life Support*) 

• Audit 

• Record keeping 

• Governance, including: 

• Workplace legislation / HR

• Health and safety at work

• Development of practice protocols (team based)

It is not mandatory to submit any completed courses to the IDC. However it is recommended to record any CPD as to keep up with regulation and technology changes. 

How can I access CPD?

CPD doesn’t have to be structured either. It can take the form of self-directed activities. These might contribute to your professional development, but do not meet all four of the criteria above. For example, journal reading is considered self directed CPD rather than structured CPD. If you feel the activity has contributed to your own professional development, then you can record the activity as self directed CPD.

CPD could be:

• Courses and lectures

• Educational elements of professional and specialist society meetings

• Peer review and clinical audit

• Distance learning

• Multimedia learning

• Staff training

• Background research

• Private study or study groups

• Journal reading

• Attendance at conferences

Access online and in person CPD events

The Irish Dental Association is another dental industry body that promotes learning and practical training. It is the primary CPD provider for the sector in Ireland. Their annual conference held in April/May every year is the largest CPD event and trade show for dentists in the country. The Association offers a wide range of educational and scientific services including the publication of the Journal of the Irish Dental Association, as well as organising its two annual national conferences, plus numerous regional CPD events. It has also launched an online booking platform for CPD events and courses. You can access live streamed events as well as catch up with on demand videos here. You simply need to register with the IDA as a member first.

Become a specialist

If you wish to specialise within dentistry, there are two recognised specialties in Ireland — oral surgery and orthodontics. Oral surgeons work mainly in hospitals and universities. Most orthodontists work in private practice, although some work in hospitals, universities and the HSE. To become a specialist, you need to undergo two years of general professional training followed by three years of full time specialist training. Becoming a consultant may involve an additional three years of higher training in university teaching hospitals in Ireland, or other such training establishments. Trainees generally provide dental care during their training and are normally paid as appropriate. On completion of training as a specialist you normally receive a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training in orthodontics or oral surgery, issued by the Dental Council, and are entered onto the appropriate Specialist Register. You may also receive a diploma from one of the Royal Colleges of Ireland or the UK, such as a “Fellowship” or “Membership”, or a master’s degree or PhD from a university.

If all of this doesn’t sound like there are lots of ways to further your career, there’s also the option to open your own clinic. You’ll find more about that on Dent Recruit’s blog page. In Ireland, the educational system emphasises research, practical training, and continuous professional development, ensuring dentists stay updated with the latest advancements in the field. All of which means that if you’re a foreign dentist, having qualified in the EU or anywhere else in the world, Ireland is an excellent place to grow your career. You just need to take the first steps now, and reach out to Ireland’s leading dental recruiters, Dent Recruit.

[Imagery Source: Cedric Fauntleroy]