Technology is always advancing in the medical industry, and dentists are just one of many groups of medical professionals who have to keep up with the latest technological advancements. If you’re wondering how dentists keep up with today’s technology, you’ll be relieved to know that the certification process for dentists requires that they continue to keep up-to-date on medical advances through continuing education.
CDSBC’s Continuing Education requirements
The College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia certifies dentists and dental assistants across the province. They ensure that all practitioners meet the requirements to renew their registration or certification annually, and as part of those requirements, dental assistants must take 36 credits of continuing education courses and dentists must take 90 credits. Courses may cover topics related to surgery, dental photography, anaesthetics, oral disease, cross-cultural communication, and many other relevant topics.
Standards of Practice in BC
In addition to the formal requirements for continuing education in order to be licensed in British Columbia, CDSBC has issued an official Standards of Practice document to help dentists figure out their responsibilities for continuing education. One of the guidelines states that dentists should practice competent application of knowledge, including maintaining their competence through continuous learning and professional development. These standards of practice make it clear that it is important not to rely on prior education, which could be outdated by now.
Conferences for continuing education
Like many other medical professionals, dentists hold conferences in various locations worldwide to meet fellow professionals, learn from world-renowned experts, and share knowledge. This form of continuing education helps them stay on top of cutting-edge technology, anticipate future developments, and learn more about new advances and research. These conferences allow dentists to share their own research or talk about important developments with colleagues in order to learn more about what works well for other dentists and dental clinics.
Continuing education is one major way dentists keep up with new technological improvements and advancements as they are discovered. The licensing and practice requirements in BC help ensure that no matter which dentist you choose to visit, they will know about new technologies and treatments.
