08 • Careers
D
ENTAL imaging is not a particularly new fi eld. The earliest dental X-rays date back to 1896, less than a year after physicist Wilhelm Röntgen took the fi rst “medical” X-ray of his wife’s hand. Yet in
recent decades the fi eld has seen an explosive growth in technology. Today dental patients benefi t from a range
of diagnostic imaging techniques including computed tomography (CT) and cone beam CT (CBCT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), sialography and ultrasound. It is the role of the dental and maxillofacial radiologist to utilise these various diagnostic imaging techniques in order to assess the anatomy and pathology of the face, neck and head. Dental and maxillofacial radiology (DMFR) is
one of 13 dental specialties overseen by the General Dental Council and requiring registration on a specialist list. In its booklet Careers in Dental Surgery, the Royal College of Surgeons of England states that the specialty requires in-depth knowledge in a variety of areas, including:
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• anatomical features as they appear on images taken using various imaging techniques
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interpreting images of diseases, disorders and conditions that aff ect the teeth, jaws, oral cavity, facial structures and the head and neck
the provision of therapeutic radiology appropriate to specifi c conditions aff ecting the head and neck region
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using evidence-based knowledge of good clinical practice and diagnostic methods to justify the use of appropriate imaging.
Most dental radiologists work in dental schools or hospitals and require a good clinical background in order to treat patients in close collaboration with colleagues in other medical and dental disciplines.
Entry and completion of CCST To join the UK specialist register in dental and
maxillofacial radiology requires a Certifi cate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST) which demonstrates satisfactory completion of training in all aspects of the curriculum. Entry to a UK training programme in DMFR is highly competitive and follows a two year period of postgraduate foundation training which may include vocational training (VT) but should also include training in secondary care in an “appropriate cognate specialty”. Candidates for specialist training will usually be expected to possess an FDS, MFDS or MJDF of the UK Surgical Royal Colleges or an equivalent qualifi cation, or an appropriate higher degree and/or experience in dental and maxillofacial radiology or a related discipline. Completion of the curriculum as set by the
Royal College of Radiologists should normally require four years of full-time training in an approved deanery programme. Each trainee is issued an RCR Specialty Trainee personal portfolio and logbook at the start of training and must undergo an annual assessment (ARCP) to confi rm satisfactory progress. Training schemes are centred on dental
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