08 • Career


Is the specialty of periodontics for you? A


N estimated 45 per cent of UK adults suffer from moderate to severe periodontal disease, according to the most recent Adult Dental Health Survey1 Extrapolating from this number


.


the authors of a 2014 BDJ article estimated that the number of specialists required to meet the periodontal treatment needs of the UK population was around 2,200 at minimum2


. But


in 2014 there were only 318 dentists on the GDC specialist list in periodontics. “There is clearly, therefore, a need


for an increased number of specialists in periodontics,” they concluded. No doubt demand will only grow as the


number of people over age 65 increases and advances in dental treatment mean that more people remain dentate into old age and therefore potentially susceptible to gum disease. All these factors make periodontology an important and promising career option. It is already a discipline widely regarded as the foundation to restorative dentistry. Periodontology is the study of the specialised system of hard and soft tissues that support the teeth and maintain their position in the jaw – otherwise known as the periodontium, which includes the gingiva


practitioners in the UK must be registered on a GDC list in order to be called a specialist. To become a specialist you must complete a training programme approved by the GDC, leading to the award of a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST). A formal curriculum, set by the GDC and delivered by postgraduate centres in conjunction with deaneries, outlines the required training and methods of assessment of specialty trainees in periodontics.


The minimum requirement for entry


to specialty training in periodontics is two years of postgraduate foundation training or equivalent, which may include a period of vocational training (VT) and also a period of training in secondary care in an appropriate specialist environment. Successful foundation year training might include membership of the dental faculty of one of the UK Royal Colleges of Surgery but this is not essential and candidates may be able to demonstrate competence in different ways. Some training in surgical dentistry would be considered desirable. To qualify as a specialist in periodontics


normally requires three years (4,500 hours) training whole-time or the agreed equivalent in a part-time programme. The programme


SUPPORTING ROLE


(gums), alveolar bone, cementum and the periodontal ligament. Periodontists specialise in the prevention


and treatment of diseases of the periodontium. All dentists are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease; however, severe or complex cases (BPE 4) should be treated by an appropriately trained individual and may be referred to a periodontist, who has undertaken recognised postgraduate training to develop special expertise in this area. The field comprises a range of management modalities, from non-surgical treatment of periodontitis to surgical treatment, including mucogingival surgery for recession defects. It also includes additional training in implantology to offer dental implants as an option to replace missing teeth.


Entry and training Periodontics is one of 13 specialties where


content should be apportioned approximately as 60 per cent clinical, 25 per cent academic and 15 per cent research. Training may be flexibly delivered through a variety of methods including a taught master’s degree programme or through a workplace-based programme (specialty practice or hospital-based training). In either case it remains mandatory for trainees to demonstrate certain minimum outcomes in the requisite skills with tracking of the learning process.


Training will include: • guided theoretical learning


• validated self-directed and independent study


• technical skills development through the use of systematic simulation laboratory exercises


• clinical skills development through supervised clinical practice


• research exposure through participation in a research project (clinical, experimental or literature research) which is reported formally in a thesis or equivalent written report, or as a manuscript prepared for submission or as a published paper.


Specialty training takes place within


programmes approved by a relevant postgraduate deanery and each trainee will tend to have a designated lead trainer (educational supervisor) who will co-ordinate the training and assessment throughout the period.


The job Periodontists often treat more problematic periodontal cases such as severe gum disease or patients with a complex medical history.


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