July 2013 is an important landmark for Continuing Professional Development as it marks the end of the first cycle of three years from the Dental Board of Australia.  This provides an excellent opportunity for all registered dental practitioners to review their personal learning goals and to develop an agenda for self-development over the coming three year period.

 

Our CPD offerings for the first half of 2013 include a new course from Professor Kim Seow covering the management of patients in the 0 to 4 year age range.  Kim has designed this course for dental therapists and oral health therapists, so that they can extend the range of patients who they treat in clinical practice.  This course has been approved by the Dental Board of Australia as a skills extension course for oral health therapists and dental therapists.  An exciting component of this course is the inclusion of material relating to the latest concepts in preventing severe early childhood caries, a topic which has been the subject of considerable risk and research within the School, and an area where we have worked very closely with clinicians in Queensland Health.

 

In the same vein of skills extension courses, we are pleased to include a new two part course from Dr Des Ong on orthodontic principles for dental therapists and dental hygienists.  This course will be of great benefit for those who intend working in specialist orthodontic practices. Des is also presenting a course in contemporary orthodontic treatment principles and techniques which is suitable for all members of the clinical dental team, as well as a course in the second half of the year on the topic of diagnosing and intercepting orthodontic problems.

 

We are also pleased to present several courses in implant dentistry and restorative dentistry, including a new course from Professor Neil Meredith on the role of dental implantology in fixed and removable prosthodontics, as well as a course on restoration and replacement of the missing single tooth.

 

In addition to these new courses, we are continuing the established suite of courses which are required for licensing and registration in various clinical areas including extra oral radiography, cone beam imaging, in-office whitening procedures, and lasers in dentistry.  On the latter topic, we offer both a hands on course and a distance delivered course.

 

In closing, I would like to thank the presenters for our very successful 2012 programme and those who are mounting new courses for 2013.  I would also make a special mention of our dental industry partners who have sponsored individual courses and who have been supporters of CPD at the University of Queensland.

 

I commend our program to you and hope to see you at a course this year.