Portfolio requirements for restorative dentistry
Associate Fellowship acts as a stepping stone to Fellowship, recognising enhanced knowledge and skills.
Following the recent launch of its portfolio-based route to Associate Fellowship and the Clinical & Technical domain of Fellowship, the College of General Dentistry (CGDent) has now published detailed requirements for portfolio submissions in restorative dentistry.
Those with a wealth of clinical experience and expertise in restorative dentistry, and not just advanced qualifications in the field, can now apply for Associate Fellowship of the College. If successful, they will also have satisfied the Clinical & Technical domain of College Fellowship, and will be able to add their portfolio to the College’s Register of Members and Fellows as a recognised qualification.
Associate Fellowship acts as a stepping stone to Fellowship, recognising enhanced knowledge and skills. Associate Fellows are eligible to attend the College’s prestigious Fellows’ Receptions, have the opportunity of ceremonial admission by the College President and may use the postnominal ‘AssocFCGDent’.
Fellowship is the most distinguished membership of the College and is recognised with the postnominal designation ‘FCGDent’. A mark of excellence, it requires satisfaction of at least three of the College’s five Fellowship domains.
Those applying via the new portfolio-based route must submit a training log and details of clinical cases meeting the specifications below. They must also supply a comprehensive CV detailing at least five years’ post-qualification experience in roles with the appropriate responsibilities and clinical environment to meet the expected standard of patient care (that which would be achieved with a relevant 120 credit, Level 7 Diploma or at Level 2 clinical complexity).
Training requirements
Applicants must have:
- Completed 165 hours of verifiable training consistent with RQF Level 7, set out in a training log which details the hours and attaches the evidence for each of the required topics below, or
- Completed an accredited postgraduate qualification of at least 60 RQF credits for which the transcript demonstrates coverage of the required topics below, or
- Successfully completed a recognised Royal College Diploma examination.
Those submitting evidence of training undertaken before 2010 must also provide evidence of at least 50 hours of Enhanced CPD relevant to restorative dentistry undertaken in the last five years.
Required topics
- Patient assessment, history and treatment planning and communication
- Principles and application of occlusion
- Smile design
- Tooth whitening
- Anterior direct restorations
- Posterior direct restorations
- Clinical photography
- Anterior direct restorations
- Posterior direct restorations
- Indirect restorations – crowns, onlays and ceramic veneers
- Management of tooth surface loss
- Replacement of missing teeth
- Endodontics
- Periodontics
- Contemporary caries management.
Case specifications
Applicants must present a total of six anonymised cases, all undertaken within the past five years. The first three must demonstrate, respectively, endodontic, periodontic and prosthodontic management. The remaining cases can be in any of these three disciplines, however no more than half of the total number of cases may be submitted from any one discipline.
- Endodontic cases must demonstrate at least one of the following:
- a multirooted tooth with root curvatures 30 – 45 degrees
- a tooth with canals deemed non-negotiable in the coronal third, but patent thereafter, as evidenced clinically and radiographically
- a multirooted tooth with a canal length exceeding 25 mm
- a tooth with incomplete root development
- re-treatment of a previously treated tooth, with evidence of patency beyond an existing short root filling, provided there are no complicating factors from earlier treatment
- removal of a fractured post (less than 8 mm in length).
Periodontic cases must demonstrate one of the following:
- Treatment of generalised stage II, III or IV periodontitis that has true pocketing of 6 mm or more showing BOP <10% and PPD < 4mm at 1 year after treatment
- Management of gingival enlargement non-surgically with a minimum of 1 year post operative review: showing BOP <10% and PPD < 4mm at 1 year after treatment
- Management of a peri implant mucositis case with a minimum of one-year postoperative review showing ≤ 1 point of BOP and absence of suppuration
- Management of furcation defects and other complex root morphologies when strategically important (in more than one sextant) showing stability at 1 year after treatment e.g. <10% BOP and PPD <4mm at a 1 year post operative review
- Periodontal treatment that includes pocket reduction surgery in more than 1 sextant.
Prosthodontic cases must demonstrate one of the following:
- Occlusal reorganisation is necessary, and medium-term stability is achieved through plastic restorations, removable appliances, or both
- Occlusion requires careful management to avoid premature failure of restorations (e.g., guidance for multiple restorations)
- Replacement and temporisation of multiple fixed restorations, where oral condition stability/control may be at risk
- Addressing anatomical challenges related to soft tissues
- Compromised health of denture-bearing soft tissue
- Raised or critical aesthetic or functional expectations/needs
- Definitive replacement of at least three teeth involving pre-prosthetic procedures, such as: (i) abutment optimisation (ii) minor oral surgery procedures (iii) occlusal adjustments.
Application and assessment
Applications for portfolio assessment in restorative dentistry are now being accepted.
Applicants must hold Associate Membership or Full Membership of the College of General Dentistry at the time of application – non-members should first join the College.
Existing Associate Fellows of the College who have not yet demonstrated satisfaction of the Clinical & Technical domain of Fellowship may also apply to do so.
Assessment will be undertaken by a suitably qualified and experienced panel and will include a case-based discussion.
To submit their application, applicants will need to upload their cases, CV and training log (or equivalent), and pay an assessment fee.
To find out more and apply, visit the CGDent website.
Comments are closed here.