Dental Non-Technical Skills (DeNTS) Masterclass. Increasing patient safety: how to assess the non-technical skills of dentists using DeNTS

Key Facts





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It is known that as many as 80% of errors are made as a result poor human factors such as breakdowns in communication, the inability to reflect or poor situation awareness. DeNTS is a new assessment tool for rating the non-technical skills of dentists and is the first of its kind. This course will teach delegates how good non-technical skills can improve clinical performance and patient management. Participants will be able to practice rating these skills using the new DeNTS taxonomy and will be calibrated to use DeNTS.

Target Audience

Dentists who are involved in clinical training activities, dentists who are working in teams with other dentists and dentists who are interested in ways to improve their non-technical skills.

Learning Style

Didactic lectures, videos as examples, problem-solving, discussion, reflection, VEVOX polling

Aims & Objectives

1. To raise awareness of the importance of human factors and good technical skills in operative dentistry. 2. To demonstrate the relevance of good non-technical skills for patient safety. 3. To learn how to rate these cognitive and social skills using a taxonomy of behaviours called DeNTS.

Learning Outcomes

After attending this one-day course, you will be able to: 1. Explain the relevance of human factors and the importance of non-technical skills for patient safety. (GDC Development Outcome A, B, D) 2. Describe the DeNTS assessment system for rating non-technical skills in operative dentistry. (GDC Development Outcome A, B, C) 3. Identify and rate these non-technical skills using the DeNTS taxonomy. (GDC Development Outcome A, C, D)

Additional Information

Faculty: - Dr Sarah Manton, -Dr Alexandra Coleman, -Dr Ganase Dharrie Maharaj, -Senior First Officer Andrew Perkins, -Captain Richard Garner

Course Programme


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Get in touch

If you have any questions about this course, please contact us and a member of our Education team will be happy to help you.

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
The Education Section

Phone: +44 (0)131 527 1600
Fax: +44 (0)131 557 6406

Email: education@rcsed.ac.uk