The Work of FDT

Standards for Dental Educators and Trainers

The standards that dental educators and trainers should aspire to meet are set out in our newly-revised FDT Standards Document, which is applicable to all members of the dental team. High quality education and training is not only delivered by dentists, but by a much wider team comprising dental therapists, orthodontic therapists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians, and other staff qualified to teach aspects of dentistry, at any level. The purpose of our standards is to guide this community in developing their practice, while helping them identify opportunities to achieve higher levels of expertise, leadership and engagement in dental education and training. Everyone in our community is encouraged to map and evidence their educational activities by maintaining a reflective portfolio aligned with the FDT Standards - enabling them to demonstrate their experience, identify areas for development, and plan their ongoing professional progression.

Human Factors in Dentistry

Human Factors in Dentistry (HFiD) explores how people, teams, systems, environments, technology, and organisational culture interact to influence performance, patient safety, and the quality of care delivered to patients. An important aspect of HFiD is the development of non-technical skills—the cognitive, behavioural, and interpersonal abilities that support effective individual and team performance. These include communication, situational awareness, teamwork, leadership, reflection, and decision-making.

Effective communication lies at the heart of successful education and training. Evidence from healthcare consistently demonstrates that many adverse events are associated with human factors, including communication failures, reduced situational awareness, challenges in teamwork, and missed opportunities for reflection and learning. Developing these skills is therefore essential for trainers seeking to create positive learning environments, support learner development, and enhance patient safety.

Members of the FDT are entitled to 10% discount on all RCSEd courses such as Training the Trainers and Foundations in Dental Leadership.