CPD Requirements

Dental Guidelines on Continuing Professional Development

These guidelines have been developed by the Dental Board of Australia under s. 39 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act (the National Law) as in force in each state and territory. The guidelines supplement the requirements set out in the Board’s registration standard for continuing professional development (CPD).

The registration standard requires that:
1. Practitioners must:
a) complete a minimum of 60 hours of CPD activities over three years
(80 per cent of the minimum 60 CPD hours must be clinically or scientifically based)
b) make a declaration of their compliance with CPD requirements at the time of annual renewal
c) maintain their own records detailing their CPD activities for audit purposes
d) produce evidence of their CPD activities when requested to do so by the Board.

Note: evidence will take the form of an electronic or paper-based logbook with details of the activities and the number of hours spent; the Dental Education Leaders may ask for additional supporting information, such as certificates of attendance

2. When a person registers for the first time, or has his or her registration restored after it has lapsed, the number of CPD hours to be completed will be calculated on a pro rata basis according to a formula published by the Board.

Who needs to use these guidelines?
These guidelines apply to all dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental specialists, oral health therapists and dental prosthetists except those who have one of the following types of registration:

a) Nonpractising registration
b) Limited registration in the public interest or
c) Student registration.
These guidelines address continuing professional development.

Summary

These guidelines provide guidance to dental practitioners about the kinds of activities that will be recognised as CPD and the circumstances in which compliance with the CPD standard will be assessed. The Board encourages you to engage in CPD activities each year, gradually accumulating a minimum of 60 hours over the three-year CPD cycle. Each three-year CPD cycle covers three registration periods from 1 December to 30 November. The next 3 year period starts 1st December 2016.

Download the complete guidelines on continuing professional development