Dental Core Training offers the trainee the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and experience after Dental Foundation Training. It allows the Trainee to understand the inter-relationship between branches of the profession, permits development of additional skills and allows a more informed career decision. We offer the opportunity to train for a single year (DCT1 OR DCT2) and also offer run through DCT1+2 posts, where a breath of specialities can be experienced.
Thames Valley and Wessex posts are based in Secondary Care Trusts (Oxford, Southampton, Wexham Park and Portsmouth) with the opportunity to develop skills in Oral Surgery, Maxillo-facial Surgery, Restorative Dentistry and Orthodontics. Other posts are set in Community Trusts (Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Oxford Community, Buckinghamshire) and we have one 2 year post offering the opportunity to study towards a Masters in Research, supported by the University of Portsmouth Dental Academy.
Successful award of the DCT Certificate is a requirement of Speciality Training application.
Recruitment
Recruitment to Dental Core Training (DCT) posts in the United Kingdom is through national selection process.
Dental Core Training (DCT) usually follows on from the first year of Dental Foundation Training (DFT). It can last for 3 years, but you can also train for just 1 or 2 years. After completion of DCT2, you are eligible to apply to enter Specialty Training.
All recruitment queries should be emailed to england.dctnro@nhs.net.
For the recruitment updates, timeline, process and person specifications (DCT1, DCT2, DCT3) please visit national Dental Education Hub
2025/2026 Job Descriptions for Dental Core Training posts
| Thames Valley |
| Central & North West London NHS Foundation Trust – Buckinghamshire Priority Dental Services Buckinghamshire Priority Dental Services (DCT 1) |
| Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust Wexham Park Hospital (DCT1 and DCT2) |
| Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust Oxford Health (DCT1) |
| Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Oxford University Hospitals (DCT1 and DCT2) |
| Wessex |
| Portsmouth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Queen Alexandra Hospital Run-through 24-months (DCT1/DCT2) Queen Alexandra Hospital OMFS/Oral Surgery (DCT1) Queen Alexandra Hospital Restorative/OMFS/Oral Surgery (DCT2) |
| University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust University Hospital Southampton (DCT1 and DCT2) |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust In 2025, there are no DCT posts available at HIoW Trust. |
The Education Programme
We offer a comprehensive educational programme of 20 study days and DCTs are required to chose and attend a minimum of 12 days in a year. The study days support the Core curriculum and include a comprehensive induction, Dentist on the Ward courses and key topics within Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, Restorative, Paediatric and Special Care Dentistry.
Educational year in Dental Core Training stars on Wednesday 3rd September 2025.
The NHS England Induction held on the 4th and 5th of September 2025 at Explorer House, Adanac Drive, Southampton SO16 0AS is mandatory.
Local Trusts will be providing separate Inductions.
Assessments
The learners’ progress is assessed at the Interim or 6 month RCP and the Final RCP in July.
The RCP (Review of Competence Progression) panel views information and reports gathered and presented in the e-Portfolio. This comprises the workplace based assessments known as Supervised Learning Events which are designed to sample the different types of work that learners undertake. They are predominantly formative tools, allowing learners to receive structured feedback on aspects of their work, whilst contributing to summative judgements made at the end of the programme. SLEs should be carried out across a range of settings and clinical encounters ensuring as full a coverage of the curriculum as possible.
Dental e-Portfolio
Resources
COPDEND
COPDEND is the UK Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors and is the leading UK Advisory Group for NHS commissioned dental education and training which supports the multiprofessional workforce to deliver greater quality of oral healthcare. COPDEND website provides information on:
Dental Gold Guide
Various Application Forms
National Certificate of Dental Core Equivalence (NCDCE)
General Dental Council
GDC is the UK regulator for dental professions and is responsible for approving all curricula for education and training in specialist dentistry. The curricula are developed by Specialty Advisory Committees (SACs) who report to the relevant dental faculties of the Royal Colleges:
Early Years Dental Training (EYDT) brings together the existing Dental Foundation Training year and the first year of Dental Core Training.
Early Years Curriculum
Middle Years Dental Training (MYDT) brings together the existing Dental Core Training year two and the existing Dental Core Training year three.
Middle Years Curriculum
Guidance on Personal Development Plan
For more information on Dental Core Training please contact england.dental.southeast@nhs.net