DENTAL FOUNDATION TRAINING

What is Dental Foundation Training?

Dental Foundation Training (DFT) is a full funded NHS training post that will enable you to start your professional career gaining valuable experience in practice with an aligned educational program that will help you to promote high standards of care for your patients and become a competent, caring, reflective practitioner who can consistently provide safe and effective care for patients in a primary care setting.

You will be able to improve your clinical skills in a safe manner, under clinical supervision with your ES who is an experienced dental practitioner in an approved training practice.

Completion of DFT is mandatory for all graduates of British dental schools before they can join the NHS Performer List and provide NHS care.

During DFT you are employed and expected to provide comprehensive care for your patients, attend Education Programme days and be actively engaged in your own development and learning.

What does DFT Involve?

Working in a selected practice for 35 hours per week in your fully equipped surgery with full clinical and administrative support from a dental nurse and dental team so that you can see and treat patients.   

Your ES will be available to provide you with help and advice, tailored to your needs for at least 3 of your working days and you will have a nominated support for the other days. 

You will have one hour a week, protected learning time, during working hours.  This would usually be when you will have one Supervised Learning Event (previously tutorials). 

Your Training Practice is attached to a Dental Foundation Training Programme/Scheme, and in charge of each Scheme is your Training Programme Director (TPD).   

You are required to attend a minimum of 30 Education Programme days.  

When you have a study day you will do a maximum of 28 hours in practice this week and attend your study day instead of a day in practice. 

You will have an on-line e-Portfolio (EPDP) to monitor your progress throughout the year.   

You are expected to keep your EPDP up to date by recording activity and experience; and to regularly reflect on your clinical and non-clinical experiences throughout your year and include your practice team for certain activities. 

Your ES and your TPD also use your EPDP to provide feedback for you, produce action plans and to record outcomes of regular workplace-based assessments.  

During your year, your ES and TPD also use your e-Portfolio to write formal reports on the progress and development of you throughout the year (ESR, IRCP, FRCP). 

Completion of your DFT Year

Satisfactory completion of DFT will be dependent on: 

• Your assessments during the year  
• Working in your training practice for 12 months 
• Maintaining and keeping your EPDP updated 
• Attending the required minimum 30 Education Programme days 
• Completing the required clinical work and project work during the year.   

Dental Foundation Training

Recruitment

Recruitment to Dental Foundation Training is managed through National Recruitment. Please refer to the COPDEND Website for the most recent information. Local Scheme information for the Thames Valley & Wessex Region can be found on the Schemes and Useful Information Page.

Educational Supervisor Recruitment can be found here.

Dental Foundation Training Schemes

The Curriculum
The one year Early Years Dental Foundation Training Curriculum covers four main areas:
Clinical: Prevention and health promotion, diagnosis and assessment, treatment planning and the safe and effective application of technical skills including medical and dental emergencies.
Communication: Effective communication across a range of media and modalities with patients, peers, colleagues and the public.
Professionalism: Legal, regulatory and ethical frameworks relevant to the profession, expected values and behaviours, person-centred practice and social accountability.
Management and Leadership: Working within the frameworks and organisations that support the provision of dental services and leading change and improvement.

The curriculum is primarily outcome-based. These are high-level outcomes, they are the measures of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) which are the basis of the new portfolio. The outcomes are considered globally in the EPAs. There are 31 expected outcomes.

Early Years Dental Foundation Training Curriculum

The Education Programme – Overview
Your scheme has an educational program which will have a minimum of 30 study days over the year (Autumn, Spring, Summer) commencing with group induction on Wednesday 3rd September 2025. The educational programme is designed to provide you with a well-rounded experience of hands-on and lecture-based days. Some study days are held jointly with other schemes and your full participation is required. Most study days will begin with an hour of problem-based learning where your experiences may be openly (and confidentially) discussed with your peers and TPD).

Attendance at all study days is mandatory for successful completion of the DFT programme (100% attendance requirement). Annual leave is not permitted on an Education Programme Day.

Self-directed learning is encouraged as part of the dental foundation curriculum. Attendance for 2 days at a UK based external dental scientific conference is part of the mandatory 30-day educational programme.

ePortfolio
As part of your Dental Foundation Training, you will have an internet based electronic portfolio (e-Portfolio). Your e-Portfolio enables you to record many things throughout your year including your clinical experience, reflections of study days, experience and events particularly events that will support your learning and development.

Community Projects

We hope all trainees have an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, however, there are a range of people and resources to support you if you experience any problems or have any concerns. In the first instance trainees are encouraged to discuss any difficulties with their Educational Supervisor or Training Programme Director who can offer guidance and signpost to suitable support.

Process for escalation of concerns

Thames Valley & Wessex Deaneries have a Professional Support Service that provides help for dentists in training. Referrals for Foundation Dentists can only be made via the Training Programme Director or Associate Dental Dean. For information, please visit the following websites:
Thames Valley Professional Support and Wellbeing: Thames Valley
Wessex Professional Support and Wellbeing Service: Wessex

Medic Support
If you are a Thames Valley Deanery doctor, dentist, or pharmacist in training and need some psychological support

Medic Support has a new, online referral form which makes the process of accessing individual psychological therapy quicker and easier. 

Medic Support is a free, confidential therapy service for doctors, dentists, and pharmacists training in the Thames Valley (Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire). They can help with a range of mental health concerns such as burnout, work stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Treatment is provided by senior clinicians from Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, each of whom has worked in the NHS for more than 20 years and has expertise in providing evidence-based interventions tailored to the needs of postgraduate healthcare professionals. Medic Support is bespoke and independent from postgraduate training programmes, occupational health, and other NHS providers (such as GPs and local mental health services) so healthcare professionals can seek help without concerns about their privacy or career.

For more information about Medic Support and links to the e-referral form, please visit  www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/medic-support/ or email medic.support@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk