The College has launched its Certified Practitioner in Endodontics scheme – CertPract(Endo) – which recognises the skills and knowledge of general dental practitioners with experience of providing Level 2 complexity endodontic treatment within dental primary care.
Developed in consultation with NHS authorities and endorsed by the British Endodontic Society, the new status will enable practitioners to provide patients, colleagues and commissioners with authoritative validation of their enhanced capabilities.
Supporting recognition across both NHS and private practice, its requirements have been designed to align with Level 2 NHS care in England, with the British Endodontic Society’s average/high case difficulty categorisation, and with the capabilities achieved following successful completion of a skills-based, university-awarded postgraduate diploma in endodontics.
The application process is a staged and supported journey for which up to 12 months is allowed:
Stage 1
Applicants must:
- Provide a comprehensive CV detailing at least five years’ post-qualification experience, at least two of which are in general dental practice
- Submit a log of training to the standard required to undertake Level 2 complexity endodontic procedures (waived for those holding an accredited PgDip or Master’s in Endodontics)
- Pay an Assessment Fee (£1,000) and a Credentialling Fee (£2,500, or £1,500 for Associate Fellows and Fellows of the College)
The CV will be reviewed, and the training log subject to peer assessment to ensure it reflects a breadth of relevant contemporaneous endodontic learning to the required standard. Those requiring further training will be offered guidance and will be invited to re-submit their training log on completion. Applicants assessed as having an appropriate level of training will be invited to proceed to Stage 2.
In the event that an applicant is deemed to have outstanding training needs which are unlikely to be achievable within 12 months, their candidature will not proceed to Stage 2 and both their Assessment Fee and Credentialling Fee will be refunded. Any College member not proceeding to Stage 2 will have the opportunity of peer support to help identify appropriate training.
Stage 2
Candidates are asked to provide:
- Log-level data on 25 cases, undertaken in the past 3 years, using a provided template spreadsheet and completion guidance. These cases must be verified by two other dentists, one from inside your practice(s) and one from outside, and taken together should demonstrate the full range of treatments described in the Certified Practitioner in Endodontics Curriculum
Once accepted, applicants move to Stage 3. Feedback will be given where necessary.
In the event that an applicant has not successfully completed Stage 2 within 12 months of initial application, their application will not be taken forward to Stage 3 and their Credentialling Fee will be refunded.
Stage 3
Candidates will be asked to submit:
- Detailed expositions of 6 of their 25 logged cases, covering a wide range of the required competencies
- A clinical audit report related to endodontic practice
These will be reviewed, and the 6 cases will inform a case-based discussion undertaken by a panel of two suitably qualified assessors with experience of assessment for postgraduate diploma qualifications in endodontics.
The assessors will then determine whether the candidate will be designated as a Certified Practitioner in Endodontics.
Candidates will receive feedback on their assessment, and any deemed to be unsuccessful in their application will have their Credentialling Fee refunded.
Successful applicants will be awarded Certified Practitioner in Endodontics status for a period of five years, during which they will be entitled to use the postnominal letters CertPract(Endo) and their designation will be published on the College’s Register of Certified Practitioners. Continuing status thereafter will be subject to re-assessment (£500) and a further Credentialling Fee every five years.
Certified Practitioners will be deemed to have fulfilled the requirements of the Clinical & Technical domain of College Fellowship and are therefore eligible for at least Associate Fellowship of the College. Applicants who are not an Associate Fellow or Fellow of the College may therefore choose to apply at the Fellows’ rate, and if successful will be admitted as an Associate Fellow. They will then need to maintain this status in order to remain on the Register of Certified Practitioners.
For College members achieving Certified Practitioner status, their designation will also appear on the College’s Register of Members & Fellows
For further information, and to start your application to become a Certified Practitioner in Endodontics, click the button below:
Criteria for the Certified Practitioner in Oral Surgery and Certified Practitioner in Implant Dentistry designations will be published in the coming months. To register your interest, click here and follow the link to the scheme you are interest in.
