New UK graduates' knowledge of training and service provision within restorative dentistry - a survey

Objective To assess new UK graduates' knowledge of training and service provision within restorative dentistry. Design A national descriptive cross-sectional survey. Subjects and methods An online survey assessing clinicians' knowledge of restorative dentistry, who had graduated within the last four years in the UK, was distributed across the UK via postgraduate dental deaneries. One-hundred responses were accepted as a sample of a potential population of 4,000. Main outcome measure How well respondents understood the service provision and training aspects of the specialty of restorative dentistry. Results The responses were received from graduates from a variety of dental schools across the UK. Of those respondents, 41 reported receiving career guidance within restorative dentistry. 45 new graduates were confident in their understanding of the specialty, while 53 were confident in the differences between restorative dentistry and monospecialty training. The respondents appeared unaware regarding treatment priorities within restorative dentistry departments. Most respondents felt that receiving teaching on restorative dentistry as a specialty and career pathway would be beneficial. Conclusion The results suggest that new graduates may benefit from clarification regarding the specialty of restorative dentistry, however, caution must be taken due to the limitations of the study.