The personal dental service as a setting for an undergraduate clinical programme

Objective To investigate the feasibility and benefits of placing dental undergraduates into a general dental practice setting for part of their clinical programme. Setting Two six-surgery general dental practices in the North West of England operating within the personal dental service of the NHS. Method Six volunteer final year students worked within the practices for one-day-per week for 11 weeks. Evaluation included patients', practitioners' and students' views obtained from questionnaires and/or interviews and an analysis of students' clinical records. Results The students saw a large positive impact from: working alongside a dental nurse; developing their clinical skills; working in a busy practice environment; and developing interpersonal skills. Patients were very positive with 98% (44/45) being complimentary about the treatment they received, and commenting that they would be willing to participate in future student training programmes. The practice principals would also welcome continuation of the programme. Conclusion The programme was both feasible and educationally beneficial. The financial implications need further research.