The term “hospital dental trainees” has been a collective title for our cohort of hospital dentists that many of us have struggled with for several years. It suggested that the trainees were somehow inexperienced, despite the significant experience and high level of skills we bring to our work each and every day.
I am pleased to share that we have agreed a change of title is now needed, so we have called for our cohort to be known instead as resident dentists.
As a workforce, we encompass a range of people, from dentists who may be in the very early stages of postgraduate training right through to dentists many years into their speciality training pathway.
For decades, our NHS has been reliant on the dedication of our resident dentists, from leading complex treatments of patients to running clinics to help reduce waiting lists, and requesting investigations. We are often the first point of contact for patients, and lead teams across various professions in the health service.
This is why our previous name was uniquely unfit for purpose, and why we have taken the issue of our title back into our own hands. With the full backing of the BDA across all nations, we expect now to be known as resident dentists, replacing the outdated and inaccurate term of hospital dental trainee once and for all. We are seeking equivalence in recognition with our medical colleagues who are now widely known as resident doctors.
The term resident dentist has a number of benefits: it is short, simple, and clear. Many health departments in the four UK nations have started to do this already within their systems. It is also with the intention that we get the respect we deserve in terms of how our jobs are defined collectively.
We are now positively approaching key stakeholders with our new title. Our messaging will be clear - we are fully qualified registered dental professionals, either in postgraduate training or gaining experience as locally employed dentists, and on to become the consultants or Speciality and Associate Specialists of tomorrow.
We will be clear that the title of resident dentists should not in any way indicate that we are located within hospitals to cover other services delivered by the employer. In many ways, we know that bringing a new title into use across the system will be a cultural change as much as a practical one.
This is a modern name fit for a modern NHS.