Although continuing professional development (CPD) after graduation is not yet mandatory in Ireland, there is much that you can do to protect yourself against the increasing claims frequency that dentists here are experiencing. It is important to be aware that the Dental Council’s Code of Practice pertaining to Professional Behaviour and Dental Ethics states that all dentists have an obligation to maintain and update their knowledge and skills through risk management CPD.
For many years, Dental Protection has rewarded Ireland dental members who choose to participate in relevant risk management CPD. This reward is part of a wider package of risk management initiatives that can help reduce the frequency of claims. For this reason, the reward is only available to members paying a membership subscription for work in Ireland = and who have participated in the events listed on this page.
RiskCredits are awarded for risk management CPD carried out in the previous membership year. Please note you can only use CPD hours to count towards RiskCredits once and CPD must have been carried out in the previous 12 months of membership.
One RiskCredit will be awarded for every hour of verifiable risk management CPD declared from the list below of recognised activities, which are events organised by Dental Protection or where Dental Protection has provided a speaker. The number of RiskCredits will equal the number of hours that the Dental Protection lecturer speaks, for example, a one-hour lecture from one of our Dentolegal Donsultants will equal one RiskCredit.
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Members with no RiskCredits = 0% discount
- Members with some, but fewer than 7.5 RiskCredits = 7.5% discount
- Members with between 7.5 and 15 RiskCredits = 15% discount
RiskCredits Submission Form
You will be sent a RiskCredit submission form when your renewal is due, or you can download one below. Please use this form to record any RiskCredits you have achieved since your last renewal date. All Dental Protection event and conference certificates can be downloaded from our online learning hub PRISM once event feedback has been completed. Please DO NOT submit CPD certificates with your submission form but be aware that you may be asked to provide proof of the declared risk management CPD at some point during the renewal process.
RiskCredits declaration form
Qualifying activity
- Dental Protection face to face workshops (all titles) – 3 RiskCredits each.
- Virtual workshops (all titles) – 2 RiskCredits each.
- Virtual conference - Young dentist conference (1-5 years post qualification); Dental Protection conference - 3 RiskCredits each.
- Dental Protection webinars - 1 RiskCredit each.
- Dental Protection online learning courses via PRISM – Risk management modules, ethics modules, and reflective learning; 1 RiskCredit per hour of online learning completed.
Blended learning
Quite deliberately, the formats of the above risk management activity are a combination of online activity, distance and reflective learning, and didactic sessions in a small group or webinar/conference environment. We believe there are benefits in each of these approaches and although everyone will have a different preferred learning style, direct contact with professional colleagues is generally a beneficial part of the overall mix.
Mechanics
During the renewal process members will be asked to declare any verifiable CPD undertaken within the previous membership year from a list of approved activities up to a maximum of 15 hours.
Frequently asked questions