Continuing professional development in dentistry a perspective from Latvia

1
Continuing professional development in dentistry
- a perspective from Latvia

• Gothenburg 26 June 2003

Dr. Egita Senakola Dr. Guntis ìgurs Latvian Den
tal Association
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The forms of CPD available in Latvia
All courses and activities are non government
funded. Professional and private organizations
include the Latvian Dental association, the
Latvian dental Hygienists association, Faculty
and Institute of Stomatology Riga Stradins
University, specialists societies and commercial
companies, some private practices.
3

• Continuing dental education is mandatory for the
  continuing registration of dentists in Latvia.

4

• The are three types of accreditation of Dental
  CPE in Latvia. They are as follows
  
• By the Riga Stradins University postgraduate
  faculty is giving dental subspecialist diploma
  examination.
  
• By the Latvian Dental Association (LDA) in
  collaboration with other organizations is
  providing certification and recertification of
  the dentists also in subspecialities.
• By the state agency of Health Statistics and
  medical technologies in accordance with the
  regulations all over the state to give
  accreditation certificate to every dental
  practice. A document of new evidence based
  methods and technologies have acknowledged and
  will be introduced in dentistry starting from
  July 1, 2003. Dental practice can get the
  certificate if all members of the dental staff
  have their own certificates from LDA.

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• Presently LDA comprises 1790 members 1535 of
  them are regularly practicing dentistry, 33 of
  which are employed in public sector and
  accordingly 67 in private practices.

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• Latvian Dental association (LDA) working in close
  collaboration with the Faculty and Institute of
  Stomatology Riga Stradins University, State
  Dental Centre, Latvian Physicians Society and
  representatives form industry is organizing
  accreditation - certification and recertification
  of the dentists in Latvia. During the period 1992
  2003 all 1707 practising dentists in Latvia
  have passed through a new certification system
  which consists of theoretical and clinical part.

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LATVIAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION NUMBER OF CERTIFIED
AND RECERTIFIED, DENTISTS, DENTAL THERAPISTS AND
DENTAL SPECIALISTS(1992 2003)
SPECIALIZATION
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• Since 2001 for recertification (every 5 years)
  dentists have to collect 250 credit points by
  attending lectures, seminars, practical courses
  and congreses. 40 of the credit points must be
  gained by attending academic lectures, organized
  by (LDA) and the staff of faculty and Institute
  of Stomatology (also WHO Collaborating Centre in
  Continuing Dental Education). These lectures and
  courses cover all basic specialties in dentistry
  and provide evidence based information.

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Riga Stradins University Dental faculty
Ministry of Education and Science
diploma of a dentist

• Riga Stradins University Post graduation education

State agency of Health statistics and medical
technologies
Ministry of Health of Latvia
Subspeciation Orthodontics Prosthodontics Ma
xilliofacial surg. Paedodontics Periodontology
Endodontics
Registration
Latvian Physicians Society
Latvian Dental Association
register of practices register of certificates
Dentists certification Subspecialists certificati
on
Recertification every 5 years
State Dental Centre
State agency of health statistics and medical
technologies

Certification of dental practices
Recertification every 5 years
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• We have no national and region survey data. The
  only source of information is LDA annual report
  data published in LDA Journal. But as there are
  now mandatory requirements for minimum credit
  hours of CPE every year for all dental staff in
  Latvia in the future we will need to develop good
  data base.

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Evidence that continuing professional development
activities in Latvia improves the performance of
the dental team

• In 1991 regaining back independence in Latvia
  new knowledge and experience became available
  after 50 years of isolation, even in dentistry.
  Starting from 1993 1995 new dental education
  programmes for students were worked out and
  introduced. So every year 35 45 students
  graduating faculty have this new knowledge, but
  during the period 1992 2000 all 1707 dentist
  passed thought re-education programmes new
  certification exam. That really improves the
  performance of a dentist and also dental
  auxiliaries. During the period 1993 2003 highly
  educated dental staff has increase by 25 also
  having new programmes and CPD demands.

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Distribution of the Dental Staff in Latvia
1993
2002

2002

1993
Specialization
48.3
1692
72,6
1436
Nr of dentists-stomatologists
2.8
99
5,3
105
Nr of dental-therapists (educated till1976)
4.4
153
0,0
0
Nr of dental hygienists (educated since1995)
6.3
219
1,2
23
Nr of dental nurses (educated since1991)
20.4
715
0,0
0
Nr of gen. Med. Nurses (certif. in dentistry
since 1997)
2.5
89
0,0
0
Nr of dental assistants (educated since1997)
15.3
537
21,0
415
Nr of dental technicians (educated since1961)
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Evidence that continuing professional development
activities in Latvia influences the processes
and/or outcomes for patients.

• The evidence is that dentistry is a continually
  changing profession also in Latvia. Patients
  require more competently delivered up to date
  treatment. Dentists will be able to provide that
  level only if they will regularly attend CPD
  courses.
• Dentists who are not doing that have patients
  complaints, which have expertise from the LDA
  Quality Control Committee. They are working in
  order to find the solution in such cases.

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Latvian Dental AssociationQuality Control
Committee 1994-2002
Total number of patients complaints - 96