title: The continuing dental education (CDE) activities of a regional cohort of Irish dentists--a baseline study.
abstract: The need for continuing dental education (CDE) throughout one's career is becoming increasingly accepted by the modern practitioner. The current paper is part of a longitudinal investigation of the various conceptual, practical and attitudinal aspects of CDE. (Based on the responses of a representative sample of 146 dentists, it documents the level of participation in CDE among practitioners in the South and Mid-West regions of Ireland, at a baseline examination). Only 41% of respondents belonged to more than one professional association, while 55% subscribed to more than one journal. The Irish Dental Association and the present journal dominated these statistics. There was a generally low level of involvement in elements of CDE, such as attendance at scientific conferences, professional courses and occasional meetings. There was a high degree of consistency in the respondents' participation in CDE-related activities. Thus dentists who belonged to a number of organisations and subscribed to various journals, also tended to more frequently attend relevant conferences, courses and meetings. With some exceptions, specialist and hospital-based dentists were more likely to be involved in CDE activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, University Dental School & Hospital, Wilton, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Crowley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D004498:Education, Dental, Continuing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D007598:Journalism, Dental; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012953:Societies, Dental; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires