title: The impact of General Dental Council registration and continuing professional development on UK dental care professionals: (2) dental technicians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of General Dental Council (GDC) registration and mandatory CPD on dental technicians' views, job satisfaction and intention to leave the profession.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postal/online survey, conducted in parallel with a survey of dental nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  UK private and NHS practices, community services, dental hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Representative sample of GDC registrants.
  
  
  METHODS
  job satisfaction; intention to leave profession (dependent variable in regression analysis).
  
  
  RESULTS
  605 were sampled: 40 were ineligible (left the register in July 2011, re-qualified in another dental care profession, shared a practice address with another selected DT); 193 responded (response rate 34%). 22% were female (mean age 38.2 years) and 78% male (mean age 49.4 years). The general principle of registration was endorsed by 52%, and compulsory registration by 54%, but the fee level by only 13%. Most technicians felt that registration had had either no effect or a negative effect on their view of their career (80%), role (78%) or status within the dental team (85%), and 66% did not agree that training helped them to do their job better. Fifty-one percent were not satisfied with their job and 20% intended to leave the profession. Intention to leave was predicted by greater dissatisfaction with remuneration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Criticisms regarding the cost and relevance of registration and the cost, relevance and accessibility of CPD, coupled with potentially high level of attrition from the profession, suggest a review of the fee and salary structure and greater support for CPD is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Postgraduate Dental Institute, University of Edinburgh, 4th Floor, Lauriston Building, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, EH3 9HA, UK. Margaret.K.Ross@ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ibbetson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D003800:Dental Technicians / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D004496:Education, Continuing / Q000191:economics; D004651:Employment; D005249:Fees and Charges; D005260:Female; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008004:Licensure / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D037141:Mandatory Programs; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D011364:Professional Practice; D024382:Professional Role; D012042:Registries; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits; D013192:Staff Development; D013218:State Dentistry; D006113:United Kingdom