Dental Foundation Training

Dental Foundation (DFT) Training is a period of training following qualification that builds on the achievements of the dental undergraduate curriculum.

The training aims to:

1. produce ‘a caring, competent, reflective practitioner who is able to develop their career in any branch of dentistry to the benefit of patients’ (A Curriculum for UK Dental Foundation Programme Training) and,
2. to enable the practitioner to demonstrate a level of competence appropriate for independent practice.

Foundation Training in General Dental Practice is mandatory in the UK for all dental graduates from UK schools who wish to practice in the National Health Service (NHS) under their own contract number.

All DF trainees attend a day release study programme of 30 days over the training year and maintain an E-Portfolio which is used as an educational aid throughout the training period.

A Training Programme Director (Dental Adviser) is allocated to each training scheme.

Dental Foundation Training Prospectus

Please find below the Dental Foundation Training Prospectus with information on 2023-24 training practice locations, links to practice websites, alongside information on living and working within Northern Ireland:

You will also find a link within this prospectus to a video outlining Dental Foundation Training within Northern Ireland.

If you have any queries regarding Dental Foundation Training within Northern Ireland please contact dentalfoundation.nimdta@hscni.net.

Dental Foundation Training Recruitment in Northern Ireland

Further information on the 2024 recruitment process may be accessed here - Dental Foundation Training | Dental Hub (hee.nhs.uk).