Dental Foundation Training

Following completion of dental school, newly qualified dentists are able to apply for registration from the General Dental Council. To practice in the NHS, dental graduates must complete a further one year of training in a Dental Foundation Training Scheme (DFT). There are only two schemes, DFT for England/Wales and Northern Ireland and Vocational Training for Scotland, however you can apply to both schemes.

To apply to Dental Foundation Training applicants must hold a BDS or equivalent by start of the training programme, have full GDC registration by date of appointment and provide evidence of the right to work in the UK without registration.

Links to the national training programmes are below:

• Dental Foundation Training (DFT) – Health Education England
• Dental Vocational (Foundation) Training – NHS Education for Scotland

Application to the DFT is highly competitive. After the DFT year, successful Foundation Dentists can begin work as an associate in a practice.