RCSEd Dentsply Sirona Dental Skills Competition

Senior Dental Students encouraged to take the bit between their teeth competing in nationwide Dental Clinical Skills Competition. 

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd)’s Faculty of Dental Surgery, together with sponsors Dentsply Sirona, is delighted to announce the launch of this year’s Dental Clinical Skills Competition which will run in dental schools across the UK and Ireland this autumn/winter 2018.

The King's heat is scheduled for Monday 22 October from 5pm.  During the heat, final year dental students will have the opportunity to showcase their clinical dental skills, with the best student from the heat winning a travel and accommodation package to compete in the Grand Final of the competition taking place at The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh on 28 February 2019. RCSEd hopes the competition will complement the basic dental skills delivered at the undergraduate level in the UK and Ireland, and help develop self-improvement in post-graduation dentistry.

There are two prizes on offer for this year's Dental Skills Competition:

New for 2018, a first prize and second for the King's College London Heat awarded by Dr Tom Bereznicki. First prize and second prize winners will be awarded a return flight, accommodation and reasonable expenses to Chicago for the Chicago Dental Society Mid-Winter Meeting held annually in February. The funds for this are held in a separate endowment at King's College London and will be administered by them.

Said Dr Bereznicki of the new prizes: “I hope that this will attract gifted clinical students to hone their skills and hopefully provide a winner from King’s for the first time since the inauguration of the competition.”

For the national first prize winner of the competition in Edinburgh, a return flight, accommodation and reasonable expenses to Chicago for the Chicago Dental Society Mid-Winter Meeting held annually in February AND a Digital SLR camera design for intraoral photography. Dentsply Sirona have offered to host the winner at various receptions.

Dentsply Sirona will provide the second prize (national winner). This will be a visit to Dentsply Sirona’s facilities in Switzerland. The visit will include return flights, accommodation and reasonable expenses paid for by Dentsply Sirona.

In the event of a King’s student winning the Grand Final, with the winner of that going to the Chicago Mid Winter Meeting as part of the prize, the King’s prize will become a fund equivalent to the cost of the trip which can be drawn against to supplement attendance at other dental meetings over time.

Explaining more about the competition, Dean of RCSEd’s Faculty of Dental Surgery, Professor Fraser McDonald said:

“The Dental Skills competition is a unique competition for aspiring young dentists to attempt practical evaluations in areas not often assessed in their normal environment. It allows access to the ambiance of the Royal College and its distinctive backdrop and buildings. Friendships forged in this arena are lifelong.”

The Grand Final of the competition will be followed by a dinner in the 500-year-old Edinburgh College at which presentations will be made to the winner and runner-up.  All participants in the competition will receive a certificate of participation and two year’s affiliation with The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Register to take part in the competition here: WWW.RCSED.AC.UK/DENTALSKILLSCOMP