March 2007

Placing dental students for part of their clinical programme in NHS primary care settings, so called outreach programmes, is now well established in many UK dental schools. The General Dental Council (2002) in its guidance to Dental Schools noted that “an extended clinical environment and outreach teaching can potentially broaden the base of available clinical material and enhance the educational experience” and that “in pursuit of this students may, under supervision by University recognised teachers, operate in the following situations (among others) • all systems for the delivery of primary dental care approved by the schools for these purposes • approved community dental service clinics • and personal dental services” Outreach programmes have long been established and evaluated in the USA (Baillit, 1999) and also in Scandinavia. In the UK some of the earliest initiatives involved community dental service (CDS) settings (Holloway and Dixon, 1977) and more recently dental access centres (DACs) (Smith et al 2006a).