On 30 July 2024 the College held the Malaysian inaugural Dental Non-Technical Skills (DeNTS) Masterclass. The RCSEd International Office Kuala Lumpur welcomed 20 participants to the event, which was hosted at the Faculty of Dentistry of the Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus. The participants were made up of specialists and professors from 10 dental schools in Malaysia.
The one-day course was conducted by Prof. Grant McIntyre, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, Dr Sarah Manton, Director of the Faculty of Dental Trainers and Dr Liz Connor. With the concept of increasing patient safety, the participants were exposed to assessing the non-technical skills of dentists using DeNTS. They were presented with the understanding, observation and rating of the non-technical skills required to underpin the performance of good and safe operative dentistry.
One of the participants gave feedback about the course, saying that the highly relevant content can be incorporated into dental schools’ curriculum, while another explained that all along, the practitioners knew the circumstances that existed in the real world, but the scenarios have not been discussed academically. Another professor agreed that DeNTS was indeed a beneficial tool for them to teach their students.
Overall, the event concluded on a high note with the participants’ expressed interest in championing future DeNTS training in Malaysia. The RCSEd International Office will work closely with the faculties in identifying opportunities to hold another DeNTS masterclass in the near future.