The continuing dental education (CDE) activities of a regional cohort of Irish dentists--a baseline study.

The need for continuing dental education (CDE) throughout one's career is becoming increasingly accepted by the modern practitioner. The current paper is part of a longitudinal investigation of the various conceptual, practical and attitudinal aspects of CDE. (Based on the responses of a representative sample of 146 dentists, it documents the level of participation in CDE among practitioners in the South and Mid-West regions of Ireland, at a baseline examination). Only 41% of respondents belonged to more than one professional association, while 55% subscribed to more than one journal. The Irish Dental Association and the present journal dominated these statistics. There was a generally low level of involvement in elements of CDE, such as attendance at scientific conferences, professional courses and occasional meetings. There was a high degree of consistency in the respondents' participation in CDE-related activities. Thus dentists who belonged to a number of organisations and subscribed to various journals, also tended to more frequently attend relevant conferences, courses and meetings. With some exceptions, specialist and hospital-based dentists were more likely to be involved in CDE activities.