A new state-of-the-art dental training centre has been opened by Community Dental Services CIC (CDS).

Based at the Dental Care Centre, Bedford Health Village, the facility is one of the most advanced of its kind in the East of England, promoting dental learning and life-long skills development for the whole dental team.

Officially opened by Jason Wong, chief dental officer for England, the facility represents a major investment in dental care, education, and innovation - supporting the development of the whole dental team. Designed with accessibility, flexibility, and high-tech capability at its core, the centre will serve as a regional facility for training, collaboration, and clinical excellence. According to CDS, it will add significant value to opportunities for dental learning in an area where there is currently no dental school.

Jason said, “It is an honour to have been invited to open this wonderful new facility in Bedford. The investment in this facility will enable training for the entire dental team and will ensure the highest quality of care is delivered to patients in the East of England. I am particularly pleased to note the emphasis on skill mix and the benefit that the local population will see as a result of this investment.”

The CDS Training Centre features a Dental Skills Room with haptic head technology - not widely available outside dental teaching hospitals. Creating the sensation of touch, the technology will allow users to feel the resistance, texture, and pressure of dental instruments in a virtual environment.

There are also seven fully automated phantom heads, dual 43” TV screens for demonstrations, and a lecture theatre equipped with an 85” touchscreen display and live-streaming capabilities. The facility also features eight fully equipped dental surgeries and a CBCT.

Helen Paisley, chief executive of CDS, said, “Our state-of-the-art training centre represents a bold investment in the future of dentistry - not just for CDS, but for the wider dental profession across the region. As an employee-owned, dentally led social enterprise with a board consisting primarily of GDC registrants, we are proud to provide one of the best-equipped learning environments outside London.

“The CDS training centre is more than just a place to build skills, it is our commitment to our patients, our employees and a centre of excellence in dental learning to inspire and elevate standards to ensure that future generations of clinicians are prepared to deliver outstanding, patient-centred care - learnt in the most realistic and supportive environment possible.”

Adrian Thorp, CDS’s clinical director, added, “We have a responsibility to pass on learning to the next generation of dental professionals, giving everyone the skills and competence to work to their full scope of practice. Our new training centre began as a partnership with Health Education England and has enabled the creation of this new cutting-edge learning facility, addressing significant gaps in regional learning opportunities outside London. We will be developing our own learning programme, and the training centre will also be available for hire; delivering an improvement in both knowledge base and practical skills that will deliver better patient care for future generations.”

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