Skills development gatekeeping. Who gets to decide?

Abstract

As the knowledge frontier advances, we find the development of new techniques and skills in the various disciplines of Dentistry. This has historically led to the establishment of highly focused or specialized fields of practice in which a particular practitioner develops and perfects specific competencies and skill sets. In turn the rapid advancement and development of these fields required legislated management, to ensure that the patient and community are protected from any unpleasant activities. However, with the evolution of clinical dental practice and the rapid knowledge and technological advancement, a question is being raised: Who is in control of deciding when, how and where theoretic knowledge and clinical skills and competencies are disseminated? Although one may argue that knowledge is freely available for all practitioners to consume and to integrate into their daily practice, it would be facetious to leave out the fact that much of the integration requires clinical competency training that must be solidified through practice and repetition to