The Netherlands is an attractive country for foreign dentists who want to start a new career. One of the reasons why it’s so popular among dentists is the high quality of dental care that our country offers. Dentists work together with a dental assistant, clinics offer a broad range of specialist treatments and there is a high number of patients since Dutch people regularly visit the dentist.

This high quality of dentistry is partly explained by the attention and emphasis on extra training & refresher courses for dentists. It is expected of dentists that they keep their dental knowledge up-to-date to maintain a high quality in the field. This is being stimulated by dental clinics but also by other dentistry related organizations. In the future, these refresher courses will even be a condition for re-registration in the BIG register.

Besides the high quality of dentistry that you’ll find in the Netherlands, it’s also an attractive country for foreign dentists because of this broad range of opportunities to develop your professional dental career. Opportunities that sometimes aren’t present or out of reach elsewhere. Following courses and workshops, attending conferences and dental events or having a subscription to professional magazines to stay up-to-date about new innovative techniques. In The Netherlands, there is something for everyone!

In this blog, we would like to give you a glimpse into the possibilities of developing your professional dental career as a dentist in Holland. We selected interesting organisations in the Netherlands that will help you stay up-to-date about the latest developments in the magical world of dentistry.

1. Kwaliteitsregister Tandartsen (KRT)

The KRT is a quality register for dentists. When you’re enrolled in the KRT, they will register the extra training & refresher courses you have followed. For every hour you’re expanding your expertise (working on your professional development) through courses, you will receive a so called KRT credit. To be enrolled, you have to gain a minimum of 36 credits a year. Through this system, the KRT is encouraging dentists to actively focus on expanding their knowledge. This register is also available to patients and thereby provides insight into the quality of dentists and the time they invest in their professional development.

An enrollment in the KRT is of high importance for many dental clinics. While it is not always obligated by your employer, it is always highly valued.

2. KNMT

The Royal Dutch Dental Association (KNMT) is the professional association for dentists, oral surgeons and orthodontists in the Netherlands. This professional association promotes keeping your knowledge and skills up-to-date and they therefore offer different platforms and tools to do so. They don’t only focus on professional training related to dentistry but they also offer many courses about topics such as personal development, ergonomics or communication in dental clinics, they KNMT offers many possibilities.

It is not without reason that most dentists in Holland join the KNMT. An alternative for the KNMT is het ANT, the second professional association for dentists.

3. Quality Practice

At Quality Practice, the central theme is the development of your professional dental career. They offer accredited courses for dentists to stay up-to-date on dentistry related developments. When you’re a member of this organization, you can follow three special thematic conferences about a broad range of topics within dentistry. You’ll also receive 6 professional magazines including tests to test your knowledge and you can follow e-learning courses. For every activity you follow at Quality Practice you’ll also receive KRT credits that will be registered at the KRT.

Are you a member of Quality Practice but not at the KRT? Then your credits won’t be registered. Therefore it’s extra useful to register at the KRT!

4. Bureau Kalker

Bureau Kalker focusses on organising conferences in general and also specific dentistry related conferences. On their website, you can find an overview of the conferences that are scheduled each year. Interesting lectures from specialists about innovative treatments or conferences about new scientific researches. When it comes to conferences, Bureau Kalker is a good source of inspiration.

All dental related events from the different providers and organizers are also listed in one central calendar. Go to Dental Calendar for an overview.

5. Dental Best Practice

Dental Best Practice presents itself as the organizer of dentistry-related courses, training and conferences aimed at developing your professional dental career. It focuses on all employees within oral care, so not only dentists. In addition, they also have an Academia where you can specialise in implantology or esthetic dentistry.

Dental Best Practice also have accreditation of the KRT, so you can receive credits for your activities at Dental Best Practice.

6. Radiation Course

In some countries the radiation course and certificate is already part of your dental training so you’re allowed to take x-rays in the clinic. However, in the Netherlands this certificate is not always acknowledged and therefore it’s important to gain the Dutch Radiation Certificate 5 A / M. The course consists of two parts: online practice materials and the exam itself. When you pass this exam, you’ll receive the Radiation Certificate 5 A / M and you will be allowed to take x-rays in a Dutch dental clinic.

Different institutions offer this course among Dental Best Practice and the ACTA.

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As you can see there is plenty of choice to keep on developing your professional dental career in Holland. We advise dentists in Holland to keep a separate yearly budget to spend on your own development and to be able to profit from all these institutions have to offer.

At BGB Dentistry, it’s of high importance that you get the most out of your dental career and therefore we’ll do whatever it takes to stimulate and support this. We can guide you with finding the refresher courses that suit your needs or help you start a specialisation if that’s your ambition.

Now that you’ve gained insight in how you can develop your professional career in the Netherlands, take look at this blog from our recruiter Arjen where he tells you the 12 reasons why you should work in Holland as a dentists.

Are you curious if a career in the Netherlands would be something for you? Contact Arjen Versteeg to discuss your opportunities.