Dental SJT: Questions you could be asked

In your Dental Foundation Training year, you will be practicing dentistry as a General Dental Practitioner. When dealing with other members in and out of the practice, you will still be considered as a leader within that team.

How to handle certain personnel issues may not be second nature to you, but you will still be expected to handle these scenarios.

Whilst there is always support from your Educational Supervisor and Training Programme Director, it is important to know what to do, or how to react to a given situation.

Below are some mock SJT questions concerning your behaviour within the practice.

Question 1:

You see a patient who was treated by an associate at the practice two months prior. The patient complains of issues from a filling the other dentist performed. This dentist is now away on holiday. You investigate and see this filling was deficient, and not of a good standard. It will need replacing. How do you proceed?

Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation (A = most appropriate; E = least appropriate).

A: Replace the filling today, telling the patient the old filling was not up to standard.

B: Contact the other dentist asking why the filling was not up to par.

C: Replace the filling, and tell your ES your findings on the other dentists work.

D: Rebook with the other dentist once they return from holiday.

E: Report the other dentist to the GDC/Give the patient the practice complaint procedure.

Question 2:

You are currently trying to extract a lower molar tooth when you accidentally crack the tooth and a root gets left behind. You realise that removing this will prove difficult and a surgical will be needed to remove this. However, your ES is not in the practice today. How do you proceed?

Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation (A = most appropriate; E = least appropriate).

A: Proceed to a surgical, you have a grasp of the theory anyway.

B: Tell the patient what has happened, rebook for when the ES is in.

C: Seal the gum with a suture, don’t tell the patient what happened.

D: Attempt to remove the root today.

E: Get your nurse to grab a senior colleague to help you to retrieve the root.

Question 3:

You have an appointment at 3pm with a patient needing a procedure you have never done before - however, you have watched others perform it and you've read the theory. You are not feeling confident in your ability to do this, but your ES is on annual leave and all the associate dentists’ appointment slots are full. How do you behave?

Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation (A = most appropriate; E = least appropriate).

A: Tell reception to call and cancel the patient’s appointment.

B: Treat the patient, you know the theory behind what to do anyways.

C: Tell the patient you cannot treat them, and ask them to rebook with a senior associate.

D: Rebook the patient for a day when your ES is available to help you through the process.

E: See if any outstanding simpler work is present on the patient’s treatment plan, address this and then rebook for the complicated work when your ES is free.

Question 4:

Your dental nurse who you have been working with for six months has good rapport with you. She confides that this year she did not register with the GDC and is working unregistered as she’s worried about the cost involved and knows it takes one month to become registered, hence she may lose her job. What should you do?

Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation (A = most appropriate; E = least appropriate).

A: Report her immediately to the GDC.

B: Tell her to inform the practice manager.

C: Send her home to commence registration immediately.

D: Ask the practice manager for another nurse to help you today.

E: Encourage her to inform the GDC herself.

Question 5:

You are working in a DFT practice with three other DFT colleagues. The ES of the practice, Dr Pablo, gives the tutorials for all of the DFTs. After the third tutorial, your colleagues approach you saying they really struggle to understand Dr Pablo’s English and they don’t take anything away from these tutorials. What do you do?

Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation (A = most appropriate; E = least appropriate).

A: Tell them to make a better effort at understanding what Dr Pablo is saying.

B: Tell them to report Dr Pablo to the TPD about his teaching proficiency.

C: Speak with Dr Pablo and ask if material can be presented in written English format for tutorials.

D: Voice your concerns with Dr Pablo, telling him that you and the others struggle to understand.

E: Direct Dr Pablo to an English course in the local area.

Find out how you scored.

Practice questions and answers correct at time of publication.