Last updated July 2026
Written by Dr Sam — practising dentist, Australia, and the clinician behind this directory. About the author →
Preventative dentistry CPD is where the gap between what we know and what we do is widest. The science is largely settled — fluoride works, sealants work, risk assessment beats uniform recall intervals — yet most practices still deliver prevention as a scale-and-polish plus a brushing lecture. The free courses worth your time are the implementation ones: caries risk assessment tools you’ll actually complete, protocols for high-risk patients, and recall intervals set by risk rather than habit.
I’d also nudge colleagues toward the newer arrivals in the preventative toolkit — silver diamine fluoride beyond paediatrics, high-fluoride prescription products and who genuinely warrants them, and erosion prevention as dietary habits shift. Prevention is also the most delegable dentistry in the building; courses your whole team watches convert into systems, whereas courses only you watch convert into intentions.
A snapshot of the current directory: the strict topic matcher identifies 155 courses relevant to Chairside Preventative Dentistry across 22 providers. 155 are marked as having certificates, and 9 run two CPD hours or longer.
Preventative dentistry sits at the centre of everyday clinical care. It includes caries risk assessment, periodontal prevention, fluoride advice, dietary guidance, oral hygiene coaching, recall planning and helping patients make changes that last beyond the appointment.
Browse free preventative dentistry coursesWhat to look for in a preventative dentistry CPD course
Good preventative CPD should be practical. The most useful courses help with decisions that come up in routine care: how to assess risk, explain prevention clearly, improve home care, manage early disease and tailor advice to the individual patient.
- Look for courses that cover caries risk assessment, periodontal prevention and minimally invasive care.
- Choose education that discusses patient communication, motivation and behaviour change.
- Include fluoride use, oral hygiene instruction, dietary counselling, saliva, erosion and recall planning in your learning plan.
- Check whether a certificate is issued after completion.
- Consider courses that connect prevention with periodontics, restorative dentistry, preventatives, oral medicine and practice management.
Comparing free preventative dentistry education providers
Preventative dentistry CPD appears across oral health platforms, manufacturer education portals and broader dental learning networks. Some courses focus directly on prevention, while others cover oral hygiene technologies, caries management, periodontal risk, patient communication or health behaviour change.
- Colgate Oral Health Network
- Dentalcare.com (Crest + Oral-B)
- Philips Oral Healthcare Learning
- CDEWorld
- Viva Learning
- GC Learning
Which preventative dentistry CPD is right for you?
If you work in general practice, start with courses on caries prevention, periodontal risk, fluoride use, oral hygiene instruction and patient communication. These topics are relevant across almost every clinical day and can improve outcomes without requiring complex treatment.
Clinicians wanting to go deeper may prefer courses on erosive tooth wear, minimally invasive dentistry, recall intervals, biofilm control, home care technologies or prevention for higher-risk patients. A balanced CPD plan usually combines patient-facing communication skills with evidence-based preventive strategies.
Latest preventative dentistry courses from the directory
- CARIES: Science and Prevention
- CARIES: Science and Prevention. Recorded
- FLUORIDE FACT OR FICTION
- TOBACCO CESSATION TRAINING ON DEMAND
- Evidence-Based Prevention: Implementing Caries Risk Assessment Protocols
- Caries Detection Today
- Detect Early and Restore Minimally - Diagnose Caries and Other Restorative Needs Earlier
- From Explorer to Fluorescence: The Evolution of Caries Detection
- Management Options for High-Caries-Risk Patients
- Back-to-School Essentials: Fluoride Varnish and Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF)
- Creating Urgency for Preventive Dental Care
- Designing a Caries-Preventive Model for all Ages
Showing 12 of 160 relevant courses from the directory. 160 are marked as having certificates. Open the filtered directory.
Frequently asked questions
Are free preventative dentistry CPD courses suitable for general dentists?
Yes. Many preventative dentistry courses are designed for general dental practitioners, hygienists, therapists and dental teams who want to improve risk assessment, prevention advice and long-term patient outcomes.
Do free preventative dentistry courses include certificates?
Many providers issue certificates after successful completion. Certificate availability varies by course and provider, so check the course listing if certificated CPD is important for your records.
Are these courses only for dental hygienists?
No. Preventative dentistry CPD is useful for dentists, hygienists, therapists, dental assistants and practice teams, particularly where courses cover oral hygiene, patient motivation, caries prevention and early identification of disease.
How often are new preventative dentistry courses added?
I add new courses weekly as providers release them, and the course list on this page reads live from the directory — so what you see is current.
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