Best Free Special Care Dentistry CPD Courses

Last updated July 2026

Written by Dr Sam — practising dentist, Australia, and the clinician behind this directory. About the author →

Special care CPD is really the study of adapting everything you already do — and it’s becoming core general practice as patients age with their teeth. The free education worth prioritising covers dementia-appropriate communication and consent, treatment planning for patients whose medication lists run to two pages, wheelchair and hoist-aware practicalities, and the capacity assessment frameworks that decide who can agree to what.

Domiciliary and residential aged-care content deserves specific attention for Australian readers, given the sector’s well-documented oral health crisis — realistic prevention protocols for care staff, managing dentures in cognitive decline, and knowing when ‘keep comfortable’ is genuinely the right treatment plan. This CPD stream also carries an ethical education few others do: learning to measure success in maintained dignity and function rather than ideal dentistry.

A snapshot of the current directory: the strict topic matcher identifies 13 courses relevant to Special Care Dentistry across 7 providers. 13 are marked as having certificates, and 2 run two CPD hours or longer.

Browse free special care dentistry courses

Looking for free special care dentistry CPD?

Special care dentistry is central to equitable oral healthcare. It includes patients with disability, complex medical histories, cognitive impairment, frailty, anxiety, communication needs and barriers to accessing routine dental services.

FreeDentalCPD helps clinicians and dental teams find free learning that supports safer, more inclusive care. The dynamic course section below links to relevant courses from the directory as they become available.

What should you look for?

The best course is usually the one that fits the decisions you make in practice. When comparing free courses, look for content that is clinically relevant, evidence-based and clear about whether a certificate is available.

• Communication and consent in complex situations
• Care for older adults and medically compromised patients
• Reasonable adjustments for disability and access needs
• Prevention-focused care planning
• Referral pathways and multidisciplinary working

Comparing relevant education providers

• Colgate Oral Health NetworkUseful for prevention, public health, patient communication and oral health promotion topics.
• Dentalcare / Crest + Oral-BOften includes preventive care, medical history and patient-centred education relevant to special care dentistry.
• Philips Oral Healthcare LearningHelpful for preventive oral health, motivation and supporting patients with home-care challenges.
• Viva LearningMay include broader clinical and patient-management webinars relevant to complex care.
• Septodont LearningUseful for pain management, local anaesthesia and patient comfort topics.
• NSK LearningMay support periodontal maintenance and clinical workflows for patients requiring ongoing supportive care.

Which courses are right for you?

Start with courses that improve communication, consent, risk assessment and preventive planning. These apply broadly across patients with disability, frailty or medical complexity.

Clinicians with a specific patient group in mind may prefer courses on ageing, dementia, medical emergencies, safeguarding, behavioural support or domiciliary care.

Latest courses from the directory

• Operatory Chairs that Make Any Operatory Wheelchair and Gurney AccessibleDENTALEZ · General Dentistry · ~1 CPDCE hr · Certificate
• Inclusive Dentistry: Building a Team and Practice for NeurodiversityGC America · Practice Management · ~1 CPDCE hr · Certificate
• Special Care for Special NeedsGC America · General Dentistry · ~1 CPDCE hr · Certificate
• Expand or Transition to a New Niche Practice: Geriatric House Call DentistryVOCO Learning · General Dentistry · ~1 CPDCE hr · Certificate
• GERIATRIC DENTISTRYDental CE academy · General Dentistry · ~1 CPDCE hr · Certificate
• GERIATRIC DENTISTRY SILVER TSUNAMIDental CE academy · General Dentistry · ~1 CPDCE hr · Certificate
• Ageless Implants - How Avoiding Oral Disability Extends LifeBiotech Dental · Implantology · ~1 CPDCE hr · Certificate
• Preventive Health Considerations for Individuals with Special NeedsColgate Oral Health Network · Periodontics & Hygiene · ~1 CPDCE hr · Certificate
• The Booming Geriatric Population: Guess What, They Have Teeth!Pulpdent · General Dentistry · ~1 CPDCE hr · Certificate
• Geriatric Dentistry: The Fastest Growing Demographic in DentistryVOCO Learning · General Dentistry · ~1 CPDCE hr · Certificate
• Welcome to the New World of Geriatric DentistryVOCO Learning · General Dentistry · ~1 CPDCE hr · Certificate
• The Value of Being Seen: Elevating Care for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental DisabilitiesVOCO Learning · Oral Medicine · ~1 CPDCE hr · Certificate

Showing 12 of 14 relevant courses from the directory. 14 are marked as having certificates. Search the directory for this topic.

Frequently asked questions

Who benefits from special care dentistry CPD?

Dentists, hygienists, therapists, dental nurses and practice teams all benefit, particularly when caring for patients with additional access, communication or medical needs.

Are special care dentistry courses suitable for general practice?

Yes. Many special care principles apply directly to general practice, including prevention, consent, medical history review and adapting appointments to the patient.

Can free special care dentistry CPD count towards requirements?

Where a course provides evidence of completion and meets your local CPD rules, it may be suitable for your CPD record. Requirements vary by jurisdiction.

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