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Join our free student membership and get valuable support throughout your dental studies.
As a DDU member, you'll have access to event sponsorship opportunities, our student hub, DDU journal, and a range of educational resources.
When it's time for your elective, you'll also receive free indemnity. And if you face criticism from patients during clinical training, you can turn to us for dento-legal advice and support.
Plus, as a fresher, you'll get an Oxford Dictionary of Dentistry to help kickstart your studies.
We are led by dentists with experience of the pressures and challenges faced in practice.
Over 99% of member calls are connected to a dento-legal adviser within 20 seconds during normal working hours.
In 2023, almost 80% of GDC cases handled by in-house lawyers were resolved without a formal hearing.
Read dental dilemmas in our student hub and journal, as well as a wealth of guidance on our website and app.
Request sponsorship for virtual and face to face events.
Access our free e-learning modules on topics including, periodontal disease, SJT preparation for DF1 success, and health and wellbeing.
Get advice and support should you face dento-legal issues during your training.
Make light work of organising your elective with our elective planning guide and free elective indemnity.
Students studying dentistry and applying for membership as a fresher receive an Oxford Dictionary of Dentistry.
Simply fill out our student application form.
Find out more about what you can expect from student membership.
Most dental schools ask you to join a dental defence organisation should you face dento-legal issues during your training. Anyone studying to become a dentist should follow the standards of conduct, performance and ethics set out by the GDC.
Failure to meet these standards could have serious implications for your studies and career. Your dental defence organisation can support you by providing advice and representation (where allowed) with local investigations and complaints.
Occasionally students encounter complaints arising from dealings with patients during the clinical aspects of their course. This might result in a local investigation. If a school believes a serious concern has been identified that calls into question whether a student should continue on the course, an investigation and hearing might be conducted under local fitness to practise procedures.
It’s rare, but students can also face a criminal investigation arising from their involvement in the care of patients.
As a student member, you can contact us for support in these circumstances and request our assistance in conducting your defence to the allegations.
If you’re going on elective it's important to make sure you have adequate indemnity in place. It’s likely your elective host will ask you for written confirmation, or may even ask you to pay for indemnity. One of the benefits of student membership is free elective indemnity.
When you’ve decided on your destination go to My membership and complete the elective indemnity form. You can add up to three destinations and download and print your confirmation letter. We recommend you take this with you on your elective.
Unfortunately due to legislation we’re unable to offer indemnity for any work in Australia. However we can provide you with access to our 24-hour dento-legal advice line and indemnity for Good Samaritan acts.