What are Section 63 and 'approved' courses and how are they organised?

Although Section 63 courses for general dental practitioners in the NHS have been running for many years, there seems to be poor understanding of what 'Section 63' means and how it operates. To some extent this is because of the changes which have taken place since it was introduced and the tremendous expansion in postgraduate dental education (and its objectives) in recent years. The introduction of other 'approved' courses and postgraduate education allowances have created further uncertainties. This paper gives an overview of Section 63, the source of the funds, how they are allocated, how they may be used and who is eligible, and outlines details of other 'approved' courses and the various allowances which GDPs can claim in relation to these different categories of courses.