Professional bodies and organisations increasingly require health care professionals, including dentists, to account for their learning as part of mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. In recent years, there has been a shift from an input-based model to an outcome- based model in order to respond to the needs of dental professionals. In this commentary, we aim to explore the learning assumptions inscribed in these models for CPD. Drawing on one of the authors' dental work experiences and contemporary professional learning literature, we hope to incite discussions on widening our perspectives about dentists’ professional learning and the implications for CPD.