GDC registration and your work

The General Dental Council puts patient safety at the centre of its work. Dental professionals have to meet certain standards and expectations in order to get on and stay on our registers.

If you work in the UK as a dentist, clinical dental technician, dental nurse, dental hygienist, dental technician, dental therapist or orthodontic therapist, you must be registered with us. 

In order to remain on our registers, we expect you to:

• Commit to upholding and following our standards 
• Follow our additional guidance on matters such as Scope of Practice which describes the skills different registrant groups are trained and competent to do
• Pay your annual retention fees on time (for dentists - 31 December every year and for dental care professionals - 31 July every year)
• Maintain your continuing professional development (CPD)
• Have professional indemnity cover
• Keep your GDC registration details up-to-date
• Report breaches of standards (which could lead to fitness to practise cases)
• Keep up-to-date with the latest news

We can take action if you do not meet these expectations.

Specialist Lists

If you are dentist, you can also apply to join one of the GDC’s specialist lists, which make it easier for the public and other professionals to find you if you specialise in a particular aspect of dentistry.

If you can’t find what you need above or in the pages that follow, please search the site (above) or contact us.