Illegal practice
By law, the following groups of professionals have to be registered with us to work in the UK:
- Dentists
- Clinical dental technicians
- Dental hygienists
- Dental nurses
- Dental technicians
- Dental therapists
- Orthodontic therapists
The Dentists Act 1984 makes it a criminal offence for a person who is not a registered dentist or a registered dental care professional to practise dentistry, or hold themselves out - whether directly or by implication - as practising or as being prepared to practise dentistry.
Search our register to find out if a dental professional is registered with us.
What we can do
We can prosecute people who practise dentistry without being registered with us and we are committed to protecting the public by bringing cases of illegal practice to Court.
We need evidence of an offence before we can proceed with a prosecution. We rely on information from others, particularly patients and we will investigate allegations made to us.
After making every effort to obtain sufficient evidence, the case proceeds to the local Magistrates Court. This means cases are decided by a Magistrate without a jury. The Court can impose a fine in the case of a successful prosecution.
If you would like to report someone you believe to be practising illegally you can do so by sending an email to
illegalpractice@gdc-uk.org, by calling 0845 222 4141 or by writing to:
Illegal Practice
The General Dental Council
44 Baker Street
London
W1U 7AL
Scope of practice
All GDC registrants are legally exempt from the criminal ban on the practice of dentistry by lay people. However we can take action through our
Fitness to Practise procedures if they work outside their
Scope of Practice. This describes the areas in which a dental professional has the knowledge, skills and experience to practise safely and effectively in the best interests of patients.