eGDCWhat you can expect from your dental professional
We are committed to helping you understand what to expect from your dental professional, what to do if your expectations are not met and what action we take to protect you.
We issue guidance documents to all dental professionals, setting out the standards they must work to. You can read these documents on our Standards for the Dental Team page.
Your rights
Before you agree to any dental treatment, you should ask yourself these questions.
- Do you know whether the planned treatment will be provided under the NHS or privately?
- Do you know the likely cost? If a price list is not on display in the practice, you can ask to see one.
- Do you understand what the planned treatment involves? Ask for a written treatment plan, if you would find that helpful.
- Has your dentist told you if there are other treatment options?
- Do you have all the information you need to make an informed decision?
- If a dental appliance is made for you, have you been offered a copy of the statement of manufacture?
- If you have any concerns, you should ask your dental professional for more information.
Our registers
By law, all dentists, dental nurses, dental technicians, dental hygienists, dental therapists, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists who provide your dental care must be registered with us.
To join our registers, these dental professionals need to prove that they are trained and qualified, and are of good character. You can search our registers to see if a dental professional is registered.
Some dentists with special training or experience are also on our specialist lists and therefore can call themselves a ‘specialist' in a particular branch of dentistry. To join a list and use that title, the dentist must show us how they are qualified and eligible to do so. Other dentists may work in particular areas of dentistry (for example, orthodontics) but they are not allowed to call themselves a specialist unless they are on these lists.
We expect dental professionals, while on our registers, to keep their skills up to date through continuing professional development. They also need to meet our Standards for the Dental Team.