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The GDC was established in 1956 to set and maintain standards in UK dentistry.
In this section you can find out about who we regulate and our statutory functions, and read our 2020 - 2022 corporate strategy - Right time Right place Right touch.
Right time Right place Right touch
The General Dental Council (GDC) is the UK-wide statutory regulator of around 112,000 members of the dental team, including approximately 42,000 dentists and 70,000 dental care professionals. Our primary purpose is to protect public safety and maintain public confidence in dental services.
To achieve this, we register qualified dental professionals, set standards for the dental team, investigate complaints about dental professionals' fitness to practise, and work to ensure the quality of dental education. Our powers to fulfil this work are established by The Dentists Act 1984.
Who we regulate
We are the organisation which regulates dentists and dental care professionals in the United Kingdom.
More about who we regulate
Statutory functions
The work of the General Dental Council (GDC) is defined and governed by the Dentists Act 1984.
More about statutory functions
Our Governance framework
The role of the Governance team is to support the Council, its non-statutory and independent Committees and the Senior Leadership team.
More about our Governance framework
Right time Right place Right touch
Our approach to strategy development aims to make the relationship between our regulatory activity and the fees we charge more visible.
More about our corporate strategy
Annual report and accounts
Our annual reports show the progress we've made and full financial statements for the previous year.
Read our annual reports
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
We want to be sure that our policies and ways of working are fair to all individuals and groups.
More about EDI
Facts and figures
We regularly produce facts and figures about our work and organisation.
More facts and figures
Who we work with
We engage with a variety of organisations, regulators and bodies representing patient care and healthcare professionals.
More about who we work with