CPD for dental professionals

Number of verifiable CPD hours to complete

The minimum number of verifiable CPD hours you'll need to complete during your five-year cycle depends on your registered title:

• dentists need to do a minimum of 100 hours
• dental therapists, dental hygienists, orthodontic therapists and clinical dental technicians need to do 75 hours
• dental nurses and dental technicians need to do 50 hours
• temporary registrants (dentists) need to do 20 hours.

If you are registered with more than one title, you must do the minimum amount of CPD for the title that requires the higher number of hours.

You can login to your eGDC account at any time to find out how much CPD you need to complete during the year.

Do at least 10 hours of CPD every two years

We also ask dental professionals to spread their CPD across the five-year cycle. This is achieved through the requirement to do a minimum of 10 hours of verifiable CPD across any consecutive two-year period, including when you end one cycle and start a new one.

You can choose to not do CPD in any given year, but you then need to ensure you do at least 10 hours the year before, or the year after, to comply. Record zero hours in your CPD statement when you renew.

This is how it works:

You can find out more about development outcomes, including content examples in our CPD guidance.

Removal from the register for not meeting your CPD requirements

Dental professionals who do not meet the minimum CPD requirements, or fail to complete an annual CPD statement, may be removed from the register by the GDC’s Registrar. If this happens, you will not be able to practise dentistry in the UK.

We will remind you to complete your CPD declaration each year. In the final year of your cycle we will also remind you that if you’re unable to complete your minimum number of CPD hours before the deadline, you can ask for more time. This is known as a grace period.  

Once the deadline for completing your CPD declaration has passed, you will be notified if you have not met the minimum CPD requirements. This could be because you have not completed the total number of CPD hours in your five-year cycle, or not completed at least ten hours of CPD in any two-year period (including year one of a new cycle).

You will be given a further opportunity to show that you are compliant before the decision is taken whether to remove you from the register.

You also have a right of appeal against the decision.

If you are removed from the register, and wish to apply for restoration, you can find out more information on rejoining the register. 

Exceptional circumstances

We understand that life can be unpredictable and we will consider any reasons you provide for why you have not met your CPD requirements before deciding whether to remove you from the register. If exceptional personal circumstances beyond your control have prevented you from completing your required CPD, we will consider these on a case-by-case basis. Examples of these circumstances include serious illness or bereavement of a close relative. 

Please note that factors, including the length of prior registration and professional standing of a registrant, are highly unlikely to be considered relevant to the Registrar’s final decision on whether to remove a dental professional from the register. This is because they are likely to be outweighed by the public interest in upholding CPD requirements across the profession and protecting the public. Other such factors are listed within the guidance below.

You can find out more in our guidance on the Registrar’s decision-making process, or you can contact us if you have any questions related to this.