Total number of UK registered dental care professionals increases following renewal

15 August, 2023

The number of dental care professionals (DCPs) on the UK Register, following the recent annual renewal period, has risen when compared with the trajectory of previous years. On the morning after removals there were 71,769 DCPs on the Register, an increase of 2,093 on the equivalent figure for 2022. 

This year, 3,541 DCPs did not renew their registration, which is 4.9% of those who had renewed their registration by 31 July. This compares to an average of 6.4% over the previous four years. 

DCP Annual Renewal Fees	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
ARF payments received (by 31 July)	68,539	68,751	69,556	69,676	71,769
Other registrations¹	99	120	69	106	35
Register count following removals²	68,638	68,871	69,625	69,782	71,804
Removals³	4,022	4,562	4,618	4,377	3,541
Removals as % of ARF payments received	5.9%	6.6%	6.6%	6.3%	4.9%

¹ The register numbers change daily. The register count includes ARF payments, restorations, Fitness to Practise retentions and new additions to the register (between 1 and 2 August for 2022). 

² Register count in week following the renewal period (for 2022 this was 3 August). 

³ Reasons for removal include voluntary removal, non-payment, retirement, and notifications of death. 

This year, we are also providing a breakdown of removals by professional title for the last five years. The statistics show that the number of DCPs removed was lower than last year for all titles with the exception of orthodontic therapists where there was a slight increase.  

Number of DCPS removed from the Register	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Clinical dental technician	11	11	8	8	6
Dental hygienist	176	275	262	244	172
Dental nurse	3,590	3,981	4,031	3,941	3,189
Dental technician	293	343	317	261	210
Dental therapist	54	81	97	92	78
Orthodontic therapist	7	10	10	10	11

The number of dental nurses removed from the Register fell by 752 compared to last year, with the total number on the register standing at 59,238 at the time of compiling. The numbers of other professions on the Register as of 3 August were as follows: clinical dental technician, 404; dental hygienist, 9,177; dental technician, 5,023; dental therapist, 5,558; orthodontic therapist, 957. 

These figures provide a useful benchmark for the total number of DCPs registered in the UK. However, it is important to note that they do not provide insight into the number of professionals working in different patterns (e.g. full time vs part time), how many DCPs are working in NHS services compared to private practice or local workforce condition. 

While workforce planning does not lie within the GDC’s statutory remit, we have stated our intention to gather, with the support of stakeholders, some simple workforce data as part of the annual renewal of dentists’ registration, providing that it does not disrupt the renewal process, to inform the discussion on this important issue. 

While the register is constantly changing, what we invariably see (for both the dentist and DCP registers) is that over the course of the year, the number of registered professionals fluctuates due to new registrations, and as professionals leave the Register for a range of reasons. 

This year, we have made it easier for dental professionals to restore their name to the registers so that they can continue to practise in the UK. This important change means that dental professionals who have been off the register for less than 12 months and have always complied with CPD, are able to sign a declaration that it is up to date, rather than send us a copy of their full CPD record. 

We publish monthly and annual registration reports, which provide further information, with the annual data for 2022 published in May. 