Internationally qualified dentists outnumber UK-qualified dentists joining GDC register for first time

We have today published our annual Registration Statistical Report for 2025, showing a 4.7% increase in the number of registered dental professionals in the UK over the past year.  

As of December 2025, 131,680 dental professionals were registered with the GDC. The number of dentists increased by 3.4% to 47,916, and dental care professionals (DCP) by 5.5% to 83,764. 

The report includes comparison data from previous years to show trends and changes. For the first time, internationally qualified dentists now outnumber UK-qualified dentists joining the register, 53% compared to 47%.  

The number of dental nurses increased by 6,473 (5.4%) to 68,472. Dental nurses now make up over 50% of all those registered with the GDC, with 96% of those who joined the register in 2025 being female. 

The number of registered dental therapists grew by 21% to 8,661, while the number of dental hygienists increased by 11% to 11,292; and 71% (1,044) of new dental therapist registrations and 55% (591) of dental hygienist registrations were from internationally qualified dentists who joined the register with DCP titles, a route that has now closed. 

Despite overall growth, the number of dental technicians dropped for the sixth consecutive year, falling below 5,000 for the first time. Only 143 dental technicians joined the register in 2025.  

In total, there were 9,332 additions to the register in 2025, down from 9,888 in 2024. 

Theresa Thorp, Executive Director of Regulation at the GDC, said: 

"This report provides important insights into the dental workforce, the people who make up our register, and dental professions that are growing and changing.  

“Supporting a diverse and growing dental workforce is one of the core commitments in our strategy, Trusted and Effective, for 2026 to 2028, and we’re committed to ensuring our registration processes are as straightforward as possible for those joining our register.” 

Registration timeliness and performance 

• For the first time, the report includes a dedicated section on registration timeliness.
• The Registration team assessed 12,654 applications across all routes in 2025, compared to 12,978 in 2024.
• We met, and in several areas exceeded, its timeliness targets across all UK and specialist registration routes in 2025. 

Diversity and demographics 

• The dental register is predominantly female, with 78% of all dental professionals identifying as female, including 54% of dentists and 92% of DCPs.
• 31% of dentists are of Asian or Asian British ethnic origin (2024: 30%), which is three times higher than the proportion in the total UK population.
• 46% of dentists identified as being of white ethnic grouping (2024: 47%), compared to 74% of DCPs (2024: 75%).