Dentistry is a regulated profession in the UK. As such, dentists must be registered with the GDC, and they need to have passed their dental exams within the last five years. On this post, we explore all you need to know about Can A Foreign Trained Dentist Work As A Dental Hygienist In Uk, how to register as dental therapist in uk, dental therapist uk salary, gdc registration for overseas dentist and foreign trained dentist as dental hygienist.

Dentists who have been trained overseas, outside of the EEA, can become registered dental hygienists and therapists in the UK. They do not have to undertake a practical assessment of their ability to diagnose and treat dental disease as part of their registration. The same conditions apply to foreign qualified dentists who wish to register in England and Wales as for UK dentists. Read on to know more about: Can A Foreign Trained Dentist Work As A Dental Hygienist In Uk, how to register as dental therapist in uk, dental therapist uk salary, gdc registration for overseas dentist and foreign trained dentist as dental hygienist.

It is also possible for dentists who have qualified in the EEA or Switzerland to register as dentists in the UK. However, there are some conditions attached to this. The candidate must first have been registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) as a dentist in their home country before they can apply for registration in the UK; they must also pass an English language test and prove that they have been working full-time as a dentist for at least two years.

There are currently no requirements for foreign-trained dentists to pass a practical assessment of their ability to diagnose and treat dental disease before they can register as a dentist in the UK.

However, there is a requirement for them to pass an English language test and prove that they have studied at least one year of study in the UK before setting up a practice here.

Can A Foreign Trained Dentist Work As A Dental Hygienist In Uk

We begin with Can A Foreign Trained Dentist Work As A Dental Hygienist In Uk, then how to register as dental therapist in uk, dental therapist uk salary, gdc registration for overseas dentist and foreign trained dentist as dental hygienist.

Dental organisations are calling for the GDC to suspend a registration route for overseas dentists.

In a joint statement, the British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT) and British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT) are lobbying all members of the GDC in a bid to kickstart an urgent discussion.

Currently, dentists trained overseas, outside of the EEA, are able to register as dental hygienists and therapists in the UK. There is no requirement for a practical assessment of their ability to diagnose and treat dental disease.

Upmost urgency

According to the statement, there has been a 300% increase in this route to registration since 2017. The route requires no overseas registration exam (ORE).

As a result, the organisations are urging the GDC to suspend the registration route and ‘treat this matter with the upmost urgency’.

‘We, the BADT and BSDHT, advise all members of council that this route to registration presents risk of serious harm to patients. This is because of the lack of a practical skills assessment,’ the letter states.

‘We strongly feel that the mapping of learning outcomes carried out by the Registration Committee is woefully inadequate.

‘We do not accept representation by GDC executive arm that a lack of evidence of harm being caused by these individuals demonstrates the above is a safe route to registration as a dental hygienist and dental therapist.’

Obvious risk

Additionally, it states: ’13 of the 15 tests applied at an ORE are applicable to the scope of practice of dental hygienists and dental therapists.

‘Various Freedom of Information requests that have been shared publicly clearly demonstrate that around 50% of those taking the ORE fail at the practical assessment stage.

‘We say this is evidence enough. There is an obvious risk to patients coming to permanent harm should these individuals go on to register as dental hygienists and therapists.’

how to register as dental therapist in uK

Now we consider how to register as dental therapist in uk, dental therapist uk salary, gdc registration for overseas dentist and foreign trained dentist as dental hygienist.

How to register as a Dental Hygienist or Dental Therapist in the UK?

If you hold a BDS Dental Degree from overseas, you can apply for individual assessment. If your application is successful, you will be eligible for registration.

Step 1: Request an Assessment Application Form from GDC.

• The first thing you need to do is to request the proforma from GDC.
• You need to request this from GDC’s website. For your ease, you can use this external link to go to the relevant page on GDC’s website directly https://www.egdc-uk.org/Application/RegistrationInformation
• Then select ‘ROUTE TO REGISTER’. Please note, you will be asked to complete the route to registration questionnaire.
• Once you have completed the online proforma form, submit it.
• The information submitted will be reviewed by General Dental Council (GDC) and you will be notified by email of the appropriate application form and guidance you need to submit to apply to register with the GDC.
• GDC says to allow 10 working days to assess the details and send the assessment application pack by return email. Even though GDC says 10 working days, we have seen they send it to you in 1-2 working days.
• Please read through GDC’s official Frequently Asked Questions on the Assessment Process here. This is an external link on GDC’s website: Assessment process of DCPs

Step 2: Complete the different forms.

• You will receive 4/5 items attached in the email from the DCP Assessment Team at General Dental Council.
• Learning Outcomes Form: The biggest challenge in this step is the Learning Outcomes Form. You need your full University’s syllabus or curriculum to be able to complete this form. This form is very detailed and requires you to very carefully ensure that all the learning outcomes for either Therapist or Hygienist are completed properly. You need to ensure there are no gaps in your qualification, and all the training plus CPD are also completed to overcome any of these gaps in your course. One thing to note here is that if you do not fill this form properly, GDC will most likely reject your application.
• If you are struggling with the Learning Outcomes Form, our team is available to provide expert guidance and support. Feel free to Contact Us.
• DCP Assessment Form: The second form you would need to fill is the Application form itself which is called the DCP Assessment Form. Though it contains more than 20 pages, this is a relatively easier form to complete. The information requested will be all personal details from you.
• Certificate of Good Standing Form: This form needs to be completed by your Dental Council or Medical Council where you are registered as a Dentist.
• Professional Reference Form: This form needs to be completed by a previous or current employer relating to the relevant dental profession.

Step 3: What Documents will I need to send with my application for Dental Hygienist/ Therapist registration?

These are the documents you will need to send to the General Dental Council (GDC):

• a completed Application Form (this includes the Character Reference Form)
• a completed Learning Outcomes Form
• a certified copy of your BDS or Dental qualification certificate
• a certified copy of the Syllabus / Curriculum from the university or college
• a certified copy of the transcript or mark-sheets for your course
• certificates/ evidence of relevant training courses and CPD
• evidence that you have the required English language standard necessary for registration (The details on the requirements can be found on GDC’s website. This is an external link on GDC’s website: English language controls page)
• references from employers referring to your experience and knowledge as a dental care professionals
• evidence of any relevant postgraduate qualifications (if applicable)
• a certified copy of your valid passport, clearly showing your photograph and personal details as well as the expiry date of the document
• a passport sized photograph of yourself that has been signed on the back by your character referee
• a certificate of current professional standing (certificate of good standing)
• a certified copy of your change of name document, if you’re married
• translations of documents which are not issued in English
• One photocopy of your whole application

GDC will return incomplete applications without assessment.

Step 4: Waiting. How long will GDC take for DCP registration?

When the General Dental Council (GDC) receives your application:

• GDC will contact you by email to confirm they have received your application within five days.
• GDC will check your application and documents within four weeks of receipt of the application pack.
• GDC will contact you if there is a problem with your application (this could include returning your application if it is considered incomplete).
• If all goes okay, GDC forwards your application to the next available assessment panel, if it is considered complete as per requirements.
• Once the assessment panel finishes the assessment, GDC will inform you of their decision on your application (in writing, so you will get a letter by post)
• The General Dental Council (GDC) has a maximum of four months from receipt of a complete application to inform an applicant of its decision.

It is an offence under section 39 of the Dentists Act 1984 (as amended) to use a DCP title without being registered with the GDC.

The process takes a good few weeks so please do plan in advance. 

You can either go through the application process on your own, or for the “peace of mind”, get support from our expert team of Dental Hygienist / Dental Therapist who has gone through the same tedious process themselves to get registered with the GDC and have helped with many applications.

We will be able to guide you through the entire process and try to work with you in an attempt to get the application accepted in the first time. Feel free to Contact Us.

dental therapist uk salary

More details coming up on dental therapist uk salary, gdc registration for overseas dentist and foreign trained dentist as dental hygienist.

A person working as a Dental Therapist in United Kingdom typically earns around 67,600 GBP per year. Salaries range from 33,100 GBP (lowest) to 106,000 GBP (highest).

This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Dental Therapist salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.

The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range

• Salary RangeDental Therapist salaries in United Kingdom range from 33,100 GBP per year (minimum salary) to 106,000 GBP per year (maximum salary).
• Median SalaryThe median salary is 69,000 GBP per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Dental Therapist(s) are earning less than 69,000 GBP while the other half are earning more than 69,000 GBP. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
• PercentilesClosely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Dental Therapist(s) are earning less than 46,000 GBP while 75% of them are earning more than 46,000 GBP. Also from the diagram, 75% of Dental Therapist(s) are earning less than 89,000 GBP while 25% are earning more than 89,000 GBP.

What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios.

gdc registration for overseas dentist

What is the ORE?

The ORE is an exam that overseas qualified dentists have to pass in order to register with the GDC. Registration allows dentists to practise unsupervised in the UK.

The ORE tests the clinical skills and knowledge of dentists whose qualifications are not recognised in the UK. Candidates are expected to meet or exceed the standard of a ‘just passed’ UK BDS graduate.

A candidate is expected to be able to show competence, knowledge and familiarity in the different aspects of dentistry.

Both parts of the exam are mapped to learning outcomes and a candidate could be tested on any dentistry aspects in this document.

The exam uses modern assessment methods to ensure a robust and consistent exam. The exam has two parts.

foreign trained dentist as dental hygienist

Dentists have power to limit the types of services authorized. Moreover, general supervision doesn’t even require the supervisor to be physically present. Another state allows foreign trained dentists to take the hygiene board exams and practice as a hygienist.

This is not what we want for our patients or our profession. We need more dentists, not less. We need better training and more opportunities for our hygienists and dental assistants to grow and advance their careers within our profession.

The Board of Dental Examiners may be considering changes that would allow foreign trained dentists to practice as hygienists in California without ever having practiced as a dentist in California. This could mean that your dentist will someday have been trained in a foreign country and never practiced as a dentist here before working on you!

Please help us stop this from happening by signing this petition and sharing it with your friends and family so they can help too!