Number of registered UK dentists increases following recent renewal
The number of dentists on the UK Register, following the recent annual renewal period, has increased compared with recent years.
On the morning after removals, there were 44,209 dentists on the Register; a 2.5 per cent increase compared with last year, with 1,079 more dentists on the register.
This year, 1,003 dentists did not renew their registration, which is 2.3 per cent of those on the Register on 31 December. This compares with an average of 2.6 per cent over the previous four years.
We recognise there are important issues of concern, including access to NHS dental services and significant ongoing recruitment challenges
A spokesperson for t5he General Dental Council (GDC) said: “While we recognise there are important issues of concern, including access to NHS dental services and significant ongoing recruitment challenges in some areas, it is important to note that this data does not provide insight into the number of professionals working in different patterns – e.g. full time vs part time – how many dentists are working in NHS services compared to private practice, local workforce conditions, or the numbers of professionals working in different roles, e.g. academic.
“However, for the first time, as part of the dentists’ renewal process in 2023, we have gathered data about the work dentists do, including the number of hours they are working, whether they are working in the NHS or privately, and in clinical or non-clinical roles. We will publish these figures once the analysis is complete.
“While the register is constantly changing, what we invariably see – for both the dentist and dental care professional registers – is that over the course of the year, the number of registered professionals increases due to new registrations, and then that number drops at the point of renewal as professionals leave the Register for a range of reasons.”
The GDC publishes monthly registration reports which provide further information.
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