The General Dental Council wants you back

Dental care professionals (DCPs) who missed the 31 July annual retention fee (ARF) deadline still have a chance to register with the General Dental Council (GDC).
 
Being registered with the GDC is a legal requirement for DCPs in the UK. All dental nurses, orthodontic therapists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental technicians and clinical dental technicians must be registered in order to practise. Those who failed to pay their fee on time have been removed from the register.
 
Patients, members of the public and employers can check whether someone is registered by using GDC’s online register at www.gdc-uk.org.
 
 
Head of registration at the GDC, Gurvinder Soomal, said: ‘We worked hard to ensure that all dental care professionals knew about the deadline and understood what would happen if they didn’t pay their ARF on time. We are equally committed to making sure those who want to restore to our register are helped through this process. At the end of July there were more than 58,000 DCPs on our register and while 3,387 have been removed for non-payment, we are pleased that so many met this year’s deadline.’
 
 
Dental care professionals who didn’t pay on time and want to return to the register must:
• Complete a form to apply for restoration
• Have a medical examination and provide a character reference
• Pay a fee of £120
• Give evidence that they have completed the required amount of continuing professional development (CPD)
• If they were practising overseas while off the register, they must provide a letter of good standing from the relevant authority of the country/state in which they last worked
• If they were working in the UK while their name was erased from the register, they and their employer will need to explain the circumstances in a letter. If this has occurred they are advised to contact their solicitor or defence organisation before submitting their application.
 
 
Further information can be found at www.gdc-uk.org or by calling 0845 222 4141.