Updated guidance on the scope of practice for clinical roles has been released by the General Dental Council (GDC).
Published today (16 September), the new guidance will come into effect on 1 November. It has been developed following what the GDC describes as a ‘comprehensive review’ and consultation with dental professionals, educators, indemnifiers and other stakeholders.
While it does not change the scope of any role within the dental profession, the GDC said the new guidance will provide further clarity on the boundaries of each title.
In general, the 2025 guidance has transitioned from a list of tasks that a certain professional can perform to more general description of roles. For example, the 2025 document says that dental hygienists are responsible for ‘providing oral health education, promotion, and screening, with a focus on prevention, underpinned by a holistic approach to oral and general healthcare’, while the 2013 guidance lists tasks such as ‘carry out oral cancer screening’ and ‘recognise anomalies’.
The new guidance also makes direct reference to the Safe Practitioner framework in each scope description, which the previous version does not.
‘The clarity and support that dental professionals have called for’
Ross Scales, GDC head of upstream regulation, said: ‘Our aim has been to provide the clarity and support that dental professionals have called for, allowing them to work to their full scope and use their professional judgement to put patients first.
‘We are grateful to all those who contributed to this review, and we look forward to supporting the professions in understanding and applying the revised guidance.’
The GDC will deliver explanatory sessions in the coming months to help dental professionals and stakeholders understand the changes and address any questions.
The full version of the updated guidance can be found here.
‘Long overdue and necessary’
Yvonne Shaw, underwriting policy lead at Dental Protection, said the update was ‘long overdue and necessary due to continuous changes in treatment modalities and delivery of care’.
She continued: ‘We acknowledge the challenge of producing guidance that is both clear for the profession and flexible enough to adapt to future developments in dentistry. As this guidance is implemented, it will be important for the GDC to actively listen to feedback from the profession and to provide further clarification and support where needed.
‘We welcome the focus on training and competence and how the GDC considers competency can be developed and maintained. This includes the importance placed on feedback from colleagues, supervisors, mentors and trainers.’
Rhiannon Jones, president of the BSDHT, also commented on the impact of the new guidance on dental hygienists and dental therapists. She said: ‘The GDC’s revised scope of practice guidance is a significant step forward. The clarity it brings is long overdue and will help dental hygienists and dental therapists practise with confidence, ensuring they can safely use their full skill set for the benefit of patients.
‘Just as importantly, it highlights the role of skill mix in modern dentistry, showing how the whole dental team can contribute more effectively to widening access and improving outcomes. Professional title is only the starting point: competence, proper training and suitable indemnity remain essential.’
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