If you are looking to practice dentistry in the United Kingdom, it is important to make sure that your clinic is registered with the General Dental Council (GDC). This is a regulatory body that ensures that all dental professionals meet the necessary standards of practice. To check if your clinic is registered, you will need to look into your registration path. This includes qualifications awarded in the European Union, the European Economic Area, and all other major qualifications awarded by a foreign institution.
The GDC website has a questionnaire available to help you determine which registry is right for your office. The Overseas Registration Examination (ORE) is also available for those who have obtained their qualifications outside of the United Kingdom. This exam evaluates the clinical skills and knowledge of dentists from outside the European Economic Area whose qualifications do not allow full registration in the GDC here in the UK. In addition to checking your registration path, it is important to research the global, national and international migration of dentists, their migratory motivations and their professional integration experiences.
International dental graduates are increasingly contributing to the UK's dental staff and there is an urgent need to research the migration and retention of dentists in the United Kingdom to support patient access to dental care. It is also important to consider the impact of international hiring on providing dental staff, particularly during and after the pandemic. Timelines of events and policy changes in healthcare, dentistry and immigration can be found on websites and archives of the United Kingdom Department of Health, the Home Office, the British Dental Association, the European Union and the Organization for Economic and Trade Development.
