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 to register as a Dental Hygienist, Dental Therapist, Orthodontic Therapist, Dental Technician and Dental Nurse, with the GDC (General Dental Council). 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)
• professional references from employers referring to your clinical experience and knowledge as a DCP
• 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 4-5 months 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, however, currently these timelines are around six-seven months

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.