Sir,- In a recent interview on GMTV the Chief Dental Officer spelled out the government's plans for the future of NHS dentistry. The government proposes to set up NHS dental clinics staffed by salaried dentists. This begs the question as to where they will find these dentists. It is unlikely that they will find the many thousands necessary within the UK or within the existing EU. The ethos of the UK GDP is a self-employed professional. Since very few now want to provide NHS treatment, even in general practice, the likelihood of attracting significant numbers into these positions is remote.

The salaries likely to be offered for these positions may appear attractive to those new EU members who have recognised diplomas but, once here, even they will seek the higher remuneration offered by private practice. What the government needs is a workforce that is tied into these clinics as a condition of working in the UK. It would appear that they have been working on this plan for some time because Duncan Rudkin, deputy registrar of the GDC, said in a speech to the DPB in April 2002, 'Conditional registration was also being considered for non-EU practitioners and for those from within the EU a review is underway on the effects of the current European directives.' The Report of the Registration Review Group published in November 2002 states, 'The DoH is concerned that an over-restrictive interpretation of the Act is preventing overseas qualified dentists from obtaining temporary registration for certain posts in the NHS.' (10.20) That the backbone of NHS dental services should be provided by dentists whose training is deemed inadequate, (some of the new EU countries) or of unknown quality, (non-EU countries), either under temporary registration regulations, or as IQE students without registration, another possibility under the new Dentists Act, is totally unacceptable.

There is still time for the new elected GDC to reverse the decision of the previous, mainly appointed, GDC to allow temporary registrants to work in primary care. If they do not they will be failing both the public and the profession. Incidentally the queue for these jobs is already starting to form. The following is part of a posting on the dentists' web discussion forum GDP-UK, 'Well my friends I am a dentist in India (remember crown jewel etc, your colonial past) and there are thousands of fully qualified dentists (me included) who would love to work anywhere in the UK, government or otherwise (but preferably government). In fact the level of desperation here is such that you would find our dentists ready to work as surgery assistants and hygienists in the UK.' I hope that the GDC will fulfil its duty.