It appears the GDC have been extremely busy this month clamping down on illegal tooth whiteners. In the space of five weeks, five different individuals were successfully prosecuted for unlawfully practising dentistry – namely tooth whitening.

Credit: ©sirup/iStock/Thinkstock

Natalie Kowalczyk from Jo and Cass Beauty Salon in Lancaster, Victoria Reeve from The Nail Bar in Halstead, Jade Hayes from LA Hair Extensions, Nottingham, Julie Marino, Director of The Teeth Whitening Company and Sam Wellman in Leeds were all prosecuted.

And they say the ARF is too expensive…!

Speaking of ARF, The GDC has launched a consultation on the level of its ARF for dentists and dental care professionals in 2016. While proposing that the ARF levels remain the same as in 2015, the GDC is taking this opportunity to conduct an exceptional consultation to:

  • Set out the financial and other information on which the proposal is based

  • Seek views on the proposed level of the fees.

Based on ‘projections of the levels of complaints’ – which they believe will remain at recent peak levels - and sound financial modelling covering the work of the GDC, they are proposing that the ARF for 2016 remains the same as in 2015: £890 for dentists and £116 for dental care professionals.

Mick Armstrong, Chair of the British Dental Association responded by saying: 'The General Dental Council has announced a consultation on not changing their fees. We hope they aren't expecting us to take any comfort from this, as for 40,000 dentists ‘business as usual’ means another year shackled to the most expensive, and least effective health regulator in Britain.

'This latest announcement shows nothing has changed. Dentists are still paying double the average for UK health professionals. Registrants are still on the receiving end of the same one-sided conversation from a cavalier regulator, which continues to ignore its own failings.

‘What we've not seen is any real willingness from a failed regulator to get on top of its day job, and to finally draw a line under years of mission creep. For our part we will be subjecting these numbers to forensic scrutiny. We encourage all colleagues to have their say, so we can see what GDC's commitment to ‘transparency’ and ‘openness’ really means.’

The GDC remains the most expensive healthcare regulator in the UK – at £890 its annual retention fee is more than twice the average professional fee – and it was recently identified as the worst performing regulator by the Professional Standards Authority in its Annual Performance Review.