The General Dental Council (GDC) is increasing the annual retention fee (ARF) for both dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs).

The dentist ARF will go up by £11.50 a month to £576 per annum beginning 31 December 2010. Restoration to the Dentists Register will cost £696 and temporary registration during any period of 12 months will cost £576.

Beginning 31 July 2011 the DCP ARF will increase from £96 to £120 per annum, equivalent to £2 more per month. Restoration to the DCP register will cost £144; first entry of a person's name will be a cost equivalent to £10 for every month until the renewal date of 31 July; and adding an additional DCP title will cost £12.

GDC Chair Alison Lockyer said: 'We have faced a very difficult decision over the annual retention fee for 2011. We have kept levels the same since 2008 and this combined with rising costs of regulation has left us with little room to manoeuvre as we set our budget for next year. Our new strategy has reaffirmed our commitment to protecting patients, regulating the dental team.'

Alison Lockyer also commented that the GDC's fitness to practise workload has risen by 40% and shows no sign of slowing, so more caseworks and hearings are required.

'We have restructured the GDC and cut back on staffing which is not directly linked to our regulatory function. [...] Currently the best information we have is that dentists account for at least 74% of our costs and dental care professionals 26%. That's why dentists' and dental care professionals' fees are going up by different percentages. Our commitment to protecting patients is one we believe you share.'