The General Dental Council (GDC) has published its new Standards for the dental team, replacing its current Standards Guidance.

The current standards were first published in May 2005, before the introduction of statutory registration for dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists.

Janet Collins, Head of Standards at the GDC, said that it has taken nearly three years to review the standards: 'We believe it has been worth the hard work. The project involved a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative research methods, registrant and stakeholder engagement and targeted qualitative research as well as consultation on the document itself. We listened to what people said throughout the process and made key changes on the basis of that feedback.'

The new standards include relevant patient expectations; standalone principles on communication and on personal behaviour; guidance on using social networking sites; greater emphasis on softer skills; and new requirements to display indicative prices for treatment.

The new guidance is effective from 30 September 2013 and can be viewed at www.gdc-uk.org/Dentalprofessionals/Standards/Pages/standards.aspx. Hard copies were sent to all registered dental professionals in the summer.