The General Dental Council (GDC) is asking registrants to contribute their views on its proposals for the revalidation of dentists. Under the revalidation proposals, dentists will need to provide evidence in four key areas – professionalism, clinical, management and leadership, and communication. Evidence might include clinical audit, significant event analysis, patient surveys, and personal and practice development plans.

The GDC's President Hew Mathewson said that dentists could visit the website, read the proposals and let the Council know their views. 'The first cycle of revalidation for dentists is not expected to start until 2011. By that time we should have thoroughly tested the system that is finally introduced,' he said.

A series of pilots are due to begin throughout the UK in early 2009 which are aimed to help the Council assess how long it will take dentists to gather evidence required to revalidate, how easily it can be provided and how useful it is in the revalidation process. About 100 dentists will participate in each pilot, and the pilots are likely to be run in Scotland and England with both NHS and independent dentists.

Once revalidation is up and running for dentists, the GDC will look at introducing a system for other groups of dental professionals on its registers.