Dental care professionals (DCPs) registering with the General Dental Council (GDC) will be able to ask either their employing or supervising dentist or a doctor to sign their health certificate, following changes made by the Council.

Dental technicians and dental nurses who do not work in a clinical environment will need to make a self-declaration about their health and confirm they do not have any clinical contact with patients.

The GDC says the registration application process enables it to assess an applicant's fitness to carry out their professional duties - DCPs applying for registration need to provide certain information about their professional training, character and health. The changes are in recognition of the fact that some roles are more exposure-prone than others and therefore carry different degrees of risk for patients.

Applicants who may have already paid for medical examinations as part of the application process, who would not require them under the new guidance, will be eligible to apply to the GDC for a refund. For more information visit www.gdc-uk.org/Potential+registrant/ or call 020 7887 3800.