The International Dental Organisation UK, IDO UK, an organisation made up of dental practitioners, will formally launch in London this March. Its core mission is to support the UK dental industry by increasing the quality of dental care quality and improving access for consumers. IDO will also focus on reducing barriers for overseas dentists to practise in the UK to help bridge the deepening gap in the dental workforce.

Many thousands of qualified overseas dentists want to practise in the UK, some of whom are already in the country working as dental nurses or in unrelated sectors. However, registration processes are blocking easy recruitment. This is unacceptable at a time of acute staffing shortages within UK dentistry, and long waiting lists for patient appointments across the country.

The overseas registration exam (ORE), which overseas qualified dentists must pass in order to register with the General Dental Council and practise in the UK, is characterised by delays and long waiting times, with applicants sometimes waiting up to two years to complete the exam. There are also high costs associated with the process, which can cost individuals almost £4,000.

Reducing barriers for overseas dentists to join the UK dental workforce would significantly reduce pressure on the UK dental industry and improve patient care.

As well as pushing for reforms to UK dental registration systems, IDO UK aims to improve the quality of oral healthcare and advocate for high standards of patient care. Its vision is to create a vibrant community of dental professionals, both national and domestic, across the country, and drive innovation, collaboration and continuous improvements within the sector.

Commenting on the launch, Chair of the Association of Dental Groups (ADG) and IDO UK Trustee Neil Carmichael said: ‘The ADG is delighted to support the work of the IDO.

‘We know international recruitment is essential for the future of dentistry in the UK so the IDO's role as a support structure, pathway to registration as a dentist, and beacon for professional development is incredibly valuable in delivering effective workforce planning.'

The launch event was due to take place on 6 March 2024 at the Royal Over-Seas Leaguein London.

In other news, the ADG has continued its campaign to boost Britain's dental workforce by urging the GDC to speed up the approval of qualified dentists through the overseas registration exam (ORE).

At present, there is a bottleneck of 2,000 overseas dentists waiting to take the ORE, which is characterised by lengthy delays.

While the ADG fully supports the NHS long-term workforce plan to increase UK training of dentists, this will only see significant increases in qualified dentists from mid-2030. By that time, many NHS dental practices will be closed.