The General Dental Council (GDC) has begun a review of its Standards and Scope of practice guidance, is to begin a series of events speaking directly to registrants in Northern Ireland, and is calling for more people to get involved in its consultation on dental education.

It is five years since the GDC replaced Maintaining standards with its Standards guidance. The move to ethical principles was a significant change in direction at the time but the last five years have seen great changes in regulation and in the GDC itself.

Since registration of dental care professionals (DCPs) began in 2008, the GDC now has more than 92,000 dental professionals on its registers. Through speaking to registrants, patients and other stakeholders and holding consultations, focus groups and a working group, and by attending events, the GDC will review the current Standards. It will look at what works and does not work in the current documents, and what is missing.

The Scope of practice review will run alongside this and the GDC hopes to produce the new guidance in early 2012.

On 12 January 2011 dental professionals in Northern Ireland will have the opportunity to meet GDC staff face to face, learn more about how its works affects them, tell them what they think of the GDC's Standards guidance, give their views on revalidation and have their questions answered. The event, which will be held at Templepatrick Hotel and Country Club in Belfast, will be free of charge and will include CPD.

'This a great opportunity for registrants in Northern Ireland to speak directly to their professional regulator,' said Donncha O'Carolan, Chief Dental Officer for Northern Ireland and affiliate member of the GDC. 'The GDC is keen to meet registrants and get their views.'

The GDC's 'Learning Outcomes' project is a fresh approach to dental education leading to GDC registration. It is proposed that the two publications The first five years and Developing the dental team are replaced with one combined publication.

'Learning Outcomes' looks at the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours GDC registrants must have to practise safely, effectively and professionally in the relevant registration category.

The consultation on the proposal, which opened on 13 September 2010, will close on 3 December 2010. See www.gdc-uk.org.