The UK dental team is facing one of its most far-reaching changes in its history with the expansion of General Dental Council (GDC) registration. In the UK, thousands of dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians, maxillofacial prosthetists and technologists and orthodontic therapists will be affected by the registration, which is set begin sometime in 2004.

But many want to know, if dental teams have gone for decades without being registered, why start now?

The answer lies, according to the GDC, in not only better protection for the thousands of patients seen in surgeries all over the UK, but in dental teams gaining proper recognition of their professional status and responsibility.

As the regulatory body of the dental profession, the GDC's role is to protect patients. It does this by keeping up-to-date lists of properly qualified dentists, dental hygienists and dental therapists, setting high standards of dental practice and conduct, maintaining high standards of dental education, requiring dentists to take part in continuing professional development (CPD) to keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date and taking action if there is doubt about whether a dental professional should be allowed to continue practising dentistry.

Currently, the GDC's powers - which are given to it by Parliament - cover all registered dentists, dental hygienists and dental therapists, but, in the future – probably late 2004 – they will apply to all registered PCDs. It will then be compulsory for dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians, maxillofacial prosthetists and technologists and orthodontic therapists to register with the GDC.

Being on the register

Being on the register will mean a number of things for the registrant. According to the GDC, by having a register the standard of education received by all members of the dental team can be guaranteed, and PCDs will gain proper recognition of their professional status and responsibilities. They will also benefit from improved educational and training opportunities.

This guaranteed standard of education being received will then increase protection for the public, helping them feel confident in all members of the dental profession and will also mean that PCDs will be responsible and accountable for their actions.

PCDs will gain proper recognition of their professional status and responsibilities

As the titles 'dental hygienist', 'dental therapist', 'dental nurse', 'dental technician', 'clinical dental technician', 'maxillofacial prosthetist and technologist' and 'orthodontic therapist' will be reserved by law for those PCDs who become registered, anyone wishing to use these titles will have to be registered with the GDC, otherwise they will be breaking the law.

What you need to join the register

The GDC asserts that entry onto the PCD register will be on the basis of training and approved qualifications recognised and regulated by it. However, for a period of two years from the opening of the register in 2004, PCDs who do not have recognised qualifications but have experience or have previously awarded qualifications, will be able to apply to register.

So, if you are a PCD who had years of experience but no qualifications, it does not mean that you are not eligible to register. When the PCD register opens, there will be a two-year ‘transitional period’ during which PCDs can apply under these conditions, and the GDC will assess whether or not your training and experience equip you to carry out the duties of a registered PCD.

Dental nurses will need four years full-time experience in the past eight years or the part-time equivalent and dental technicians will need seven years full-time experience or the part-time equivalent.

After the end of the two-year ‘transitional period’, the GDC makes it clear that PCDs will not be able to join the register based on experience alone, as they will need the approved qualification. They recommend that those who do not have qualifications should apply for registration as soon as the PCD register opens next year.

Dental nurses and dental technicians who are members of the Voluntary National Registers for their professions will be eligible to join the PCD register and maxillofacial prothesthists and technologists who are full members of the Institute of Maxillofacial Prothesthics and Technology will also be eligible to join.

Once registered, PCDs will be able to practise dentistry to the extent taught during their training and any treatment carried out by a PCD must be prescribed by a dentist who has examined the patient. However, all PCDs will be responsible to the GDC for practising within the limits of their competence.

Cost and training

The GDC will be charging PCDs an annual retention fee in order to remain on the register and to be allowed to keep practising, though as yet it has not decided what the fee will be. It also states that keeping skills and knowledge up-to-date is an integral part of professional accountability and plans to introduce a compulsory minimum number of hours of continual professional development (CPD) for PCDs, but the details of this have yet to be established.

There is also a committee which make decisions on dental professionals' fitness to practise. The Fitness to Practice panel is drawn from an independent pool of dental professionals and lay people. When it receives a complaint about someone on its registers, the GDC investigates complaints about the professional conduct or fitness to practise of dentists or PCDs and has the power to remove or restrict a registrant's right to practise if it is in the public interest.

Once PCDs have registered, the GDC intends to issue guidance to registrants on their roles and responsibilities, which it will expect PCDs to abide by. Registrants will then be responsible to the GDC for practising within the limits of their competence, and dentists, as leaders of the dental team, will be responsible to the GDC for ensuring that members of the dental team are not asked to undertake tasks that go beyond their training and skills.

The GDC does not know when in 2004 the register will open as new legislation is needed to make this possible. It intends to publicise when PCDs can apply for entry to the PCD register as soon as it is finalised and will contact all registered dentists and professional associations to let them know.

Statutory registration will not yet extend to practice managers and receptionists as the GDC's efforts have been concentrated upon registering categories of PCD who have a clinical involvement with patients. Although there are currently no plans to register practice managers and receptionists this is something that the GDC may consider again once the PCD register opens.boxed-text

Information on PCD registration is available on the GDC website at www.gdc-uk.org which has full details about qualifications, curricula requirements for qualifications and experience needed for entry onto the register. The GDC is also holding ‘PCD Roadshows’ around the country from now until Spring 2004. More information about these is also on the GDC website – and all members of the dental team are encouraged to attend.