The number of registered UK dentists is up 3% following recent renewal
It is the second year in a row that the number has increased.
The number of dentists on the UK Register, following the recent annual renewal period, has increased again when compared with recent years.
On the morning after removals, there were 45,580 dentists on the Register – a 3.10% increase compared with last year with 1,371 more dentists on the register.
This year, 793 dentists did not renew their registration, compared with 1,004 in 2024, which is 1.7% of those on the Register on 31 December. This compares with an average of 2.5% over the previous four years.
The General Dental Council (GDC) said that the data does not provide insight into the number of professionals working in different patterns (e.g. full time vs part time), how many dentists are working in NHS services compared with private practice, local workforce conditions, or the numbers of professionals working in different roles (e.g. academic).
However, as it did in 2024, The GDC said it had gathered data about the work dentists do, including the number of hours they are working, whether they are working in the NHS or privately, and in clinical or non-clinical roles. It will publish these figures later in Q1, once the analysis is complete.