Faculty of Dental Surgery and Queen Mary University of London working together to tackle barriers for overseas-trained dentists

Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and Professor Christopher Tredwin, Dean & Institute Director, Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) are working together to tackle the barriers for overseas-trained dentists to practice in the UK. 

Many people across the UK do not have access to dental care due to the shortage of NHS dentists. A Commons Health and Social Care Committee review found that nine out of ten NHS dental practices were not accepting new adult patients.

The General Dental Council (GDC) launched a consultation to discuss how to effectively recognise international dentistry degrees, but no legislative changes can be made until the current rules time-out in March 2024. If someone wishes to practice in the UK, the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) or the Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS) examination must be passed, with an international degree in dentistry. The current waiting list for both examinations is deeply concerning, with waits of up to a few years.