
GDC
The General Dental Council (GDC) is the UK-wide statutory regulator of around 110,000 members of the dental team. Their primary purpose is to protect patient safety and maintain public confidence in dental services. To achieve this, they register qualified dental professionals and set standards for the dental team. The DTA regularly meet with the GDC and ensure we are involved in consultations in order to best represent our members and voice concerns.
To be able to describe yourself as a 'dental technologist' or 'dental technician' you must first be registered with the GDC. There are a number of things that dental technologists must do maintain their professional registration with the GDC, some of which are listed below. The DTA provide members with the tools they need to stay compliant.
- Meet the professional 'Standards for the Dental Team' set out by the GDC
- Work within the dental technician or clinical dental technician scope of practice
- Undertaken a minimum level of Enhanced CPD over a 5-year period
- Have the necessary indemnity or insurance in place
EPCD
WHAT IS ECPD?
Enhanced Continuing Professional Development, or ECPD for short, is an enhanced version of the CPD previously in place for all Dental Care Professionals and was introduced by the General Dental Council on 1 August 2018.
DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES
WHAT ARE THE GDC DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES?
There are four development outcomes A, B, C, D that you need to map each of your activities to see table below. You will notice all of the DTA's CPD has at least one development outcome. Click below to review the learning outcomes and examples of what kinds of CPD might be mapped to each.
PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE
To be able to renew your registration with the GDC, you will be required to declare that you have the necessary indemnity or insurance in place to cover you in your work. DCPs will have to make this declaration during their annual renewal period in June/July.
GDC document: Guidance on Indemnity
DTA has linked with UK Special Risks to provide cost effective professional indemnity insurance to meet the statutory requirement for our Dental Technician members. UK Special Risks also offer DTA members a special discount for Laboratory Contents Insurance.
UK Special Risks: Indemnity FAQs
REGISTRATION WITH THE GDC
To be able to describe yourself as a 'dental technologist' or 'dental technician' you must first be registered with the GDC. Registration with the GDC depends upon certain criteria and you can find out more on the GDC website . If you are overseas and want to work in the UK you can complete the GDC route to registration questionnaire to find out more information.
NOTE: It is illegal practice for someone to call themselves a dental technologist/dental technician/dental mechanic or a similar term if you are not currently registered as such with the GDC. It is also illegal to sign off work as fit for the market under MHRA MDD/MDR if you are not currently registered as such with the GDC.
ANNUAL DECLARATION AND ANNUAL RETENTION FEE (ARF)
The Annual Retention Fee (ARF) is the fee all registered dental care professionals must pay each year to remain on the dental care professionals register and the deadline to pay is 31 July each year. You will receive a letter ahead of the deadline with information about how you can make the payment. If you do not declare your CPD hours at the same time as paying the annual retention fee, you have until the 28 August to do so on your GDC e-portal.