GDC publishes revised Scope of Practice guidance

The General Dental Council (GDC) has today published its revised Scope of Practice guidance following a comprehensive review in collaboration with dental professionals, education providers, indemnifiers, and other key stakeholders. The updated guidance will come into effect on 1 November 2025.

The revised guidance does not change the scope of practice for any of the seven dental professional titles. Instead, it offers greater clarity on existing title boundaries, supporting professionals to use their judgement more effectively for the benefit of patients.

The GDC has reminded dental professionals that holding a professional title does not automatically mean they can, or should, perform every task within that scope. Professionals must ensure they are appropriately trained, competent, and covered by indemnity or insurance before carrying out any procedure.

The Dental Technologists Association (DTA) has been actively involved in the consultation process with the GDC and fully supports the revised guidance. The Association welcomes the additional clarity provided by the updated document and remains committed to helping dental technologists and the wider profession understand and apply the guidance in practice.

The new guidance and the consultation outcome report are now available on the GDC website. To assist with implementation, the GDC will run a series of online sessions for dental professionals and stakeholders, the session for Clinical dental technicians and dental technicians session will be held on Tuesday 21 October 2025, 6pm-7:30pm. These sessions will explain the changes and provide an opportunity for questions. Registration is available via Eventbrite.

The Scope of Practice guidance was first introduced in 2009 to define the skills and abilities expected of dental professionals at registration, as well as those that could be developed later in their careers. The latest update follows a review launched in 2019, informed by independent research and wide-ranging consultation.

Ross Scales, Head of Upstream Regulation at the GDC, said:

"Our aim has been to provide the clarity and support that dental professionals have called for, allowing them to work to their full scope and use their professional judgement to put patients first. We are grateful to all those who contributed to this review, and we look forward to supporting the professions in understanding and applying the revised guidance."

The GDC extended its thanks to all contributors to the review and consultation process, noting that the revised guidance reflects invaluable feedback from across the dental sector.

For more information, visit the GDC's Review of Scope of Practice guidance page.