Thousands more dentists will be able to practise in the UK from 2028/29, as the government announces a major expansion of routes for overseas‑trained professionals to join the General Dental Council register, a move expected to ease severe pressures on NHS dentistry and improve access to appointments across the country.
Currently, thousands of qualified overseas dentists already living in the UK are unable to practise because of limited exam capacity. In one of the largest workforce boosts ever announced for dentistry, the government will significantly expand places on two key professional registration exams.
Under the new plans:
- 1,350 overseas‑trained dentists per year will be able to qualify through the Licence in Dental Surgery exam run by the Royal College of Surgeons of England — an almost ten‑fold increase from 180 places today.
- More than 1,000 additional dentists annually are expected to join the register through an expanded Overseas Registration Exam run by the General Dental Council.
This means up to 2,400 more dentists could be practising in the UK each year from 2028/29, many of them already resident and eager to help address longstanding access gaps.
A one‑off £420,000 government grant will fund the expansion of the LDS final exam. This will allow capacity to rise from 180 to 1,800 places by 2028, whilst ensuring the UK can rapidly register safe, qualified clinicians.
Meanwhile, the GDC will increase capacity for the clinical part of its ORE to 1,500 places, enabling over 1,000 dentists to qualify annually through this route.
For the first time in nearly 20 years, the government will increase domestic dentist training places:
- 50 additional dentists will be trained in England each year from 2027
- The Office for Students will prioritise new places in “dental deserts” – rural and coastal areas with the poorest access to NHS care
This measure aims to ensure that communities long underserved by dentistry benefit from targeted workforce growth.
The government says the action signals the beginning of a fundamental reform of the NHS dental contract, with a commitment to:
- Direct funding to areas of highest need
- Improve access for patients struggling to secure appointments
- Better reward dental teams for NHS work
- Strengthen the shift from crisis treatment to prevention under the 10‑Year Health Plan
Health Minister Stephen Kinnock commented:
“No-one in the 21st century should be left in a situation where they cannot access a dentist.
“That is why today’s announcement is crucial, as training more dentists and allowing greater numbers of those qualified overseas to practise, will put more patients in dental chairs, receiving care when they need it most.
“These investments show this government is serious about rebuilding NHS dentistry and laying the foundations to make it fit for the future.”
For too long, many people have faced a stark choice between going without dental care or turning to expensive private treatment. The expansion of the workforce aims to change this trajectory.
The new measures are expected to boost NHS appointment availability, reduce waiting times, improve access in both urban and rural areas, and provide a more stable pipeline of trained professionals.
Image credit: iStock
