The UK government has announced plans to significantly increase the number of dentists available to patients by expanding registration exams for overseas-trained professionals and increasing domestic training places.
The measures aim to address longstanding access problems in NHS dentistry, particularly in underserved regions often described as “dental deserts.”
Thousands of fully qualified dentists trained overseas, many already living in the UK, are currently unable to practise because of limited capacity in professional registration exams. The government is investing to increase exam places and reduce this backlog.
Final exam places for the Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS), run by the Royal College of Surgeons of England, will increase nearly tenfold. Supported by a one off £420,000 grant from the Department of Health and Social Care, places on the final part of the LDS exam will rise from 180–1,800 by 2028.
The expansion is expected to allow up to 1,350 overseas trained dentists to join the General Dental Council (GDC) register annually by 2028.
At the same time, the GDC will increase capacity for its Overseas Registration Exam (ORE). The clinical component of the ORE will expand to 1,500 places, which is projected to add more than 1,000 dentists to the register each year by 2028/29.
Together, the expanded exam routes could result in around 2,400 additional overseas trained dentists being registered annually from 2028/2029.
Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said: “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.”
Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “RCS England is pleased to work with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to increase the number of places for candidates sitting the Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS) examination. This expansion will support more candidates, strengthen the dental workforce, and help improve public access to dentistry.”
Tom Whiting, chief executive and registrar at the General Dental Council, said: “Our top priority has been to increase the capacity of the ORE, and I’m pleased that we can offer greater certainty and scale through this new contract. This is good news for candidates.”
“More ORE places, along with more students at dental schools and the increase in capacity for the LDS, is great news for the dental workforce and, in turn, patients and the public.”
“Sustainable change requires a long term plan, and working with others, we are committed to playing our part, to support any workforce strategy, including building a comprehensive framework to support international recruitment.”
The government will also expand dental school places in England for the first time in almost two decades.
From 2027, an additional 50 dentists will be trained each year. The Office for Students has been instructed to prioritise these new places in areas with limited access to dental care, including rural and coastal communities.
Dr Katie Petty Saphon, chief executive of the Dental Schools Council, said: “We are pleased that the Government has recognised the urgent need to grow the dental workforce at a time when access to NHS oral healthcare remains a significant challenge for many patients.”
“Each year, dental schools are forced to turn away talented applicants who show great potential and this increase will allow more future NHS dentists to be admitted.”
“Dental schools look forward to working with the Government to support this expansion, ensuring recruitment follows best practice in widening participation while training NHS ready dentists and addressing geographical gaps in access to care.”
Neil Carmichael, executive chair of the Association of Dental Groups, said: “This is excellent news that ultimately will benefit patients, as well as put energy into the dentistry profession. We should soon see an increase of overseas trained dentists, who are now able to take the robust examinations, joining the GDC’s register and providing NHS treatments.”
“The ADG has been pushing for some time for the bottleneck in the registration examination for international dentists to be addressed, having highlighted the craziness of having over 5,000 trained dentists from overseas waiting in the queue to qualify whilst we have 2,700 dentist vacancies and not enough home grown dentists to fill the gap. This is a creative approach to get things moving and we applaud the department of health’s efforts and agility.”
“Increasing UK dental school places is also fantastic news. A career in dentistry is an exciting and rewarding one that UK students should be encouraged to pursue. As always, the ADG stands by to advise policymakers and stakeholders to keep the momentum going and ensure that we target the most urgent patient needs in dental deserts.”
The initiatives form part of broader government plans to reform the NHS dental contract before the end of the current parliament. The reforms aim to direct funding more effectively, improve patient access and reward dental teams.
They also align with the government’s 10-Year Health Plan, which seeks to place greater emphasis on prevention rather than treatment.