Earlier this year, the British Dental Association warned of an ongoing crisis in National Health Service (NHS) dentistry, (iStock)
For the first time, internationally qualified dentists have outnumbered UK-qualified dentists among new entrants to the register, accounting for 53 per cent of additions compared with 47 per cent for UK-qualified dentists, according to the General Dental Council’s (GDC) annual Registration Statistical Report 2025.
The report shows the number of registered oral healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom increased by 4.7 per cent over the past year.
As of December 2025, 131,680 oral healthcare professionals were registered with the GDC. The number of dentists rose 3.4 per cent to 47,916, while the number of dental care professionals (DCPs) increased 5.5 per cent to 83,764.
The findings come as concerns persist over access to publicly funded dental care in the United Kingdom. Earlier this year, the British Dental Association warned of an ongoing crisis in National Health Service (NHS) dentistry, while research reported by The Times found that nearly nine in 10 dental practices in England were not accepting new adult patients under the NHS.
“This report provides important insights into the dental workforce, the people who make up our register, and oral healthcare professions that are growing and changing,” said Theresa Thorp, Executive Director of Regulation at the GDC.
“Supporting a diverse and growing dental workforce is one of the core commitments in our strategy, Trusted and Effective, for 2026 to 2028, and we’re committed to ensuring our registration processes are as straightforward as possible for those joining our register.”
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The number of dental nurses increased by 6,473 (5.4 per cent) to 68,472. Dental nurses now account for more than half of all registrants with the GDC, and 96 per cent of those who joined the register in 2025 were female.
The number of registered dental therapists grew by 21 per cent to 8,661, while the number of dental hygienists increased by 11 per cent to 11,292. Among new registrants, 71 per cent (1,044) of dental therapist registrations and 55 per cent (591) of dental hygienist registrations were internationally qualified dentists who joined the register under DCP titles, a pathway that has now closed.
Despite overall growth, the number of registered dental technicians declined for the sixth consecutive year, falling below 5,000 for the first time. Only 143 dental technicians joined the register in 2025.
In total, there were 9,332 additions to the register in 2025, down from 9,888 in 2024.
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