The words to use
- GDC register
- The UK list of everyone allowed to practise as a dental professional. On 31 December 2025 it held 47,916 dentists and 83,764 dental care professionals.
- NHS dentist (in the statistics)
- A dentist who delivered at least one unit of NHS activity in the year. It is a headcount, not a measure of full-time equivalents.
- Overseas Registration Exam (ORE)
- The GDC's exam for dentists who qualified outside the UK. A new provider from 2026 and more clinical places aim to clear the backlog.
- Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS)
- The Royal College of Surgeons of England's registration exam for overseas-qualified dentists. Its final-part places are due to grow from 180 to 1,800 by 2028.
- Tie-in
- A planned requirement for newly qualified dentists to work in the NHS for a minimum period, intended to be at least 3 years. Not law in October 2026.
