What other sorts of dental treatment do we investigate?

The Scope of Practice for the Dental Team sets out the areas in which dental professionals have the knowledge, skills and experience to practise safely and effectively in the best interests of patients.

It also gives a measure of guidance as the types of treatment and advice which must be performed or given by registered dental professionals to fall within the law.

For example, you may be committing a criminal offence if you are not registered with us and you:

carry out ‘wet finger’ work in the mouth of a patient
make, fit or re-align dentures directly for a patient
make, fit or re-align other dental appliances directly for a patient
give local analgesia or inhalation sedation
take dental impressions
carry out shade taking
apply fluoride varnish
give dental hygiene care advice directly to a patient
conduct extractions, root canal work or provide dental implants.

To perform any type of dental treatment or give dental advice legally and safely, you must be registered with us. If you do so and you have never been registered with us, you are putting the public at risk, potentially committing a criminal offence and you risk criminal prosecution.

If you have been erased by one of the GDC’s Practice Committees, removed from one of the registers for not paying your annual retention fee or removed for not complying with your CPD requirements, you are not legally permitted to:

continue to offer or provide dental treatments or give dental advice
call yourself a dentist or another dental title or imply that you are a registered dental professional
receive payments for offering dental treatment or advice.

If you have been suspended from one of the registers, even on an interim basis, you are not legally permitted to:

continue to offer or provide dental treatments or give dental advice
call yourself a dentist or another dental title or imply that you are a registered dental professional
receive payments for offering dental treatment or advice.