eGDCReview of the Scope of Practice guidance
Consultation outcome
In 2023, we consulted on a draft update to our Scope of Practice guidance. The draft was co-produced with dental professionals, professional associations, indemnifiers, and those with experience in dental education.
Through the consultation and ongoing engagement with stakeholders, the proposals were refined and strengthened. The revised guidance has now been published and will come into effect on 1 November 2025. The current version will remain in effect until then.
The updates do not change the scope of practice of any dental profession. Instead, the revised guidance is designed to:
- Better support dental professionals in using their judgement to act in patients’ best interests.
- Clarify boundaries between roles within the dental team.
- Strengthen team-working to improve patient care.
You can read the consultation outcome report on our consultation page.
How we got here
The Scope of Practice guidance was first introduced in 2009 to set out the skills and abilities expected of dental professionals at the point of registration with the GDC, along with those that might be developed later in their careers. It was last reviewed in 2013, following the introduction of Direct Access and the publication of the Standards for the Dental Team.
The most recent review began in 2019, supported by independent research to understand how the guidance was being used, what impact it had, and what its future role should be. The research found that the guidance was not being used as originally intended, and that dental professionals reported low levels of awareness about the scope of other roles in the dental team.In September 2020, we hosted a live online event where lead researchers from IFF Research presented the findings, and our Policy Manager, Katherine McGirr, shared details of our internal analysis.
Video: You can watch the recording of the event below.
In February 2021, we brought together representatives from key stakeholder organisations for virtual workshops to discuss options for updating and modernising the guidance. These sessions explored the issues practitioners encounter when using the guidance and tested different options for presenting scope of practice in ways that would improve clarity and usability.
Building on this feedback, we held further workshops in June and August 2021 with dental professionals, professional associations, indemnity providers, and those with experience in dental education. These sessions helped shape the structure and content for each dental profession’s scope of practice.
Alongside this, we engaged patients and the public through an independent research organisation. We learned that awareness of the guidance was low, and that there was little understanding of the different roles within the dental team. Feedback highlighted the need for more patient and public-facing resources to explain the roles involved in dental care.
This extensive research and engagement informed the draft revised guidance that we consulted on in 2023 and that has now been finalised and published. We will also take forward additional work, with input from stakeholders, to develop resources that help dental professionals better engage with the guidance and understand their and their colleagues’ scopes of practice.