Dental professional numbers stable and FtP cases down in 2022

THE numbers of registered dental professionals in the UK remained stable in 2022 with a 0.6 per cent increase compared to 2021, according to statistics published by the General Dental Council.

There were 44,000 dentists and 71,000 dental care professionals (DCP) on the GDC register in December 2022.

Data on fitness to practise (FtP) shows that the GDC received 1,264 concerns in 2022 – down 7 per cent compared to 2021. Of those cases, 84 per cent were closed through assessment and case examiner reviews, with only 16 per cent progressing to a practice committee hearing.

The GDC held 84 practice committee hearings in 2022 – 31 fewer than in 2021 – and 18 dental professionals were erased from the GDC's registers in 2022 compared to 17 in 2021 and 25 in 2020.

Dental professionals who live in London or the South East are more likely to have a fitness to practise concern raised against them, compared to all other regions of the UK.

The reports also found that in 2022 dentists of an Asian/Asian British ethnicity accounted for 28 per cent of the register but 32 per cent of FtP concerns raised to the GDC. Dentists with a White ethnicity accounted for half of the register and 41 per cent of the concerns raised to the GDC.

John Cullinane, Executive Director, Fitness to Practice, said: John Cullinane, Executive Director, Fitness to Practice, said: "These reports offer an interesting summary of two important facets of the GDC's regulatory remit.

"This is the second year we have published EDI [equality, diversity and inclusion] data in the context of fitness to practise and we continue to look at how we can use this in our work to ensure there is no discrimination in any of our processes.

"What we do know is that EDI analysis is complex and, I would ask you not to use the data in our reports in isolation to draw conclusions as many other factors may be relevant, such as practice location, size or local demographics."

Read the full reports on the GDC website.