Why become a Foreign Dentist in the UK?

With the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) struggling to find dentists, the government is now looking at ways to recruit more overseas dentists.

In 2017, there were over 3,000 dentists vacancies for dentists in England then in 2020 there was a shortage of 9,000. The NHS has been working with dental schools around the world to try and recruit more overseas dentists.

Foreign dentists are not allowed to work in the UK unless they have a certificate that shows they are qualified to work in the UK. This includes either a satisfactory score on the OR or LDS Exams.

Temporary registration

Dentists who are not qualified for full registration are permitted to temporarily practise dentistry in the UK in supervised positions for training, teaching, or research purposes only. Dentists who are temporarily registered are not permitted to operate in community dental services, general or private practise.

If a dentist holds a dental degree from a university that UK ENIC recognises for the purposes of temporary registration and the overseas registration examination, they may apply for temporary registration in certain permitted roles (ORE).

Temporary registration is given for periods of no less than 84 days or more than 365 days at a time, and it can be extended by applying for another period of up to five years.

Non-European Economic Area nationals

Dentists from outside the EEA must sit the overseas registration examination if their credentials are not accepted by the GDC for full registration (ORE). Dentists should contact the GDC for information on the credentials recognised for full registration.

For dentists from outside the EEA whose credentials are not recognised for full registration with the GDC, the ORE examines their clinical expertise and knowledge. Modern evaluation techniques are used in the test, which is based on the UK dentistry curriculum and ensures a reliable and uniform examination. After passing this test, dentists are qualified to apply for full registration to practise in the UK. Before they may take the ORE, all candidates must demonstrate that they have a sufficient level of English language proficiency. To do so, they must take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Can an Indian dentist work in the UK?

Indian dentists can work in the UK with a valid work permit. The only exception is if they are going to work as a dentist in Scotland. There are no requirements for qualifications or experience to get a permit, but they must have English language skills and pass an English language test.