Dentist’s High Court appeal against erasure dismissed

An appeal brought by an appellant dentist against his removal from the Dentists’ Register has been dismissed by the High Court, which upheld the General Dental Council’s (GDC) decision to erase him for misconduct.

In Mew v General Dental Council [2026] EWHC 1116 (Admin) (15 May 2026), the appellant dentist challenged a 2024 ruling of the GDC’s Professional Conduct Committee (PCC), which found that his conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct and ordered his erasure. In a judgment issued on 15 May 2026, Deputy High Court Judge Charles Bagot KC rejected the appeal in full.

The court held that the PCC had acted lawfully, applied the correct legal principles and reached findings that were properly open to it on the evidence. Arguments that the committee had misinterpreted expert testimony, applied the wrong standard of proof or imposed a disproportionate sanction were all dismissed.

Judge Bagot described the PCC’s reasoning as “careful and comprehensive”, concluding that erasure was justified given the seriousness of the misconduct and the need to maintain public confidence in the dental profession.

The ruling means the appellant dentist remains erased from the Dentists’ Register and cannot practise dentistry in the UK unless a future restoration application is granted.

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