GDC publishes Review of Education 2024-2025

The General Dental Council (GDC) has published its Review of Education for the 2024–2025 academic year.

The report outlines the quality assurance and education policy activity undertaken by the Education Quality Assurance (EQA) team between September 2024 and August 2025.

A key finding from the review is the substantial rise in new programme approvals. The GDC granted provisional approval to 15 new programmes during the year, compared with just one in 2023–2024.

Each year, around 8,500 students begin training in the UK to become dental professionals. The GDC sets three standards and 21 requirements for all UK dental education and training programmes that lead to registration as a dentist or dental care professional (DCP).

During the academic year, the EQA team monitored 34 programmes in total: 11 Dental Surgery (BDS/BChD/BDSi/LDS), 10 Dental Hygiene and Therapy (DHT), one Orthodontic Therapy, one Clinical Dental Technology (CDT), seven Dental Technology (DT) and four Dental Nursing programmes.

Two new dental schools were approved, one of which was awarded Dental Authority Status in 2025.

The EQA team carried out inspections of 18 programmes across 12 providers, comprising 10 risk‑based inspections, two new programme inspections and six re‑inspections. All inspections were conducted in person.

The review identified 11 programmes requiring risk‑based inspections in the 2025–2026 academic year. Seven of these were triggered by the time elapsed since previous inspections, prompting the development of a new pilot for time‑elapsed inspections to be introduced next academic year.

Manjula Das, Head of Education and Quality Assurance at the GDC, said:

“Our quality assurance work has never been more important. The increase in new programme approvals is significant; it reflects a sector actively working to meet the demands on the dental workforce and has the potential to improve future access to dental care for patients in some of the UK’s high‑need areas. Everything we do in this space comes back to ensuring that those who graduate are genuinely ready to practise, and that patients are in safe hands.”

The review also covers a busy period of policy and standards development. Following a 12‑week public consultation, the GDC published revised Standards for Education in September 2025, informed by extensive engagement with stakeholders, including education providers.

The new standards, which will apply to quality assurance activity from the 2026–2027 academic year, are designed to ensure that providers prepare students effectively for their careers in dentistry and that patients can be confident in receiving high‑quality care.

The review also highlights the GDC’s work with education providers on the continued transition to the Safe Practitioner Framework and the publication of new Guidance for Providers Wishing to Set Up a Dental School in the UK.

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