Trainee dental nurses will now be required to begin a recognised training programme within one year of starting work under General Dental Council (GDC) regulations.
This has been reduced from the previous deadline of two years to limit the time during which trainees are working without a formal qualification. The GDC said the change is motivated by ‘supporting professional development and enhancing patient safety’.
Ross Scales is head of upstream regulation at the GDC. He said: ‘Our new requirements mean all trainee dental nurses will access structured, GDC quality-assured programmes within months rather than years, ensuring they develop the professional skills and knowledge needed to provide safe care earlier in their careers.
‘By reducing the time trainees spend working with patients without formal training, we’re supporting higher standards within the profession.’
Does this apply to trainee dental nurses who are already working?
The new regulation will come into force from 1 June 2026. Trainee dental nurses who are already working by this date will be required to start formal training by 1 June 2027 or when they reach the two-year mark – whichever is sooner.
Those beginning work between 1 June 2025 and 31 May 2026 must start training by 1 June 2027 even if their original two-year deadline would have been later.
Current requirements for dental nurses to achieve their qualification within 12 months of its intended duration will no longer apply. The GDC said this was now ‘a matter for awarding bodies to determine’.
The regulator encouraged trainees to enrol on a programme as soon as possible after starting work to ensure it starts before the deadline. It also reminded trainees and employers that ‘dental nurse’ is a legally protected term for GDC registrants.
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