Dentist numbers stabilise following most recent renewal period
The number of registered dentists in the UK is stable following the most recent renewal period.
Statistics published by the General Dental Council show that there are 42,215 registered dentists as of January 1st. A total of 1,079 dentists did not renew their registration. This equates to a fall of 2.56%. The average for the last four years is 2.96%. The number of dentists working in the UK has actually increased from 2021.
The data suggests that there is a fairly even split between male and female dentists. There are currently 21,809 female dentists and 20,416 male dentists.
Chief operating officer at the GDC, Gurvinder Soomal, described the figures as “encouraging” given the pressure on the profession and the impact of the pandemic. The last two years have been hugely challenging for dental teams and it is good news that dentist numbers remain stable.
The statistics outline the total number of dentists registered in the UK, but they do not contain information about working patterns or environments. There is no specific information about part-time and full-time dental work or NHS and private provision.
Recently, concerns have been raised about dentists leaving the NHS to change careers or go private. Surveys have suggested that up to 40% of NHS dentists are considering leaving the service, quitting the profession or taking early retirement.
News of stable dentist numbers came as NHS England announced additional measures to support practices affected by staff shortages due to the Omicron wave. Dental practices can now claim for activity that is lost as a result of cancelled appointments linked to staff absence.
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