General Dental Council (GDC) fitness to practise: referrals, investigations, interim orders, hearings, sanctions, appeals, reviews, restoration and fraudulent entry cases

Published by a LexisNexis Local Government expert

Practice notes

Who is the General Dental Council (GDC)

The General Dental Council (GDC) is a corporate body established by the Dentists Act 1984 (DA 1984). Its general function is to promote high standards of professional education, conduct and performance, with the overarching aim of protecting the public in relation to registered dentists and dental care professionals, including dental nurses.

The GDC’s role is to protect, promote and maintain:

the health, safety and well-being of the public
public confidence in the professions they regulate
professional standards and conduct for Registrants and prospective Registrants, and
proper standards and conduct for business Registrants

This Practice Note offers guidance on GDC fitness to practise proceedings, investigations, and applications for restoration to the Register.

In this Practice Note, a ‘Registrant’ refers to:

registered dentists
registered dental care professionals

This Practice Note should be read alongside Practice Notes: Common principles in fitness to practise proceedings and Criminal proceedings and convictions in healthcare regulatory proceedings, and with the specific Practice Note for each of the other healthcare regulators below:

General Medical Council—fitness to practise proceedings
General Pharmaceutical Council—fitness to practise proceedings
General Optical...

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Web page updated on 26/05/2026

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