The total number of dental professionals registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) of India has increased, according to the latest statistics released.
The regulator’s 2024 registration statistics report shows that the total number of registered people at the end of 2024 was 125,736. This is an increase from 120,030 in December 2023.
There are 46,362 registered dentists and 79,374 dental care professionals (DCPs). In 2024, there were 9,888 new registrations, including 2,164 dentists and 7,724 dental care professionals.
The largest increase was in dental therapists, with 1,402 new registrations, an increase of 23.5%. In addition, there were 921 new dental hygienists, an increase of 9.6%. The dental nursing workforce saw a smaller increase of only 5.4%, but 3,349 new dental nurses were added.
On the other hand, the number of dental technicians fell for the fifth consecutive year. The number of registered dental technicians is 5,025, a 10% decrease from 2020.
Nevertheless, GDC Executive Director of Regulation Theresa Thorpe believes the statistics are “encouraging”. She said: “The significant growth in the number of registered dental professionals in 2024 is encouraging news for dental services across the UK. However, the continued decline in dental technician numbers for the fifth consecutive year remains a concern and requires attention across the dental profession.”
The report also takes into account the demographics of registered dentists. More than half (53%) of registered dentists hold a UK qualification, and 16% have passed an Overseas Registration Examination (ORE). The remaining 30% of registered dentists hold a qualification outside the UK.
Theresa Thorpe continued: “The report highlights the diversity of routes that dental professionals take to join the register. Our team has processed a record number of applications and we continue to work hard to maintain an efficient registration process and are seeing results.”
More than three quarters (78%) of dental registrants are female, but the proportion of female registered dental practitioners (DCPs) is much higher. While 93% of registered dental practitioners (DCPs) are female, the proportion is lower for dentists at 53%.
The group with the largest number of female registered dental practitioners is dental nurses. 97% of dental nurses are female, making up more than half of all dental practitioners.
Three quarters of DCPs and 47% of dentists say they are of Caucasian origin. A third of dentists are Asian or Asian British, three times the UK average.
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