Frequently asked questions

To become a dentist in the UK, you will need to complete at least five years’ study at dental school, usually followed by at least 1 year of supervised practice. Basic entry requirements for dentistry include at least three A-Levels, although some universities will accept pre-dental courses and degrees.

You will need to complete an undergraduate dental degree course, where you will learn practical skills and get hands-on experience, followed by a period of Foundation Training.

Once you have completed your formal education, you will need to register with the General Dental Council (GDC), which regulates dentists in the UK. You will also be required to undertake ongoing professional development as you practice to retain your registration.

You can learn more about becoming a dentist on the NHS careers website. If you’re based overseas and looking to work as a dentist in the UK, read our section on overseas dentists below.

With a growing population in need of dental professionals to look after their oral health, dental clinicians are in high demand. No matter where you have qualified, if you’ve got the skills and ability to provide high-quality dental care, you could move to and work in the UK.

Dental clinicians in the UK are regulated by the General Dental Council (GDC), and you must be registered with them to practice.

If you’re from the European Economic Area (EEA) and have a primary qualification in dentistry, then you can register with the GDC and practice in the UK. To work as an NHS dentist, you will need to apply for a performer number through a separate process.

If you are not a European national, you can still come to the UK to work as a dentist, however, in order to register with the GDC you will need to complete an Overseas Registration Examination (ORE), which will test your clinical skills and knowledge. You will need an appropriate level of English before you sit the ORE in the form of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam.

Once you’ve completed the ORE, you will be required to do up to a year’s equivalent to dental foundation training to work for the NHS.

Alongside registering with the GDC, you will need to meet the requirements of the UK Visas and Immigration Regulations. For full advice on registering to work in the UK as an overseas dentist, visit the NHS Careers website.

At mydentist, we’ve worked with thousands of overseas dentists to help them relocate to the UK. We’ll support you with registration, supervised practice and more and find you a position at one of our nearly 600 practices nationwide. To find out how you can join our team as an overseas clinician, click here.

The average annual revenue for a private dentist for a private dentist in the UK is around £91,000pa, but those in specialist areas or with more experience can earn up to £170,000pa.

Newly qualified dentists can expect to generate an annual revenue of around £45,000pa. The average annual revenue for a dentist in the UK is around £72,000pa and can be up to £170,000pa for specialist and private clinicians.

Dentists play a crucial role in providing oral healthcare for millions in the UK, offering treatments that can vastly improve quality of life, self-image, and more. It can be hugely rewarding to know that the treatments you provide can change lives for the better.

If you are looking for a job where you can make a real difference, dentistry could be for you. Visit our dental roles page to learn more.

We are the leading dental corporate in the UK, with nearly 600 modern practices in prime locations across the country. These practices are semi-independent, led by skilled clinicians and experienced practice teams, but benefit from being part of our network with central support in HR, Compliance, Facilities, and more, as well as our established reputation as a high-quality care provider.

Clinicians can also take advantage of our nationwide referral network, and our world-leading training and development Academy, to grow and develop a career that works for them.

Our goal is to allow clinicians the freedom to work the way they want, offering our support when needed, to ensure our patients receive the highest-quality care possible.

We pride ourselves on being different. We’re not a faceless corporate, and instead work side by side with our clinicians and staff, who each play a crucial part in what we do. We offer competitive rewards and benefits to all our team members, a clear career trajectory for every role, and the support, training, and mentorship to achieve your goals, whatever they are. This is because we know that by employing the best people, we can provide the highest level of care to our patients.

We’re proud to reward our team members for the hard work they do with competitive salaries and benefits packages. However, we also like to show our appreciation in other ways and offer a whole host of additional rewards and benefits to all our staff. This includes:

• Life assurance, with a lump sum of 2x your basic pay paid to your family, should the worst happen.
• Healthcare, with cash towards eye tests and glasses, dental check-ups, physiotherapy, and chiropody with the BHSF Essentials4Health plan. Staff also get access to a virtual GP service to use any time.
• Retail discounts at over 190 stores including River Island, Boots, Sainsbury’s and more, as well as discounts with O2.
• Gym discounts, with the lowest corporate rate and Virgin Active, Fitness First, Nuffield and more.
• Free advice from our impartial myadviceline, available 24/7.
• Long service recognition every 5 years.

We’re dedicated to providing our clinicians with flexibility in the way they work, so they can focus on patients. To do this, we provide Central Support in a range of areas, including Marketing, Compliance, HR, and more, meaning clinicians can spend less time on admin and more time doing what they do best. Our nationwide clinical support network also enables our clinicians to easily refer patients, ensuring a steady flow of work. Find out more here.

We’re always on the lookout for new practices to join our network. To find out more, get in touch with our dedicated acquisitions team.