Dental professionals have their say

The GDCs annual registrant survey, which was sent to a representative sample of dentists and DCPs across the UK in November and December last year, asked a range of questions.

This was followed with qualitative research in January and February 2013 – including telephone interviews and focus groups.

Confidence in the GDC as a regulator remains stable. 65 per cent of the dental professionals who took part in the survey are confident that the GDC is regulating dentistry effectively.  (29 per cent are not).

There is, however, a decline in confidence in dental regulation overall. About half (48 per cent) thought the level was too much, up by 9 per cent since 2011.

There is some evidence to suggest this is linked to a perception of increased regulatory burden. When asked during the qualitative research, why they thought dental regulation was too great, registrants spontaneously cited other regulators and more specifically inspections.

But this particular decline in confidence in regulation doesn’t seem to be impacting on registrant attitudes to the GDC as a regulator.