The expansion of exams for overseas-trained dentists mean that three-quarters of new registrants will be from overseas, GDC chief executive Tom Whiting told delegates at the LDCs Conference today.

Mr Whiting told delegates that the new contract for its overseas registration exam (ORE) means that there will be a five-fold increase in the number of part two exam places available by 2028.

This, coupled with the increase in the number of applicants taking the licence in dental surgery exam run by the Royal College of Surgeons, ‘could mean that by 2028 around three quarters of the dentists to join the register will have qualified outside of the UK’.

In response to a question from GDPUK founder Dr Tony Jacobs, he said that the majority of these new registrants will come from India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, and Nigeria.

However, in a separate motion, delegates that increasing these numbers will not benefit NHS practices while the current contract remains in place and that flooding the market with more dentists could lead to lower earnings

In his speech opening today’s conference, Mr Whiting said: ‘We've recently put in place a new contract for the ORE, and that expansion will mean that there is a five-fold increase in the number of part two exam places available by 2028. So that, coupled with the proposed changes being increased in the LDS and the number of EEA [European Economic Area] qualified dentists who come in, could mean that by 2028, around three-quarters of the dentists joining the register could have qualified outside the UK. Those who qualify overseas obviously make a very important and valuable contribution to our dental workforce.’

Asked a question by Dr Jacobs about where these dentists will come from, Mr Whiting replied: ‘If you look at the candidates on the waiting list, the top five countries represented are India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, and Nigeria.’ He said that the numbers on the waiting list from India are significantly higher than the other countries.

He added: ‘Lots of candidates come in directly with EEA qualifications, and the countries that they are most likely to come from are Spain, with Romania and Bulgaria and Poland next three.’ These do include UK-born dentists who went overseas for their dental qualifications.

However, delegates expressed concern around the reliance on overseas dentists, especially without reform to the NHS contract. A motion was passed overwhelmingly that said ‘the significant numbers of overseas-trained dentists who are predicted to join the UK register through expanded LDS and ORE places are unlikely to address NHS dental workforce shortages as suggested by government’, adding that the state of the NHS contract means many of these dentists will work in the private sector.

Proposing the motion, Dr Jeremy Boyles from North Yorkshire LDC, said: ‘Flooding the UK market with dentists from abroad will only go so far to plug the gaps in NHS dentistry, but it won't address the fundamental element in surgery the NHS contract needs to perform.

He added that the increase in numbers could lead to an ‘oversupply of dentists negatively impacting dentist earnings in both NHS and private practices, and I fear this is a government ploy to avoid putting in more money to an underfunded NHS contract. The Labour Government's plan to open the floodgates to foreign-trained dentist is not only reckless, but is akin to soiling your trousers and changing your hat. Without reforming the contract, these dentists will leave and/or go private as well.’

GDPUK reported last week that Spain is currently facing an oversupply of dentists.