The recent announcement by the GDC of a 12.4% rise in the Annual Registration Fee (ARF) has understandably been poorly received by registrants, or at least those aware of the increase. The increase has been applied to both dentists and DCP‘s, and will take their fees to £698 and 108 respectively.
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It is easy to see the problems of NHS dental care as a particularly British phenomenon. Those problems include, a system that has been creaking for years, funding issues, a workforce pushed to their limits, and those with the least being the most likely to bear the brunt of these failures.
The march of the robots into dentistry continues. In early 2022 GDPUK reported on a robotic implant assistant being used in Los Angeles, and two years later we reported the first crown preparation on a human subject by a robot. Now, it is time to introduce the robot receptionist.
The General Dental Council (GDC) has confirmed that the Annual Retention Fee (ARF) for 2026 will rise to £698 for dentists and £108 for dental care professionals (DCPs), as part of the regulator‘s new three-year strategic plan.
At one time the GDC explained their purpose in eight words: Protecting the public and regulating the dental profession. Protecting the public has never been just about regulating dental professionals, there has always been the matter of preventing illegal practice.
Read more: BBC not GDC Protects Patients From Illegal Dentistry
A growing body of research continues to underscore the relationship between oral health and systemic disease. A recent study published on October 22, 2025, in Neurology® Open Access, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Neurology, adds further weight to this discussion.
Read more: Linking Oral Disease Burden and Stroke Risk: New Evidence
Sir Julian Hartley has resigned with immediate effect as Chief Executive of the CQC. This is due to his links with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which is the subject of an independent inquiry into maternity and neonatal services. He had only taken over at the CQC in January 2025, and was intended to represent a fresh start there. His departure after less than 12 months is another blow to the troubled regulator.
A newly published study into AI speech tools in dentistry has determined that they could revolutionise dental record-keeping, but added that caution is needed.
Read more: Research Urges Caution on use of AI Dental Record Keeping
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to announce a new £2 billion tax measure targeting self employed, high-earning, professionals in partnership accounting structures, including those operating through limited liability partnerships (LLPs). The reform aims to narrow the tax gap between self-employed partners and employed professionals, including those in dentistry who operate under partnership structures.