Experiences of the General Dental Council’s fitness-to-practise process have improved ‘modestly’ since 2023, according to the regulator’s research, but most respondents remain dissatisfied and fewer than half believe it is fair, appropriate or proportionate.

The GDC Fitness to Practise Experience Survey Report 2026 draws on seven rounds of surveys conducted between 2023 and 2025, involving 570 dental professionals who were the subject of a concern and 645 people who raised one.

The research, which covered cases decided between April 2022 and September 2025, found improvements in overall satisfaction, aspects of communication and confidence that the right outcome would be reached.

However, case duration and the support provided remained the areas most commonly identified for improvement.

A GDPUK investigation earlier this year revealed that some investigations are lasting as long as nine years.

The GDC said the findings of its recent report suggest satisfaction is shaped not only by the outcome of a case but by participants’ experience of the process, with clearer communication and perceptions of how a case was handled associated with greater satisfaction.

Experiences also differed between dental professionals and those who raised concerns, with professionals consistently more likely to regard the handling of their case as fair, appropriate and proportionate.

Theresa Thorp, GDC executive director of regulation, said: ‘We know that fitness-to-practise investigations can cause real fear and distress, whether you are the professional under investigation or the person who raised the concern.

‘Dental professionals tell us the wait is the hardest part, and people who raise concerns tell us they too often feel unheard.’

Ms Thorp observed that the impact of the process extends beyond individual cases, and that ‘fear of regulation shapes how dental professionals practise, and that reaches patients’.

She said that reducing the negative impact of regulation was ‘central’ to the GDC’s strategy, and highlighted that the regulator’s communications are now ‘clearer than they were, and more people trust the process’.

However, she also acknowledged that fewer than half of respondents believed it to be fair and proportionate, adding: ‘That is not where we want to be.’

Ms Thorp said the GDC would use the research alongside other evidence to ‘keep improving the process, so that participants feel properly supported, and feel confident that they will be treated fairly’.

She added: ‘We are focused on moving cases faster, keeping people informed, and making sure nobody feels they are facing this alone, while protecting patients.’

The GDC also said it would continue to run surveys to understand experiences of fitness to practise, track trends and use the findings to inform potential improvements.