Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that newly qualified dentists working only in private practice (a) receive training and( b) are professionally monitored.

Newly qualified dentists that are registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) are eligible to apply for dental foundation training, which qualifies dentists to work in the National Health Service. All qualified dentists are required to undertake continuing professional development as a condition of their GDC registration.

The GDC is the healthcare regulator with statutory responsibility for regulating dentistry, including setting standards that must be met by newly qualified dentists working in the NHS or private practice wishing to be added to the United Kingdom dental register. This includes those only working in private practice.