Oral Surgery And Surgical Dentistry To Merge, UK

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 24 Apr 2007 - 12:00 PDT

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The GDC has closed the specialist list in Surgical Dentistry and transferred dentists on this list to a reconfigured Oral Surgery list. The move brings UK arrangements for oral surgery into line with those in Europe and elsewhere, and will mean greater clarity for patients and practitioners about the specialty.

The merger is one of a package of changes recommended by a special group set up by the GDC to review the arrangements for the training and listing of dental specialists. A new Specialist Dental Education Board is being set up to take forward the other recommendations. The Council has recently appointed Professor Kevin O'Brien as the Chair of this Board.

GDC President, Hew Mathewson, said:

"The General Dental Council's specialist lists enable patients and dental professionals to identify dentists who have specialist training and are entitled to use a specialist title.

"We have recently set up the Specialist Dental Education Board to advise the Council on amending the arrangements for the training and listing of dental specialties following the recommendations of the Specialist Lists Review Group."

We have written to all dentists on the Surgical Dentistry and Oral Surgery lists to tell them about the new arrangements.

Dental professionals, members of the public and others can search the specialist lists on the GDC website at http://www.gdc-uk.org/Search+our+registers.

The twelve specialist lists indicate registered dentists who meet certain conditions and are entitled to use a specialist title. A dentist does not have to be on a specialist list to carry out the practise of any particular specialty; but may only use the title 'specialist' if they are on that list.

Dentists who specialise in oral surgery deal with the treatment and ongoing management of irregularities and pathology of the jaw and mouth that require surgical intervention.

The full recommendations of the Specialist Lists Review Group are available on the GDC website at http://www.gdc-uk-org

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