The General Dental Council (GDC) is responsible for regulating dental professionals in the UK. However, my experience across two GDC investigations has revealed serious procedural failures that place patients at risk, undermine transparency, and allow registrants to avoid accountability. The GDC currently has no external oversight, leaving both patients and dentists without protection when regulatory processes fail.

I submitted two complaints to the GDC. In both cases, the outcomes did not reflect the harm caused.

Across both investigations, I was not informed of procedural stages or given a time frame.

In the first case, I waited eighteen months for an update, followed by a request to comment on allegations without explanation, and then a further six‑month delay before an outcome.

In the second case, I received no updates at all; the outcome simply arrived after six months.

These failures demonstrate a regulatory system that does not adequately protect patients, does not ensure transparency, and does not provide meaningful accountability.

In addition to the impact on patients, the GDC’s own publications confirm that its regulatory processes also have serious consequences for dental professionals. In its July 2024 report, the GDC stated:

“Investigations have significant negative health and wellbeing impacts.”

The same publication confirmed that several dental professionals died during active GDC investigations between 2019–2022. These findings show that prolonged investigations, unclear processes, and lack of communication place considerable psychological strain on registrants. A regulatory framework that harms both patients and professionals requires urgent independent oversight.

My complaints: In 2022, I received dental treatment that resulted in the extraction of two teeth. In its outcome letter, the GDC stated:

“There is a very good chance the registrant would have been found negligent if this case had proceeded to a hearing.” “Substandard.”

Despite this, the case was not referred to a Practice Committee hearing. I was told:

“There is a shortfall of dentists in the UK.”

In a second complaint, a dentist placed my teeth “on watch” and did not provide treatment, despite identifying subgingival decay. Six months later, a prosthodontist advised that these teeth required extraction. In the Rule 9 appeal outcome, the reviewer stated:

“The fact that the Applicant’s teeth subsequently deteriorated… does not establish that the Registrant’s earlier assessment was improper.”

The outcome did not reflect the specialist evidence provided, nor the documented deterioration. The prosthodontist’s report was not considered.

I believe the GDC is failing to protect the public and dentists. Citing a shortage of dentists as a reason not to send registrants to a hearing panel is a miscarriage of justice.

I also reviewed the GDC’s Trustpilot page and found that I was not alone. The GDC is rated 1 star, yet there is no public outcry.

The GDC website itself states that:  

 

This may be because the GDC has no regulator above it. There is nobody patients or dentists can complain to when the GDC fails.

This must change. Please support me in ending this injustice for patients and dental professionals.

Please sign this petition. We call on Parliament to:

• 
  Establish independent oversight of the GDC
  Review the proportionality and transparency of GDC investigations
  Require clear communication with complainants
  Implement a defined complaints procedure and timeline
  Ensure patient harm is formally recognised within regulatory processes
  Prevent workforce shortages from influencing decisions relating to public protection

Patients deserve a regulator that protects them. Dental professionals deserve a regulator that operates fairly and transparently. The public deserves confidence in dental regulation.

We urge Parliament to act.