Avalon Medical’s candidates can benefit from:

• Working in the UK as a Dentist:

 As a dentist working in the UK, you can either work in an NHS (National Health Service) practice, a mixed practice (NHS and Private) or a purely private practice. General dentists are sometimes referred to as GDPs (General Dental Practitioners). The majority of GDPs work in mixed practices, providing both NHS and Private treatments. There are two ways in which a dentist working in the UK is remunerated, either as a % of their gross fees/billings, i.e. 45% or 50% of their gross fees/billings. This can be called 'fee per item'. It is usual for dentists carrying out private treatments to be remunerated this way. For NHS treatments all contract values are linked to UDAs (Units of Dental Activity) in England and Wales. The dentist will be expected to achieve an amount of UDAs specified in their contract. It is increasingly common for dentists to receive a monthly income based upon the number of UDAs they consume each month. There is not a single set contract value across the UK. You should expect to discuss this when speaking about specific roles. The NHS system in Scotland is different and the Dentist receives a % of their gross fees/billings or ‘fee per item’.

• Specialists:

As a Specialist, i.e., an Orthodontist, the contracts and working conditions are similar to those of a general dentist, for example, you could work in either a NHS, mixed or private environment although you would only be carrying out procedures relevant to your Specialism. However, to use the title Specialist and have patients referred to you for Specialist treatment; you must be registered on the GDC Specialist lists.

• UK Employment status:

It is usual for dentists to work with self employed status. As a self employed person you would be responsible for your own tax and national insurance payments. Anyone living and working in the UK is subject to the UK's taxation system and it is always advisable to hire an accountant to assist and advise you on the UK's taxation system. It is usual for a dentist in the UK to sign a contact with the practice or company with whom they are going to work. Contracts are usually for a minimum of 2 years.

• What can a Dentist earn?

A Dentist’s income (working in a mixed practice) is dependent upon the value and number of UDAs in the contract, the number of UDAs consumed. This is usually discussed when speaking about specific roles. Remuneration is also effected by the amount of Private treatments carried out. A dentist can expect to earn from £70,000 to £80,000 in their first year and see a considerable increase in the following years.

• Registering with the General Dental Council:

• Dentists
  To work as a dentist in the UK you will need to register with the British General Dental Council (GDC) here in the UK. The GDC is the UK's dental administrative/regulatory body; it is illegal to work in the UK without registering with the GDC. Their functions are to safeguard and promote best practice in dentistry in the UK.
  To work in general, community practice you will need to obtain full registration from the GDC. If you are unsure about your eligibility for GDC registration, for example, you qualified from outside of the EEA, information can be found on the GDC website or by contacting them directly (details below).

• Temporary Registration
  Temporary registration allows dentists who are not eligible for full registration to practise dentistry in the UK in supervised posts for training, teaching, or research purposes only, and for a limited period of time. Dentists with temporary registration cannot work in general or private practice, or in the community dental services.

• Examination for Overseas Qualified Dentists

  The Overseas Registration Examination (ORE) tests the clinical skills and knowledge of dentists from outside the EEA whose qualifications are not recognised for full registration with the General Dental Council.  Candidates are tested against the standard expected of graduate dentists on first registration with the GDC.  This means that UK graduates and overseas dentists are expected to have the same basic level of knowledge and skills. The ORE replaces the International Qualifying Examination (IQE) which will be phased out over a period through transitional arrangements for current  IQE candidates.

  The examination is based on the UK dental curriculum and uses modern assessment methods to ensure a robust and consistent examination. Dentists who pass this examination become eligible to apply for full registration to practice in the UK.

• Specialists
  The Specialist Lists indicate registered dentists who meet certain conditions and are entitled to use a specialist title, for example, a Specialist Orthodontist or Periodontologist. A dentist does not have to be entered onto a Specialist List to carry out a particular specialty; but may only use the title 'specialist' if they are on the list. To register as a Specialist a dentist must first register as a General Dentist. Further information on how to register as a Specialist can be found on the GDC website.

• Insurance

• Primary Care Trust

• Language requirements

You will need to show you have a certain level of English language.
Avalon Medical can arrange a language test for you. This is the full range of English Language Tests recognised by PCTs;

• www.gdc-uk.org
  General Dental Council

• www.bda.org
  British Dental Association