The GDC CPD requirements depend on your registered title: 100 verifiable hours for dentists, 75 for dental therapists, dental hygienists, orthodontic therapists and clinical dental technicians, and 50 for dental nurses and dental technicians, all over a five-year cycle. Everyone must also do at least 10 hours in every two-year period and make a CPD statement every year, even if the number for that year is zero.
The General Dental Council (GDC) sets these rules for dental professionals across the UK. The section on CQC inspections below applies to practices in England.
How many hours each role needs
| Registered title | Minimum verifiable hours per five-year cycle |
|---|---|
| Dentist | 100 |
| Dental therapist, dental hygienist, orthodontic therapist, clinical dental technician | 75 |
| Dental nurse, dental technician | 50 |
| Temporary registrant (dentist) | 20, over the period set in your directions |
If someone holds more than one title, they must do the amount for the title that needs the higher number of hours.
How much CPD do dental nurses need?
Dental nurses need 50 hours of verifiable CPD in each five-year cycle, including at least 10 hours in any two consecutive CPD years. Their CPD year runs from 1 August to 31 July.
The 10 hour rule
The GDC asks everyone to spread CPD across the cycle by doing at least 10 hours of verifiable CPD across any consecutive two-year period, including where one cycle ends and the next begins.
You can do no CPD in a given year, as long as you do at least 10 hours in the year before or the year after. This is the rule people tend to forget, because someone can be well on track for their total and still fall short on the two-year minimum.
GDC CPD declaration deadline
The statement is due every year, whether or not any CPD was done. The dates differ by group:
| Group | CPD year | Make your statement by |
|---|---|---|
| Dentists | 1 January to 31 December | 28 January |
| Dental care professionals, all titles | 1 August to 31 July | 28 August |
CPD done on or after the first day of a new CPD year counts towards that new year. Statements are made through MyGDC. The GDC says you can do this at any time during the year, or wait for renewal to open around six weeks before the year ends. Once the deadline has passed, you cannot amend your statement.
Each person’s MyGDC account shows the hours they need for their own cycle, so check that rather than working it out from a colleague’s dates.
GDC verifiable CPD requirements
For CPD to count as verifiable, the person needs evidence from the provider, usually a certificate, mapping document or email, showing:
- the subject, learning content, aims and objectives
- the anticipated GDC development outcome or outcomes
- the date and the total number of CPD hours
- the name of the person who took part
- confirmation that the CPD was quality assured, and by whom
- confirmation that the information is full and accurate
Each planned activity also has to link to at least one of the four development outcomes, and the CPD must be relevant to the person’s field of practice.
Delivering CPD to others and tasks that are part of your normal role cannot be counted.
What records have to be kept
The CPD record is made up of a personal development plan, an activity log and the certificates. It must be kept for five years from the end of the five-year cycle, and the GDC may audit it for up to five years after it is completed.
Recommended topics
The GDC’s recommended CPD topics are recommendations, and they are worth planning around:
- medical emergencies: at least 10 hours each cycle, with at least two hours every year
- disinfection and decontamination: at least five hours each cycle
- radiography and radiation protection, if you take radiographs: at least five hours each cycle
What happens if someone misses the requirements
If it looks as though the hours won’t be finished by the end of a cycle, a professional can ask for a grace period of an additional 56 days. The request has to be made within the final six months of the cycle, before it ends, and the GDC decides case by case.
People who don’t meet the minimum requirements or don’t complete a statement may be removed from the register, which means they cannot practise dentistry in the UK. The GDC gives a further chance to show compliance first, and there is a right of appeal. Anyone facing this should contact the GDC and their indemnity provider early.
What CQC looks for at a practice in England
CPD belongs to each registrant, but inspectors check that the practice has taken an interest. CQC’s mythbuster on keeping up to date says it expects providers to show they have assured themselves that team members, including self-employed professionals, are up to date and have taken steps to comply with GDC requirements. It suggests keeping a log of training over each person’s CPD cycle. It also says an inspector would not normally need to examine a personal development plan.
A simple approach is one line per team member with their cycle dates, hours so far and the date of their last statement. Our page on dental team credentials covers what else to hold for each person, and medical emergency training is a good place to start with the recommended topics.
Compliance UK’s staff credentials feature tracks GDC registration, indemnity and training dates for each team member, with email reminders 60, 30 and 7 days before something expires.
Sources
- GDC: CPD for dental professionals, scheme requirements
- GDC: Recording and submitting CPD
- GDC: Recommended CPD topics
- CQC: Dental mythbuster 2, keeping up to date for the dental practice team
Sources checked on 10 November 2026.