The General Dental Council (GDC) has updated its guidance on Scope of Practice, which will come into effect on 1 November 2025.
The GDC has stated that these updates do not change the scope of any profession. Dental nurses, along with all other registrant groups, will continue to work within the same remit. The new guidance aims to bring greater clarity to professional boundaries and support registrants in using their professional judgement in the best interests of patients. But does it?
Why this matters for dental nurses
The previous 2013 Scope of Practice guidance included specific task lists for dental nurses, such as placing rubber dams or removing sutures under appropriate direction. These lists gave certainty and helped both new and experienced nurses understand exactly what was permitted.
The new 2025 version takes a different approach. Instead of listing tasks, it sets out the principles of scope and places emphasis on:
- being trained
- being competent
- having appropriate indemnity cover
- working under the correct direction or prescription where required.
The guidance is no longer a list of duties but a framework for professional accountability. While nothing has officially been removed, the absence of explicit lists means some areas feel less certain. If the old scope did not exist, how would a dental nurse know they could place a rubber dam or remove sutures? What happens when teams stop referring back to the 2013 document? These are the types of questions that need clarity before November.
Dedicated online session for dental nurses
To help the profession understand the changes, the GDC is holding online Q&A sessions in October.
For dental nurses, the dedicated session is:
Monday 13 October 2025, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
This session will explain what has changed in the guidance and will provide an opportunity for dental nurses to ask questions and raise concerns directly. Please click here to register before it gets fully booked.
We want your thoughts. If you have read the new scope and are a dental nurse, please take less than a minute of your time to complete our short annonymous survey here.
