The General Dental Council (GDC) launched a new statutory register for dental nurses and technicians including clinical dental technicians—denturists—in July 2006. The GDC is independent of Government and the consultation that preceded the setting-up of the registration system was therefore a matter for GDC, not the Government.
The Government however strongly support the principle of registration. Its launch means that denturism has become a legitimate clinical activity subject to normal professional regulation. Work is under way with training institutions and representatives of clinical dental technicians to develop appropriate training courses leading to registration.