Dental technician workforce continues decline while overall DCP numbers rise by 5%

The number of dental technicians on the UK register has fallen for the sixth consecutive year, despite the overall dental care professional register growing by almost 5%.

Annual renewal statistics from the General Dental Council (GDC) showed that 84,746 dental care professionals (DCPs) were registered in 2026, an increase of 3,746 compared with the equivalent point last year.

However, dental technician numbers fell from 4,895 to 4,824, continuing a decline that has prompted concerns about training and the future capacity of UK dental laboratories.

Laboratory editor-in-chief Matt Everatt has suggested that the decline in the dental technology workforce was due to a number of factors including training programmes under financial pressure, unregulated manufacturing, and the impact of new technology.

A total of 3,769 DCPs were removed from the register following the annual renewal period. Due to ongoing problems with the MyGDC portal during this renewal period, the GDC said that DCPs who were having technical issues would not be removed from the register provided they contacted the regulator before the deadline.

Dental workforce demographics

Dental nurses remain by far the largest DCP group, with 69,824 registered – up from 65,797 in 2025. Additionally, the number of dental hygienists increased to 11,407 from 11,065 in 2025.

The dental therapy profession has seen significant growth since 2023. In three years, the number of dental therapists has increased from 5,558 to 8,824. Many of these were from internationally qualified dentists who joined the register with DCP titles, a route that the GDC has now closed. 

Since 2025, the government has called for greater use of the wider team in NHS dentistry, particularly by helping dental therapists work to the ‘top of their clinical potential’.

Training capacity for dental therapists is also being significantly expanded through new courses and facilities.

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