The Nine GDC Principles for Professionalism
The GDC Standards for the Dental Team set out nine overarching principles. Together they define what professionalism for dentists and dental professionals looks like in everyday practice:
- Put patients' interests first — make the care and safety of patients your primary concern at all times
- Communicate effectively with patients — listen, explain clearly, respect their decisions, and obtain valid consent
- Obtain valid consent — ensure patients understand and agree to treatment before you provide it
- Maintain and protect patients' information — keep records accurate, complete, and confidential
- Have a clear and effective complaints procedure — handle complaints fairly and learn from them
- Work with colleagues in a way that is in patients' best interests — communicate, collaborate, and refer appropriately
- Maintain, develop and work within your professional knowledge and skills — stay competent through CPD and recognise your limits
- Raise concerns if patients are at risk — report safety concerns and act to protect patients
- Make sure your personal behaviour maintains patients' confidence in you and the dental profession — act with honesty, integrity, and probity in all aspects of your life
The ninth principle extends beyond the clinical setting. It covers your behaviour outside work, on social media, and in your personal life. The GDC can investigate concerns about a dental professional's conduct outside their practice if it is considered to undermine public confidence in the profession.
Common Professionalism Failures in Dentistry
The GDC's annual fitness to practise reports consistently identify the following categories of professionalism failure among dental professionals:
- Record-keeping failures — incomplete, inaccurate, or missing clinical records. This is one of the most common and most preventable issues
- Consent failures — providing treatment without valid consent or without adequately explaining risks and alternatives
- Dishonesty — falsifying records, misrepresenting qualifications, insurance fraud, or misleading patients about treatment
- Clinical competence — providing treatment below the expected standard, failing to refer when appropriate, or practising outside your scope
- Boundary violations — inappropriate relationships with patients or staff
- Social media misconduct — sharing patient information online, making inappropriate posts, or behaving unprofessionally on social platforms
How to Evidence Professionalism for Dentists in Fitness to Practise
If you are facing a GDC investigation, demonstrating professionalism for dentists requires more than words — it requires documented evidence:
- Complete targeted CPD — courses in ethics, professionalism, record-keeping, and consent directly relevant to the concern
- Write a reflective statement — demonstrate insight into the concern and what you have learned
- Provide evidence of remediation — supervisor reports, employer references, documented practice changes
- Show understanding of the GDC Standards — demonstrate that you know which standard was breached and how you now meet it
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GDC Fitness to Practise: What Happens When Professionalism Fails
When the GDC receives a concern about a dental professional, it follows a structured fitness to practise process. Cases are initially screened, then investigated if they meet the threshold. Case examiners review the evidence and decide whether to close the case, issue a warning, or refer it to the Professional Conduct Committee for a hearing.
At a hearing, the panel can impose a range of sanctions: reprimand, conditions, suspension, or erasure from the register. The level of insight and remediation you demonstrate is a critical factor in the panel's decision — often more influential than the original concern itself.
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See Courses for Dentists →Frequently Asked Questions
What standards must dentists follow?
All dental professionals must follow the GDC Standards for the Dental Team, which comprise nine overarching principles covering patient care, communication, consent, confidentiality, complaints, teamwork, competence, raising concerns, and personal behaviour.
Can a dental nurse face GDC fitness to practise proceedings?
Yes. The GDC Standards for the Dental Team apply equally to all GDC registrants including dental nurses, hygienists, therapists, technicians, and orthodontic therapists. Any GDC registrant can be investigated for a breach of the standards.
What is the most common reason for GDC investigations?
Record-keeping failures, consent issues, and clinical competence concerns are among the most common reasons for GDC fitness to practise investigations. Dishonesty is treated as among the most serious categories of concern.
How can I demonstrate professionalism for dentists to the GDC?
Through consistent compliance with the nine GDC principles, documented CPD in relevant areas, reflective practice, accurate record-keeping, effective communication with patients, and honest, transparent conduct in all professional dealings.
Will a GDC investigation affect my career?
It depends on the outcome. Cases closed with no action have no lasting impact. Sanctions such as conditions, suspension, or erasure are published on the GDC register. The insight and remediation you demonstrate significantly influence the outcome.
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional regulatory advice. If you are facing a fitness to practise investigation, seek independent legal advice from a specialist regulatory solicitor and contact your professional indemnity provider without delay.