Can Foreign Dentist work as Dental Hygienist while preparing for ORE / LDS in UK?

As overseas Dental Hygienists are allowed to register with General Dental Council (GDC) according to the guidelines under Section 36 (C) of the Dentists Act 1984, similarly, Overseas Dentists are also allowed to register as Dental Hygienist or Dental Therapist with the GDC, which follows a process of completing an individual assessment.

Upon submission of individual assessment with the General Dental Council (GDC) and their acceptance, foreign Dentists preparing for ORE or LDS are allowed to register as Dental Hygienist or Dental Therapist. Working as Dental Hygienist will give invaluable chair-side experience and confidence in treating patients in the UK.

Overseas Dentist working as Dental Hygienist while preparing for ORE / LDS in UK.

Foreign Dentist work as Dental Hygienist while preparing ORE / LDS in the UK

Foreign Dentist ORE / LDS Preparation

You may already know that Overseas dentists who would like to to work in the UK needs to pass the overseas registration examination. There are two routes available in the UK for Dentist registration:

  • 1st and more common & popular  is ORE (Overseas Registration Examination) which is conducted by the General Dental Council (GDC) UK
  • 2nd and less common & less popular is LDS (Licence in Dental Surgery) which is conducted by the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS)

ORE follows the route of Part 1 which is theoritical and Part 2 which is clinical. Part 1 exam fees are > £1000. Once a candidate passes the ORE Part 1, ORE Part 2 can be booked. Part 2 exam fees are >£3000.

LDS also follows the same route as ORE of Part 1 which is theoritical and Part 2 which is clinical. Part 1 exam fees are > £1000. Once a candidate passes the LDS Part 1, LDS Part 2 can be booked. Part 2 exam fees are >£3000.

LDS exam vs ORE Exam – which one is better?

Whether it is ORE or LDS, both exams allows a candidate to do exactly the same thing after passing it. The difference lies whether your dental qualification is recognised by either RCS or GDC. One thing to note, if that the exam seats for LDS are considerably low compared with ORE – each year only 120 candidates are allowed to give LDS Part 1 Exam and only 55 candidates are allowed to give LDS Part 2 Exams.

Option to work in UK as Dental Hygienist / Therapist while preparing for ORE / LDS

As overseas Dental Hygienists are allowed to register with General Dental Council (GDC) according to the guidelines under Section 36 (C) of the Dentists Act 1984, similarly, Overseas Dentists are also allowed to register as Dental Hygienist or Dental Therapist with the GDC, which follows a process of completing an individual assessment.

Upon registration the candidate is allowed to work as a GDC registered Dental Hygienist or Dental Therapist. The experience gained during working as a Dental Hygienist or Therapist will be invaluable for anyone trying to pass the ORE or LDS exams. Specifically during the Part 2 phase of ORE and LDS or Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) you will be in much better position due to clinical experience and the knowledge of NHS rules and regulations, and complaints handling procedures and dental sofwares etc.

If you have any questions regarding the process, or are looking for support during this important phase, please feel free to contact us.