JCCP and GDC Clarify Scope of Practice for Dental Professionals

New guidance confirms how dental professionals may safely and responsibly provide non-surgical cosmetic procedures within the wider GDC professional framework.

The JCCP has received a number of enquiries and expressions of concern from dental professionals and others regarding the question of their General Dental Council (GDC) regulated ‘scope of practice’ when performing non-dental cosmetic procedures. The concerns arise from a recent industry publication, which appears to suggest that the GDC no longer lists non-dental cosmetic procedures as an additional skill in the scope for dental professionals.

The JCCP, working alongside the GDC, understands that the cosmetic procedures for which we have responsibility for our registrants, including botulinum toxins and dermal fillers, are not the practice of dentistry. The GDC defines and regulates the practice of dentistry and will set its standards accordingly. The regulation of non-dental tasks, including such cosmetic procedures, falls outside the GDC’s remit, and it is not for the GDC to determine who should be carrying out specific non-dental tasks, including non-surgical injectables. Therefore, the GDC has removed reference to non-dental tasks in the new guidance, including the additional skill dentists could develop of “providing non-surgical cosmetic injectables”. However, dental professionals must act within the wider framework of professional practice set by the GDC.

The JCCP records on Part A of its register a number of dental professional groups such as dentists, dental hygienists and dental therapists. These individuals may continue to decide whether to provide non-surgical cosmetic injectable procedures by applying their professional judgement within the GDC’s existing regulatory framework and evidencing their continuing competence to do so. The JCCP provides two mechanisms to achieve this, and we publish them under two categories:

• Those recorded on Category 1 of the register have undertaken a JCCP-approved qualification at the appropriate level for the procedures they offer.
• Category 2 registrants self-declare that the cosmetic procedures they perform are within their scope of practice. They do so having first self-assessed that they have the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to perform them safely. The benchmark for this self-assessment are found in the JCCP Competency Framework (2018).

Dental professionals may therefore extend their personal scope of practice into activities outside dentistry, but they must be able to evidence that they are trained, competent and indemnified/insured to undertake such activities. They must also continue to act within the wider framework of professional practice set by the GDC. Dental professionals, therefore, remain accountable to the GDC for their practice. The GDC does not offer guidance or standards specific to non-dental cosmetic procedures, and we anticipate that dental professionals on the JCCP register will refer to the JCCP for the expected standards.

The JCCP records dental nurses on Part B (professionally unregulated) of its register. This is because in the JCCP’s view, this group cannot demonstrate the professional and academic attainment required to meet the requirements for admission to Part A.

The JCCP operates a Professional Standards Authority Accredited Register; our registrants are also accountable to the JCCP and must act according to the JCCP standards and Code of Practice. The JCCP agrees to share fitness to practice information about its dental registrants with the GDC via a Memorandum of Understanding in place with them.

We advise that relevant professionals should refer to the GDC Scope of Practice 2025 for further information.