Following new Government investment, final exam places run by the Royal College of Surgeons of England will be increasing nearly ten-fold, allowing up to 1,350 overseas-trained dentists to join the General Dental Council's register annually by 2028 and be available to provide dental services in the UK.

At the same time, the General Dental Council will significantly expand the number of places of its Overseas Registration Exam (ORE), meaning more than 1,000 overseas-trained dentists are expected to join the register annually via this route by 2028/29.

In addition, an extra 50 dentists will be trained in England every year from 2027, with the Office for Students (OfS) having been asked to prioritise these new training places in so-called dental deserts which do not currently train dentists, for example in rural and coastal areas.

Health minister, Stephen Kinnock said: ‘No-one in the 21st century should be left in a situation where they cannot access a dentist.

‘That is why today's announcement is crucial, as training more dentists and allowing greater numbers of those qualified overseas to practise, will put more patients in dental chairs, receiving care when they need it most.

‘These investments show this Government is serious about rebuilding NHS dentistry and laying the foundations to make it fit for the future.'

Backed by a one-off £420,000 grant, the Licence in Dental Surgery exam - an exam that overseas-trained dentists can take to practise in the UK - is being massively expanded, with places on the final part of the exam being increased tenfold from 180 to 1,800 by 2028.

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Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: ‘RCS England is pleased to work with the Department of Health and Social Care to increase the number of places for candidates sitting the Licence in Dental Surgery examination. This expansion will support more candidates, strengthen the dental workforce, and help improve public access to dentistry.'

Tom Whiting, chief executive and registrar at the GDC, said: ‘Our top priority has been to increase the capacity of the ORE, and I'm pleased that we can offer greater certainty and scale through this new contract. This is good news for candidates.

‘More ORE places, along with more students at dental schools and the increase in capacity for the LDS, is great news for the dental workforce and, in turn, patients and the public.

‘Sustainable change requires a long-term plan, and working with others, we are committed to playing our part, to support any workforce strategy, including building a comprehensive framework to support international recruitment.'

Dr Katie Petty-Saphon, chief executive of the Dental Schools Council: ‘Each year, dental schools are forced to turn away talented applicants who show great potential and this increase will allow more future NHS dentists to be admitted.

‘Dental schools look forward to working with the government to support this expansion, ensuring recruitment follows best practice in widening participation while training NHS-ready dentists and addressing geographical gaps in access to care.'

Neil Carmichael, executive chair at the Association of Dental Group, said: 'This is excellent news that ultimately will benefit patients, as well as put energy into the dentistry profession. We should soon see an increase of overseas-trained dentists, who are now able to take the robust examinations, joining the GDC's register - and providing NHS treatments.

He added: 'Increasing UK dental school places is also fantastic news. A career in dentistry is an exciting and rewarding one that UK students should be encouraged to pursue. As always, the ADG stands by to advise policymakers and stakeholders to keep the momentum going and ensure that we target the most urgent patient needs in dental deserts.'