Explanatory note

This Order, which is made under the Dentists Act 1984, approves Regulations made by the General Dental Council specifying professions complementary to dentistry and titles applying to each specified profession.

Regulation 2 specifies the professions pursued by dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists. The effect of specification in the Regulations is that those professions are brought within the system of regulation set out in Part 3A of the Dentists Act 1984.

Regulations 3 and 4 contain transitional provisions regarding the entitlement to registration of certain dental nurses and dental technicians, and regulation 5 contains an exemption from the offence contained in section 39 of the Dentists Act 1984 regarding the use of the titles specified in relation to the professions pursued by dental nurses or dental technicians. The transitional provisions apply for a period of two years following the coming into force of these Regulations.