Overseas dentists could practise without passing ORE: the profession reacts

Overseas dentists could practise without passing ORE: the profession reacts.?‘A terrible idea’: We hear thoughts from the dental profession on the recent news that the overseas registration exam process?could be changed.

Sakina Syed, dental hygienist

The possibility of ORE exams for overseas dentists being removed is perplexing. My understanding is that they assess skills, knowledge and competencies to deliver quality patient care with safety.

I appreciate that these exams are costly and time consuming, but similar exams exist for doctors. Surely they could be reconfigured but not scrapped. Focusing on cutting waiting lists and increasing productivity should not be overridden by assessing skills.

I am a strong believer in a multi-disciplinary team approach – this is why the utilisation of dental hygienists and dental therapists to full scope can help this approach. Dental therapists can undertake examinations and diagnose and treat dental decay, referring when needed. Despite more than 5,000 registered dental therapists, many cannot find suitable practices to utilise their full skill set, and there are many therapists who want to re-skill, such as myself.

Both dental hygienists and dental therapists continue to work tirelessly to increase awareness of our profession alongside our professional bodies such as the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT) and the British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT). We want to continue to push the profession forward, not be overlooked.

It’s ten years since the introduction of direct access – we are on the cusp of change.

Mac Bule, dentist and King’s College London tutor

Being an overseas qualified dentistry who had to go through this many years ago, I can clearly say the whole idea for going through this is to make sure overseas dentists are trained and familiar on UK rules and regulations. Believe me when I say that most overseas dentists are more aware of how to do basic periodontal examinations (BPE) and the six point pocket chart (6PPC) than UK graduates.

Don’t forget all those rules are made by the General Dental Council (GDC). It was their decision to accept the applications without subjecting any further training. I agree this country produces enough graduates for the profession. It is an incredible way of making money for GDC though. I never even thought the whole process was giving an opportunity for overseas dentists.

I have to make it clear though, as much as I argued the unfairness of the system in my time, I never questioned the reason. Of course, as an overseas dentist we need to be familiar with the rules and regulations of the country we’re living in. There is no question about that.

Before making unfair comments on overseas dentists, please question the regulatory body’s intentions and actions.

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