Standards in Dentistry, third edition
What’s changed?
01 September 2025
The third edition of Standards in Dentistry has recently been published by the College of General Dentistry (CGDent) and is now available to view (and for College members to download) online.
The fully revised edition incorporates new and updated guidelines and standards which are appropriate for the whole of the primary care dental team. It follows the structure of the previous two editions, and contains two main sections: summary tables of clinical standards, and lists of guidelines, arranged topically by area of care. The publication does not intend to imply that patients should receive identical care.
Guidelines provide recommendations for effective practice in the management of clinical conditions where variations in practice occur and where effective care may not be delivered uniformly.
Clinical standards are used to describe the specific elements of care that need to be correct in order to optimise the outcomes for patients. Standards must be unambiguous and measurable.
The clinical standards tables are presented as A: Aspirational, B: Basic and C: Conditional. The A,B,C clinical standards are process measures, not outcomes:
Aspirational – gold-level standards which are not essential
Basic – minimum standard necessary to ensure patient safety
Conditional – these recommendations only apply in particular situations
Clinicians can use the aspirational standards to improve their practice whilst ensuring that basic standards are met. However, clinicians must assess each clinical situation, the circumstances and the evidence available to them, and use their clinical judgement to settle on the course of action which is in the patient’s best interests. It is recommended that clinicians explain the choices to the patient, the reasons for recommending the chosen course of action and then seek the patient’s consent before clearly justifying the reasoning and recording the consent in the patient’s records.
The editorial team drew the summaries of clinical standards from multiple, authoritative sources of guidance for primary care dentistry. All of the summary tables have been reviewed and updated for this edition, and revisions were peer-reviewed in consultation with representatives from across the UK dental sector.
There are new summary tables for Digital Dentistry and Aesthetic Dentistry, reflecting changes in dental care. The newly incorporated standards for Digital Dentistry recognise that dental practices are at different stages of implementing full digital workflows. Therefore, the basic standards in this table refer to the legal necessities such as meeting GDPR requirements and maintaining secure electronic systems. However, in recognition that practices will be working towards the aspirational goal of full clinical digital workflow, there is also a basic standard for members of the dental team to develop the skills and knowledge to enable the transition.
The new standards for Aesthetic Dentistry are aligned with the legal position decided by the GDC in light of the High Court ruling in the case of GDC v Jamous. Tooth whitening treatment is the practice of dentistry and can only legally and safely be carried out by registered dental professionals. The basic standards for Aesthetic Dentistry highlight the importance of communications with patients, including discussion of risks and managing expectations. There is also clear emphasis on the responsibilities of the dental care professional to act within their scope of practice, competence and training.
In updating all the summary tables, the editorial team reviewed the latest guidelines of more than twenty guideline-producing bodies such as the College of General Dentistry, Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme, British Endodontic Society, British Orthodontic Society, British Society of Paediatric Dentistry, British Society of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
The new 2025 edition of Standards in Dentistry is designed for the busy practitioner as a chairside guide which compiles guidelines from multiple bodies, covering all aspects of clinical care from diagnosis to treatment. In all, it summarises over 100 standards, guidelines and advisory publications by 50 national and international bodies, and signposts to other relevant resources, organisations and legislation.
This comprehensive guidance for all members of the oral healthcare team plays an essential role in maintaining standards of excellence within general dentistry, and supports practitioners to continue providing high standards of care to their patients.
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