General dentists, hygienists, therapists, nurses and GDC-registered specialists: who does what, and how referrals work, explained by our Finchley Road practice.
You may see several different professionals during your dental care. All of them must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC). Here is who does what.
Your general dentist is usually your first point of contact. They carry out examinations, diagnose problems, plan treatment, and provide treatments such as fillings, crowns, extractions and root canal treatment. Many general dentists complete extra postgraduate training in areas they are interested in.
Hygienists focus on preventing and treating gum disease. They carry out scaling, give advice on home care and can apply fluoride.
Therapists can provide many of the same treatments as hygienists, plus some routine treatments such as simple fillings, following a prescription or within their scope of practice.
Dental nurses support clinicians during treatment, look after infection control and help patients feel at ease.
The GDC keeps a list of dentists who have completed recognised specialist training in fields such as orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics and oral surgery. Only dentists on that list may call themselves specialists. You can check any professional on the GDC’s online register. If your treatment is particularly complex, your dentist may refer you to another clinician or a hospital service.
You can see the roles, qualifications and GDC numbers of our clinicians on the our team page. If you would like to know who will be treating you and their training, just ask.
Dental Wellness Finchley Road, 106 Finchley Rd, South Hampstead, London NW3 5JJ.
Call 020 3813 3848, message us on WhatsApp (07522 141064), email smile@dentalwellnessfinchleyroad.co.uk or book online.
