Choosing your membership

You must be either:

• a dental or oral health practitioner registered with the GDC or an equivalent overseas authority, or
• a non-registrant who is qualified to practice, or former registrant, such as an academic or retired practitioner

Find out more about becoming an Associate Member.

As for Associate Member, plus

• a qualifying Postgraduate Certificate in a relevant subject^‡, or
• MJDF/MFDS/MFGDP(UK), or
• Diploma in General Dental Practice (DGDP)

As for Associate Member, plus

• a qualifying Postgraduate Diploma or Masters level qualification in a relevant subject^‡, or
• CGDent Diploma in Primary Care Orthodontics,
• FGDP(UK) or RCS(Ed) Diploma in Implant Dentistry, or
• FGDP(UK) Diploma in Restorative Dentistry or Primary Care Oral Surgery, or
• Diploma in Postgraduate Dental Studies (DPDS), or
• Membership in General Dental Surgery (MGDS) or
• Specialty Membership of a UK Faculty

We will shortly open for portfolio-based applications from enhanced-level practitioners who do not hold any of these qualifications, or hold a qualification that falls short of our requirements.

Fellowship is the ultimate mark of professional recognition by the College. Role Fellowship marks out the Accomplished Practitioner in any role in the wider dental team (eg FCGDent (Dent.Nurs.)); College Fellowship (FCGDent) sets the standard in primary care dentistry for Dentists, and is open to the highest achieving practitioners in any role.

There are two routes to Fellowship:

• Fellowship by experience: you will be asked to demonstrate that you meet our requirements for achievement in three of the five Fellowship Domains. You will need to complete an application form and provide evidence to show you meet the requirements, as well as registering and paying for Fellowship.
• Fellowship by equivalence: we accept into Fellowship those who have achieved a dental fellowship in certain other organisations. You will need to provide evidence of your admission to Fellowship of that organisation, as well as registering and paying for membership.

More on Fellowship

Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma refer to university-awarded or other qualifications accredited through OfQual and assessed against the Framework for Level 7 Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (equivalent to Level 11 in Scotland).

Masters are regulated university qualifications in the UK, and we also recognise European Masters from institutions that are recognised through the Bologna Process.

A Postgraduate Certificate must equate at least to 60 credits in the Framework, a Postgraduate Diploma to 120 credits, and a Masters to 180 credits (or an international equivalent).