GDC Standards for the Dental Team: ORE Part 1 Exam Summary

The 9 Core GDC Principles

Every dental registrant in the UK must adhere to 9 overarching principles at all times, both inside and outside the clinical practice setting:

1. Principle 1: Put patients' interests first. Treat patients fairly, without discrimination, and prioritize their health and safety above all commercial or personal interests.
2. Principle 2: Communicate effectively with patients. Listen to patients, give clear treatment options, explain risks, and provide written itemized cost estimates before starting care.
3. Principle 3: Obtain valid consent. Ensure consent is voluntary, informed, and given by a patient possessing decision-making capacity (or under MCA 2005 / Gillick competence).
4. Principle 4: Respect patients' confidentiality. Protect all personal patient information; disclosures without consent are strictly limited to court orders or severe public harm prevention.
5. Principle 5: Have a clear and effective complaints procedure. Acknowledge complaints in writing within 3 working days and investigate promptly.
6. Principle 6: Work with colleagues in ways that serve patients' best interests. Recognize colleagues' skills and raise immediate concerns if a colleague's health or performance risks patient safety.
7. Principle 7: Maintain, develop and work within your professional knowledge and skills. Complete 100 hours of verifiable CPD per 5-year cycle and refer cases exceeding personal competence.
8. Principle 8: Raise concerns if patients are at risk. Escalate unresolved safety or safeguarding concerns to practice leads or regulators (CQC / GDC).
9. Principle 9: Ensure your personal conduct maintains patients' trust. Maintain strict professional boundaries (prohibiting romantic or financial exploitation) and declare criminal charges/convictions within 7 days.

Key Legal & Regulatory Requirements for Paper B

• Professional Indemnity Insurance: Statutory requirement for all UK registrants to hold adequate cover.
• GDPR / Data Protection: Subject Access Requests (SAR) for dental records must be provided free of charge within 1 calendar month.
• Criminal Conviction Notification: Registrants must notify the GDC within 7 days of any caution, charge, or conviction.