Imagine a prospective patient, Sarah, is looking for a new dentist. She finds your website. It looks great. The photos are bright, and the list of treatments is impressive. But Sarah is cautious. She wants to know she is in safe, professional hands.
She looks for your GDC number to verify your registration. She can’t find it.
Sarah doesn’t just feel slightly annoyed; she feels a seed of doubt. If this practice hasn’t followed the basic rules for their website, what else are they skipping? She clicks away and finds a competitor who displays their credentials clearly.
In the UK, displaying your GDC number isn’t just a “nice to have.” It is a strict regulatory requirement. According to the General Dental Council (GDC), your website is a form of advertising. This means it must follow the Principles of Ethical Advertising.
Failing to meet these standards isn’t just bad for patient trust. It can lead to fitness to practise investigations.
The Essential GDC Website Checklist
The GDC is very specific about what must appear on a dental practice website. If you haven’t audited your site recently, use this checklist to ensure you are compliant.
1. Individual Professional Details
For every dental professional mentioned on your website (dentists, therapists, hygienists, and nurses), you must display:
- Their full name as it appears on the GDC register.
- Their GDC registration number.
- Their professional qualification (e.g., BDS, Dip DH).
- The country where that qualification was derived (e.g., UK).
Simply listing “Dr. John Smith” is not enough. You must provide the full clinical context so patients can verify his status on the GDC register.
Practice Contact Information
Your website must clearly state the physical details of the business. This includes:
- The practice name
- Their geographic address of the clinic.
- A telephone number and email address.
Regulatory Links and Statements
You are required to show that you are part of a regulated profession. You must include:
- A statement that the practice is regulated by the GDC.
- A direct link to the GDC website.
- This proves to patients (and regulators) that your information is current.
The "Complaints Procedure" Rule
One of the most common areas where practices fail an audit is the complaints procedure. The GDC requires that patients know exactly how to raise a concern.
Your website must have a dedicated section or link that explains:
- How to complain to the practice directly.
- Who to contact if they are not satisfied with your response.
For private treatment, you must link to the Dental Complaints Service. For NHS treatment, you must provide details for the relevant NHS body or the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Hiding this information in a hard-to-find PDF is a mistake. It should be easily accessible, ideally in your website footer or on a “Patient Information” page.
Why Compliance is Good for Business
It is easy to see these rules as red tape. However, transparency is a core part of Personal Branding for dentists.
When you display your GDC number and qualifications clearly, you are signaling authority. You are telling the patient, “I am a qualified professional, and I am proud of my credentials.”
Research into patient behavior shows that trust signals are vital for conversion. A 2026 guide on UK dental website design notes that displaying GDC numbers and CQC ratings prominently on homepages builds instant credibility. Patients are making high-value health decisions. They want proof of safety.
Common Compliance Mistakes to Avoid
Even well-meaning practice owners can fall into these traps:
- Using Specialist Titles incorrectly: Only dentists on a GDC specialist list can call themselves a “Specialist” or an “Endodontist/Orthodontist.” If you aren’t on the list, you must use phrases like “practice limited to” or “special interest in.”
- Missing Staff Members: If a new associate joins, their details must be added to the site immediately. The data on your site must always reflect the personnel currently at the practice.
- Unverifiable Claims: Avoid words like “best,” “painless,” or “guaranteed results.” These are considered misleading by the GDC and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The Risks of Non-Compliance
The GDC has a statutory duty to protect the public. If your website is found to be misleading or lacks mandatory information, the consequences are real.
Annual renewal data from January 2026 shows that hundreds of dentists are removed from the register every year for various reasons. While a missing GDC number might not lead to immediate removal, it can trigger a wider investigation into your “Fitness to Practise.”
Furthermore, if you are an NHS provider, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will also check your website. Their “Well-led” criteria look for evidence that the practice is meeting all its legal and professional obligations.
How to Fix Your Site Today
You don’t need a total redesign to become compliant. Most of these changes can be made in an hour.
- Check your footer: Ensure it contains your address, contact info, and a link to the GDC.
- Audit your ‘Team’ page: Add GDC numbers and qualifications to every bio.
- Review your complaints link: Make sure the links to the Dental Complaints Service actually work.
- Add a ‘Last Updated’ date: Put this at the bottom of your homepage or contact page.
If this feels overwhelming, an agency like Dentify Digital can perform a full compliance audit of your current site to ensure nothing is missed.
Summary
Your website is often the first point of contact between you and a new patient. By displaying your GDC number and meeting all regulatory standards, you protect your registration and build a foundation of trust. Compliance isn’t just about avoiding trouble; it’s about showing your patients that you value their safety and your professional integrity.
Is your website fully GDC compliant and ready to convert new patients?
Click here to book a strategy call with Dentify Digital.