The British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN), the UK’s professional association for dental nurses, is “disappointed” at the GDC’s decision to increase the Annual Retention Fee – and to continue to charge dental nurses the same Fee as dental hygienists and therapists, who earn considerably more.
The ARF in July 2026 will be increased to £108pa – an increase of 12%. This will impact heavily on dental nurses, the majority of whom are paid National Minimum Wage – which increased by just 6.7% this year.
“The current crisis in dental nurse recruitment and retention is exacerbated by the GDC’s decision to increase the ARF and to continue to charge dental nurses the same Fee as other DCP groups, which earn considerably more,” explained BADN President Preetee Hylton. “Dental nurses, who typically earn between £20,000 and £26,000 per year depending on experience and location, are among the lowest-paid members of the dental team. In contrast, dental hygienists in the NHS usually start on around £30,000 (Band 5), with experienced practitioners in Band 7 roles earning up to approximately £52,000. In private practice, dental hygienists may earn more, often through percentage-based or self-employed arrangements, so there is a possibility that annual incomes can exceed £50,000 for some. These disparities mean the flat ARF places a proportionally heavier financial burden on dental nurses than on other, higher-earning dental care professionals.
“BADN are very disappointed that yet again the GDC have failed to take these factors into account when setting the ARF, and have continued on in their customary blinkered fashion to lump all ‘DCPs’ into the same category and not recognise the disparity in earnings, or even to recognise that so-called ‘DCPs’ are in fact individual professions with different skills, different roles and different requirements. It is time that the GDC stopped being so dentist-centred, and recognised that there are several registrant groups – each equally important and each with their own needs and requirements – of which dental nurses are the largest.”
