Dental workforce squeeze: overseas exam pass rate falls to 27% as nurse visas dry up

Two sets of figures published this autumn point to tighter staffing for dental practices.

Fewer overseas dentists passing

Only 27% of candidates passed Part 2 of the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) in September 2026. The ORE is the route overseas-qualified dentists use to register with the General Dental Council (GDC). The pass rate was 56% in April 2026 and 76–77% in the three sittings before that. September was the first sitting under new contractual arrangements, which the GDC says included refreshed content reflecting current clinical practice. The GDC said all four components "performed reliably". The weakest areas were the medical emergencies exercise, which 44% failed, and the OSCE, which 41% failed.

Dental nurse visas have almost stopped

Home Office figures show sponsored visa grants for dental nurses fell 95%: six grants between Q4 2025 and Q2 2026, against 122 in the previous three quarters. The fall follows Skilled Worker rule changes from 22 July 2025 that made dental nurses, hygienists and technicians generally ineligible for new sponsorship. David Chong Kwan, who owns a 10-chair practice in Dunfermline, told Dentistry.co.uk that two or three of his surgeries have stood empty for years, and called the policy "an act of self-harm".

Analysis: what it means for your practice

Two routes practices have relied on to fill gaps are narrowing at the same time. Expect associate recruitment to take longer and cost more, and dental nurses to have more bargaining power. Practical steps: review nurse pay against local rates before you lose people; consider training your own nurses; if you sponsor overseas staff, check their visa status and any transitional protection with an immigration adviser; and plan chair capacity around the staff you can realistically hire.

What to watch next: ORE candidates receive detailed feedback by 30 October. The next Part 2 sitting is 26–29 November, and the GDC says there will be 200 places per sitting from then until April 2027.

Sources: Dentistry.co.uk (21 October 2026 and 19 October 2026); General Dental Council.