Could international students help to plug dental workforce gaps in the NHS? Amirali Ziaebrahimi explains why small tweaks in immigration policy could have a positive impact on the profession.
International dental students in the UK may not form the majority of any given cohort, but they represent a uniquely positioned and vastly underutilised group within the future NHS workforce. These students – self-funded, highly trained to UK standards, culturally and ethically integrated – could be a real asset in addressing workforce shortages, if only the system made room for them.
Let’s look at the numbers. Most UK dental schools accept around five international students per cohort. With 16 dental schools, that’s approximately 80 students per year. Now compare that to the annual 500 to 600 candidates who pass the overseas registration examination (ORE) and enter UK dentistry through a much-debated route. That means UK-trained international graduates could provide roughly 10% of what the UK currently absorbs through ORE-qualified dentists – yet with a crucial difference: they’ve already been trained and assessed under the UK system.
Securing a long-term solution
These students understand the standards of care, the culture of NHS delivery, and the expectations of the General Dental Council (GDC). They’ve treated patients in UK dental schools and adapted to the ethical and clinical frameworks here. Their presence neatly sidesteps the longstanding concerns that have been raised about the training, integration, and ethical practices of internationally qualified dentists.
And yet, despite all of this, there is little to no structural support to help them stay in the UK and contribute post-graduation. No tailored visa support. No clear immigration pathway. And no incentives. These students, who often pay over £250,000 in tuition fees alone, are treated like short-term contributors when in fact they could be long-term solutions.
Many of them also work part-time during their studies, pay taxes, and contribute to the economy – all while providing care to patients on clinic floors, unpaid. The minimum we could offer in return is a smoother transition into the UK workforce. An obvious starting point would be to fast-track their Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) status or extend the two-year post-study visa to a more meaningful pathway to citizenship.
Before recent changes, those working in stable employment could apply for ILR after five years. Why should dental and medical students, who work in NHS hospitals and clinics throughout their education, not be eligible for similar consideration?
Furthermore, graduates on student or post-study visas cannot be self-employed or start their own practices. That means the UK is actively discouraging one of the most entrepreneurial and dynamic demographics from contributing to the economy by building businesses, creating jobs, and expanding access to care.
A ‘fundamental misunderstanding’ of dentistry
Let’s be clear: these are highly skilled, invested contributors who want to stay and serve. The political risk of offering them a tailored route is minimal, but the benefits to the NHS and the wider economy could be enormous.
I say this not just as a dental student, but as someone who knows the uncertainty that international students live with daily. I know students who come from politically unstable countries teetering on the edge of conflict, and I understand their fear of visa insecurity and the silent anxiety about one’s future. That insecurity will never fully leave until we are made to feel truly welcome, recognised, and given a fair path to build a life in the country we’ve trained to serve.
And while the political hype around reform continues, the government is rushing through immigration changes, often without fully considering their long-term impact. A recent example is the removal of dental technicians and dental therapists from the skilled worker visa list. This may seem minor on paper, but it reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of how dentistry works in practice.
Under pressure
Dentistry is not a one-person job. It’s a team-based profession. The care we provide as dentists is only made possible through collaboration with skilled colleagues in the lab and within the practice. By excluding key members of that team from skilled worker status, the government isn’t just putting pressure on individual professionals like myself – it’s weakening the entire support structure around dental care.
Let’s not forget that dental lab work is already in high demand and short supply. Decisions like this only restrict access further and will inevitably drive up costs in the coming years – costs that will fall on practices, patients, and ultimately the NHS itself.
This policy needs urgent revisiting. With countries like Australia and the UAE becoming increasingly attractive to new graduates, the UK cannot afford to let this highly skilled, already-integrated group slip through its fingers. These small changes in immigration policy wouldn’t conflict with larger political agendas and wouldn’t draw backlash – but they could have a massive, positive impact on our profession, our patients, and the NHS at large.
