‘We are dentists ready and willing to treat patients – yet we’re stuck fighting to prove our competence on an acrylic tooth’: we hear from an overseas-trained dentist on why the overseas registration exam (ORE) system is not meeting the current demand in dentistry.
Can you tell us a bit more about you?
Yes, I am an Egyptian specialist of restorative dentistry with a focus on endodontics. I have about six years of experience in all different clinical settings from fully private clinics to insurance-based hospital work. Throughout the years, I have accumulated a portfolio that includes thousands of patients and tens of thousands of hours of clinical work.
My decision to relocate to the UK goes beyond just working as a dentist. I hope to be able to pursue postgraduate education and pursue a career that blends clinical and academic work.
What are some of the key issues with the current ORE process?
I have been unfortunate enough to start my ORE journey in 2021 which was during the COVID pandemic. Back then the application process was extremely slow and inefficient. Now, we’re in 2025 and I am still stuck doing the ORE exam. I passed the ORE part 1 in April 2024 and I have been actively trying to book the ORE part 2 since November 2024 with no success. So far, I have attempted to book the exam seven times with no success.
Here is my opinion of the process:
First come, first served policy
This is what I hear from the General Dental Council (GDC) every time that I file a complaint. While this policy could have been adequate previously when candidate numbers were lower, this policy is no longer efficient.
Currently, there is a massive discrepancy between candidates who pass the ORE Part 1 and those who pass the ORE Part 2. As a result, the waiting list keeps on growing and the probability of booking gets statistically shrinking.
Redundant
This first booking policy is forcing candidates to keep repeating the same cycle. Every time hoping for a successful outcome and, more likely, being disappointed in a process that does not seem to have an end. It is inhumane to say the least.
Unfair
Being part of the ORE community for so long, I have been in contact with thousands of candidates and I have seen many journeys unfold. While there are many candidates in my same situation, there are also candidates who managed to finish the entire process in a short six months out of sheer luck.
I have personally seen candidates fail and book the exam again when other candidates have not had a single chance yet. During the part 2 booking that took place on 30 September, I was contacted by a candidate who managed to book the exam despite receiving their ORE part 1 results only four days earlier, on 26 September. Naturally, this candidate was extremely underprepared yet was allowed to take the seat of another candidate who has been waiting for years.
How has this impacted you?
The constant waiting, the constant frustration and the constant uncertainty has been nothing short of detrimental to me. This process has taken away my ability to plan my life. Since I do not know when I will be able to sit the exam, I have not been able to commit to a master’s degree, the MFDS or any academic or clinical progress.
The impact on my mental health and on my family has been substantial. The prolonged uncertainty is exhausting, and it affects every decision we try to make.
What do you think needs to happen to make it more accessible?
While I appreciate the efforts made by the GDC to increase the seats and make the process faster, I believe that this will not influence the immediate issue. Candidates need a chance to plan their lives. We need predictability.
My suggestion is simple: abandon the entire booking system.
Instead, candidates should be automatically allocated to a Part 1 exam date when they first apply to join the registers and a Part 2 exam date after passing Part 1.
This will ensure that the ‘luck’ factor is removed and candidates will finally have the peace of mind of knowing when their turn to sit the exam will come.
Why are changes so crucial to the health of UK patients?
British patients queuing for a spot in a clinic and extracting their own teeth are now common place. The urgency of the situation speaks for itself. Many of the dentists stuck in this process have years of experience. Some, like myself, can confidently treat over 80% of the routine day-to-day cases and we have the portfolios to it. Yet we are stuck waiting to have our skills tested on an acrylic tooth in a manikin lab.
Make the ORE booking system fairer for dentists
Signatures (88%)
Goal
Make the overseas registration exam (ORE) booking system fairer for dentists
We call on the General Dental Council (GDC) to reform the booking system for the overseas registration exam (ORE) to make it fairer and more supportive of internationally-trained dentists.
Currently, securing a place for ORE Part 1 and Part 2 is like getting festival tickets — the system favours ‘fastest-finger first’, with how long a dentist has been trying to book a place carrying no weight. Dentists must repeatedly refresh the webpage and compete in a stressful, luck-based race to book an exam. We feel this approach:
– Penalises perseverance: Those who have already invested time, money and effort in previous attempts are not given priority
– Causes unnecessary stress: Candidates face months or years of uncertainty while waiting for an exam slot
– Wastes talent: Skilled overseas dentists are unable to practise – even as the UK faces critical dental workforce shortages.
We propose a fairer system where priority is given to candidates who have previously attempted to book the ORE – allowing the process to be truly first come, first served.
Reforming the booking system is an effective short-term step that can be implemented quickly to relieve pressure on candidates and the dental workforce.
We acknowledge that broader, complementary action is also necessary, including the continued growth of available ORE places, and investment in UK dental schools and training capacities.
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To read more real life stories and thought leadership on the ORE, simply visit:
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