Routes onto the GDC specialist lists

The 13 specialist lists

The GDC has approved a specialty curriculum for each of these 13 specialties:

Specialty	Route type	On this site
Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology	CCST, or non-CCST evidence route	Related courses
Dental Public Health	CCST, or non-CCST evidence route	Related courses
Endodontics	CCST, or non-CCST evidence route	Related courses
Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology	CCST, or non-CCST evidence route	Related courses
Oral Medicine	CCST, or non-CCST evidence route	Related courses
Oral Microbiology	CCST, or non-CCST evidence route	Related courses
Oral Surgery	Separate set of routes (see below)	Related courses
Orthodontics	Separate set of routes (see below)	Related courses
Paediatric Dentistry	CCST, or non-CCST evidence route	Related courses
Periodontics	CCST, or non-CCST evidence route	Related courses
Prosthodontics	CCST, or non-CCST evidence route	Related courses
Restorative Dentistry	CCST, or non-CCST evidence route	Related courses
Special Care Dentistry	CCST, or non-CCST evidence route	Related courses

Sources:GDC: Specialty curriculaLast checked 23 Sept 2026

Route 1: Certificate of Completion of Specialty Training (CCST)

This is the training route. The GDC says: "If you are registered with the GDC and have completed an approved specialist training programme, you may apply for the award of a CCST and entry onto the relevant specialist list."

Specialty training programmes and exams must meet the GDC's Standards for Specialty Education (current version January 2019). The GDC lists these training commissioners and exam providers:

Health Education England regional teams (as the GDC lists them)
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW)
NHS Education for Scotland (NES)
Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NIMDTA)
Royal colleges, including the Royal College of Surgeons of England, of Edinburgh, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow

Sources:GDC: Specialist listsGDC: Dental specialty trainingLast checked 23 Sept 2026

Route 2: Without a CCST (evidence of knowledge, skill and experience)

For UK and overseas-qualified dentists without a CCST, the GDC says "alternative evidence can be considered for entry onto a specialist list." This option "is intended to provide access to the specialist lists for those who do not hold a CCST."

Before you apply: the evidence you need depends on the specialty. Read the GDC's specialist list guidance for your specialty, and the curriculum it will be judged against.

Sources:GDC: Specialist listsLast checked 23 Sept 2026

Oral Surgery and Orthodontics

The GDC notes these two specialties have "a different set of routes to the other specialties", because European regulations recognise them separately. Check the GDC pages for these two before planning your application.