Dentist Salary UK 1st Year - Registering with GDC - UDAs PLVE Tax Self Employment and MORE

Summary

This video offers insights for new dentists in the UK, emphasizing the importance of obtaining a GDC number and an NHS performer number for private and NHS patient work. It outlines the vocational training and PLVE routes for UK and international graduates, respectively, and discusses the potential for higher earnings through corporate employment. The video also explains the UDA system, contract negotiations, and how private work can boost income. It concludes with advice on maximizing earnings and the benefits of self-employment in dentistry.

Takeaways

• 📈 The average starting salary for a dentist in the UK is around £30,000, but with proper contract negotiation and maximizing income, it can be significantly higher.
• 🏥 To practice dentistry in the UK, one must register with the GDC (General Dental Council) and obtain a GDC number, which is essential for employment.
• ⏱️ The GDC registration process can take 2 to 6 months, during which time it's advisable to secure a job to start working immediately upon receiving the GDC number.
• 🔑 Having an NHS performer number is crucial for working with NHS patients, which is a significant part of dental practice in the UK.
• 🏫 For UK graduates, the VT (Vocational Training) route is available, offering a year-long paid course by the NHS, while international graduates often take the PLVE (Practical Learning in a Vocational Environment) route.
• 💼 Corporate dental entities can provide quick employment opportunities, assistance with visa applications, and cover the costs of mentorship for new dentists.
• 💰 New dentists should aim for a UDA (Unit of Dental Activity) target of 4,000 to 5,000 per year and negotiate a rate of around £10 per UDA for their traineeship.
• 🌟 Private work can supplement NHS work, with dentists potentially earning an additional £300 per week or more, significantly boosting their annual income.
• 💼 As self-employed professionals, dentists can claim various business expenses, which can reduce their taxable income and increase their take-home pay.
• 🚀 With experience, dentists can expect their income to rise, with some reaching six figures annually, and opportunities to specialize or own clinics are plentiful.

Q & A

What is the first step a dentist should take to work in the UK?

The first step is to register with the GDC (General Dental Council) to obtain a GDC number, which is essential to work as a dentist in the UK.

What does the NHS performer number allow dentists to do?

The NHS performer number allows dentists to work with NHS patients, providing them with the ability to offer standard dental treatments under the National Health Service.

What is the difference between VT and PLVE for new dentists in the UK?

VT (Vocational Training) is a year-long course for British graduates, paid by the NHS, while PLVE (Postgraduate Dental Vocational Training) is an equivalent mentorship for non-UK graduates, lasting 6 to 12 months, to demonstrate competency to work on NHS cases without supervision.

Why are corporate dental clinics beneficial for new dentists?

Corporate dental clinics can offer new dentists quick employment, assistance with visa applications, and payment for mentorship, allowing them to keep their earnings without additional costs.

What is a UDA and how does it relate to a dentist's income?

UDA stands for Unit of Dental Activity, which is a measure used to determine payment for NHS dental treatments. Each procedure has a set number of UDAs, and dentists are paid per UDA completed.

What is the recommended UDA target for new dentists starting in the UK?

New dentists should aim for a UDA target between 4,000 and 5,000 UDAs per year, as advised by experienced dentists, to ensure a comfortable workload and income.

How can new dentists maximize their income while working in the UK?

New dentists can maximize their income by negotiating a higher UDA rate, working efficiently to complete their UDA targets, and offering private dental work alongside their NHS commitments.

What is the potential gross annual income for a first-year dentist in the UK?

A first-year dentist in the UK can potentially earn a gross annual income of around £63,900 by combining their NHS UDA income with private work earnings.

How does being self-employed as a dentist in the UK affect tax payments?

Being self-employed allows dentists to claim business expenses, which can significantly reduce their taxable income, leading to lower tax payments and potentially higher take-home pay.

What are the long-term earning potentials for dentists in the UK?

With experience and efficiency, dentists in the UK can expect to earn between £150,000 to £180,000 per year, and even more with specialization or owning a clinic.

Outlines

00:00

😁 Starting a Dental Career in the UK

The paragraph discusses the initial steps for a dentist to start their career in the UK, including registering with the General Dental Council (GDC) to obtain a GDC number, which is essential for practicing dentistry. It also touches on the waiting period for the GDC number, suggesting that new dentists find temporary employment or start looking for a job to begin working immediately upon receiving their number. The importance of obtaining an NHS performer number to work with NHS patients is highlighted, along with the two main routes for new dentists: vocational training (VT) for UK graduates and a mentored route (POVE) for international graduates. The paragraph emphasizes the benefits of finding a job with a mentor to ensure proper training and integration into the dental field.

05:02

💼 Job Opportunities and Mentorship in Dentistry

This section delves into the job market for new dentists, emphasizing the role of corporate dental entities in providing employment opportunities, especially in areas with NHS shortages. It discusses the benefits of working with corporates, such as quick job placement, visa support, and sponsorship for mentorship, which is crucial for new dentists to become qualified NHS performers. The paragraph also addresses the potential downsides, like working in less desirable locations, but suggests that the experience gained can be valuable for the early years of one's career.

10:02

💰 Understanding Dental Income and Contracts

The paragraph focuses on the financial aspect of a dentist's career, explaining the concept of UDAs (Units of Dental Activity) and how they relate to NHS dentistry payments. It provides an example of a potential income for a new dentist, factoring in UDAs and private work. The speaker advises on setting realistic UDA targets and negotiating a fair UDA rate, which can significantly impact the dentist's annual income. The summary also touches on the potential for additional income through private dental work and how it can supplement the base salary from NHS contracts.

15:03

📈 Projecting Income Growth and Tax Implications

This section looks at the potential for income growth over time for dentists in the UK, suggesting that with experience and confidence, dentists can increase their earnings substantially. It discusses the tax advantages of being self-employed in the dental profession, allowing for various business expenses that can reduce taxable income. The paragraph outlines how these factors can lead to a higher take-home pay compared to traditional employment. It concludes with an optimistic view of the dental profession's financial prospects in the UK, encouraging those considering a move to take advantage of the opportunities available.

Keywords

💡GDC Number

The GDC Number refers to the registration number issued by the General Dental Council, which is mandatory for anyone wishing to practice dentistry in the UK. It signifies that the individual has met the professional standards required to practice and is a key part of the script's discussion on the initial steps for a dentist to work in the UK. The video emphasizes the importance of obtaining this number before one can legally work as a dentist.

💡NHS Performer Number

The NHS Performer Number allows dentists to work with patients under the National Health Service in the UK. It is a crucial component for dentists who wish to provide services within the NHS system, as highlighted in the script. The video discusses how this number is essential for new dentists to gain experience and income, especially when they are starting their careers and looking to work with NHS patients.

💡Vocational Training (VT)

Vocational Training, or VT, is a year-long program funded by the NHS for dentists who have graduated from UK universities. It is designed to provide further training and mentorship to ensure they meet the standards required to perform NHS treatments. The script uses VT as an example of the structured path available to UK graduates, which includes a fixed salary and is a stepping stone for new dentists to gain experience and confidence.

💡Postgraduate Dental Education and Training (PDEVT)

PDEVT, or Postgraduate Dental Education and Training, is an alternative route for dentists who did not graduate from UK universities to gain the necessary experience to treat NHS patients. The script explains that PDEVT involves a mentorship that lasts 6 to 12 months, during which the dentist is supervised and eventually certified to work on NHS cases without direct supervision, which is vital for international dentists starting their careers in the UK.

💡Corporate Dentistry

Corporate Dentistry refers to large entities that operate multiple dental clinics, often in areas with NHS shortages. The script discusses how these corporations can offer employment opportunities to new dentists, including assistance with visa applications and payment for mentorship. It also points out that while corporate jobs may not be in the most desirable locations, they provide a quick entry into the profession and financial support during the initial training period.

💡UDA (Unit of Dental Activity)

UDA stands for Unit of Dental Activity and is a measurement used by the NHS to quantify the work done by dentists. Each dental procedure has a set number of UDAs associated with it, and dentists are paid per UDA completed. The script explains that negotiating a UDA agreement, which includes determining the number of UDAs a dentist can complete and the rate per UDA, is a critical aspect of a dentist's income as a self-employed professional in the UK.

💡Gross Annual Income

Gross Annual Income refers to the total earnings before any taxes or deductions are made. In the context of the script, it is used to calculate the total potential earnings of a dentist in their first year, including both NHS work and private practice. The video provides an example of how a dentist might earn £49,500 as their gross annual income, which is a significant figure that highlights the earning potential in the profession.

💡Private Work

Private Work in dentistry refers to treatments provided outside of the NHS, where patients pay directly for the services. The script encourages new dentists to consider private work alongside their NHS commitments, as it can significantly boost their income. It also mentions that patients are often unaware of a dentist's experience level and are willing to pay for private treatments, providing an opportunity for additional earnings.

💡Tax Implications

Tax Implications for dentists in the UK are discussed in terms of both employed and self-employed statuses. The script explains that while employed dentists may see a large portion of their income taxed, self-employed dentists can claim business expenses, which can reduce their taxable income. This is an important consideration for dentists planning their financial strategies, as it can significantly impact their take-home pay.

💡Specialization

Specialization in dentistry refers to focusing on a specific area of dental treatment, such as implantology. The script suggests that as dentists gain experience, they may choose to specialize, which can lead to higher earnings and more specialized services. It is presented as a potential career path for dentists looking to advance their skills and income potential beyond general practice.

Highlights

Starting salary for a dentist in the UK is around £30,000 on average.

New dentists can maximize income by securing the best contract with future employers.

Registration with the GDC is essential for working as a dentist in the UK.

New dentists may need to take the O exam depending on their graduation location.

The GDC number processing time is typically 2 to 6 months.

It's advisable for new dentists to find a job during the GDC number waiting period.

Having an employer ready upon receiving the GDC number is crucial for immediate employment.

New dentists can work privately or on NHS patients with the appropriate numbers.

The NHS performer number is necessary for working with NHS patients.

Vocational Training (VT) is a year-long course for UK graduates paid by the NHS.

PLVE (Postgraduate Dental Vocational Training) is an alternative for non-UK graduates.

Corporates can offer quick job placements and help with mentorship costs.

New dentists should aim for 4,000 to 5,000 UDAs (Units of Dental Activity) per year.

Negotiating a UDA rate between £10 and £15 is common for new dentists.

Doing private work alongside NHS work can significantly boost a dentist's income.

Self-employment allows dentists to claim business expenses, reducing taxable income.

Dentists can expect their earnings to increase each year with experience.

Well-established dentists in the UK can earn between £150,000 to £180,000 per year.

Transcripts

if you Google the salary for a firste

dentist working in the UK under their

traineeship you're going to see

something like this it's around £

UK average however I've got even better

news for you because that £

making sure you get the best contract

with your future employer and how you

can maximize your income so keep

watching and don't forget to subscribe

to the video like comment and do all

that good stuff it really does help so

you've just graduated you've got your

degree in hand and you're ready to start

working in the UK as a dentist the first

thing you're going to need to do is

register with the GDC for a GDC number

this number is Paramount if you're

looking to work in the UK okay and you

will not be able to work as a dentist

here in the country unless you have the

GDC number so head over to their website

and look at the list of documents and

certificates they need for you to get

that GDC number you might even need to

take the O exam depending on where you

have graduated from so make sure you

know what your journey looks like then

you need to leave that with the GDC for

around 2 to 6 months before the they

provide you with that GDC number

typically in that 2 to 6 months most

people will spend it to take some time

off of all the hard work they've done to

get that degree or to get to that stage

of actually waiting for the GDC number

itself I would say crack on get yourself

a job maybe at Amazon or working at

McDonald's or wherever it might be just

to get some income while you're waiting

well the best thing for us to actually

do at that time is to find a job and

ensure that we have an employer ready

for us when we get our GDC number to

start working immediately as a dentist

without any further delays on to the

next chapter here we are going to

uncover what work looks like for new

dentists the GDC number actually allows

you to work privately across all

patients that require standard dental

treatment for most dentists in the UK

the gold standard is to ensure they can

work on NHS patients now the NHS we all

know is in a crisis and people might

even say that it's on its way out or on

its last breaths but still it is very

very important for a lot of dentists out

there especially when they're looking to

employ new dentists to ensure that they

have an NHS performer number so what is

that well as I said the GDC number

allows you to work privately on patients

the NHS performer number allows you to

work with NHS patients and this is

something that is our way in as new

dentists to ensure we're getting paid

getting training and working with a new

clinic and the way to go about that is

two different ways so the first route is

the VT also known as the vocational

training which is usually given to

British graduates that have graduated at

local universities whereby they will go

on a year-long course paid directly by

the NHS which is why we've seen the

figure of $36,000

288 because it's a fixed number for

those people on VT and they will just go

through courses and Mentor ships to

ensure they have the standard required

to perform NHS treatment across the UK

this is great for those students that

have studied in the UK and have all of

their stuff done locally it just allows

them to just get in get the training

they require and have that under their

belt before they move on to their next

level of

employment for those that not graduating

in the UK such as myself and many others

that are watching this video you'll have

to take the plve route this route in

itself is an equivalence to the

vocational training that is set up for

people like you and me that can go and

get a mentorship which usually lasts 6

to 12 months and during that time you'll

be signed off by your mentor to show the

NHS you're good enough to work on cases

for the NHS without any supervision so

that 6 to 12 months will be supervised

by a mentor and that's what your first

job needs to look like you need to find

something that is giving you the plve

for that first 6 to 12 months at least

that will sign that off for you and that

you're being looked after by a mentor

this is super important so when you're

out there searching for a job search for

this okay and then once you have your

pove like I said you're good to go you

can work on supervised on both NHS and

private patients of course and your

career should start from there and

here's the good side of working at a

plve you will not be paid the

to ask for something to remunerate them

for the extra work they're putting in to

make sure you have everything you need

to become a qualified NHS performer so

for this people can be a bit worried as

to finding a job and the salary they get

they have to spend some of that paying

their mentors but this is where the

corporates come in so corporates are

basically large entities that have more

than one clinic in cases probably about

10 or 20 of them they run all of them

and it's quite a business model the idea

that they have is that they will put a

lot of clinics in areas around the UK

that people may not be visiting so often

or people may not want to live around as

dentists so take for example the

northwest or the South in general the

Southwest where there are massive NHS

shortages these corporates will make

sure that they have clinics in these

geographical areas but then who wants to

work there a lot of dentists aren't

going to be going to be looking for jobs

in those areas that's where us pove guys

come in for them we are people that they

can pay a little less to but we can do

the same job as many other dentists

would in some of these more deprived for

dentist areas so the upside to working

with a corporate is that you will most

likely find a job very very quickly the

other thing is they help with Visa

applications so for those that need it

in the UK they can definitely help you

out and then of course beyond that they

will pay for your mentorship which is

awesome news it means that the money

that you get is pretty much yours and

everything else they'll sort out with a

mentor anyway the downside of course is

you're not going to be going into places

such as London for example which a lot

of people do want you'll probably end up

in a more rural location that might not

be your first choice but this is an

excellent sacrifice to make at least for

the first couple of years because after

that you'll have the freedom to go where

you want and the experience to do so so

here's here's my favorite chapter the

money so we're going to discuss income

here when you end up at the contractual

stage and you're negotiating things with

your future employer you're going to go

about what's known as a UDA agreement

now the UDA is a unit of dental activity

which all NHS workers in dentistry must

work by it's like if you do one UDA you

get paid X and each procedure that you

do in dentistry has a set number of udas

attached to it for example a routine

checkup might just be one UDA whereas

the filling would be three and so on and

so forth there are three different bands

of treatment a couple of subdivisions

within band two for example and each of

them outline what procedure goes under

what band and how many udas you'll get

per band of treatment so for example if

I was to do one filling that would be as

I said three udas and on the same

patient if I was to do 10 fillings that

would still just be three udas at the

beginning you'll be asked two things how

many udas can you do and how much should

you be getting per UDA and you'll be

negotiating that now from experience

that I've been speaking to different

dentists they say for new dentists you

should be aiming for anything between

4,000 and 5,000 udas typically employees

will give you a range between anything

from 3,000 up to 6,000 and I would say

those on the 3,000 scale are those with

very little confidence and that kind of

going to take things very slow I

wouldn't recommend that and 6,000 you're

going to be really really stretching

your yourself especially if you are

completely new to Dentistry with

patients in the UK so stick between 4

and 5,000 if you can cover that for your

year your UDA Target that'll be awesome

now you'll also be asked how much well

not asked really you'll be negotiating

for your own well-being the UDA rate

that you'll be on on average for new

dentists in their trainee ship it's

between £10 and about1 Max so what we'll

do for this example is say we are doing

45,000 udas per year for this contract

at £1 okay so that's what we're going to

use for this example and then if we were

to do this £4,500 over the course of the

year at the £1 we'll be making £

49,500 as our gross annual income for

our first year of being a trainee

dentist which is a lot more than that

£36,000 stay to by the NHS on Google

earlier so with 4,500 udas you're

looking at around 94 udas per week if

you take a month off in the year as well

which is quite achievable for the

average dentist especially in their

early years anyway that means that with

that 94 udas that you're doing every

single week you should still have some

time left over to do private work and a

lot of people say why would anybody come

to you as a new dentist and ask for any

private work the truth is they see you

as a dentist they don't really know that

you're a training dentist and if you're

confident enough in your work you can

quite easily offer private work as well

the main thing is you do not want to eat

into your UDA time through your private

work so long as you're on track with

your udas for the day the week or the

month you should dedicate some time to

your private work so long as your

principal dentist or your employer

allows that typically if we were to say

you were just taking home £300 per week

by doing private work and that was

that's a very conservative figure by the

way just £300 a week you'd be making an

extra

£4,400 every year and if we combine that

with your base salary of £495,000 that's

a whopping £63,000

9900 that you could take as your gross

income for the year as I said this is a

very conservative figure and if you

actually have the time to do your udas

at 45,000 in the year it shouldn't be a

problem for you to do a little bit of

private work here and there as well and

one thing that I like to do which I'd

recommend for everyone else to do is to

just go on to any UK dental clinic

website and so long as they're private

they will have their price lists on

there so you can kind of experiment

around there and see oh if I was to do

three fillings in a day how much would I

make and the way to work it out is quite

simple you will take the price list

let's say for example it's £100 for

whatever procedure it might be and you

basically take half of that for yourself

the other half goes towards the clinic

and that's how much money you'd be

making per procedure so let's delve in a

little bit deeper there's a rural

location in the southeast of the country

in Kent and the dental clinic here is

called who dental clinic and I've been

there myself it's very quiet it's kind

of out there in the middle of nowhere so

it's not a bougie London place but even

then if we look here at their prices you

can see that for a typical teeth

whitening it comes in at a cost of

294 which is about 150 quid that you

could be putting into your pocket per

teeth whitening so you'd really only

need to do two of those a week alongside

your udas to ensure you hit that 300

private Target that we were talking

about earlier again get online check

different locations different private

clinics have some fun calculating how

much things cost in terms of procedures

and how much you could be earning so the

next chapter here is to talk about the

take home pay there's a big difference

between your gross income so this

63.9k that we were speaking about and

how much you'll actually be able to take

home because tax is annoying usually

anybody who is employed directly by

someone would be seeing a lot of their

money getting taxed and in the UK there

is no difference to that whatsoever

people do get tax quite a bit here in

the country unfortunately at $63,900

employed directly by someone you'd

actually be just taking home £

46,8

65 it's quite a lot of money that they

take off of you it's around £20,000

there now here's the good news as I

mentioned earlier dentists in the UK are

self-employed which means they're

essentially their own business and

business rate taxes are a lot different

to those of people who are directly

employed as a business you need to have

a car for your travel to work you need

to pay for the fuel and the mileage you

might have a company phone you might

have Wi-Fi to help you with your

business interactions there could be

conferences that you need to go to

there's scrubs that you need to buy

there's so many different things that as

a business you require as part of your

day-to-day activity fortunately we can

write this off as a business expense

meaning out of that

63,9 maybe 20,000 of that is actually a

business expense and then the income you

have left over is the only thing that

gets taxed so really and truly you end

up in a situation where you can reduce

the amount of tax that the government

will take from you because you're using

a lot more of it in your expenses and

that expense can really tie in with your

day-to-day living as well rather than

taking home 46,000 it' look more like 50

or 51,000 you'd be taking home because

you've got expenses to declare and then

you're being taxed less overall so for

those wondering yeah it is worth being a

dentist in the UK because you're

self-employed and a lot of that money

will end up actually serving you more

than just serving the government and

there you have it that's just year one

of income for those looking to do

dentistry in the UK imagine what year 2

three and four looks like I would say in

a lot of cases people could probably get

that six figure Mark in their second

year because you would if because if

you're just working on that contract for

one year in the second year your UDA

rate will most likely go up if you

haven't tied in for a long-term contract

that is at the same time your confidence

with private work will Skyrocket and

you'll be offering more private work to

CL more private work to patients and

ensuring that you take home more

ensuring that you're taking therefore

ensuring that you're taking home more

per day week month and year so your

earnings should go up each year as it

goes along and usually I'd say a well

performing dentist in the UK after a few

years worth of experience should be

hitting about 150 to 180 per year at a

very comfortable rate and the more

efficient that you get working as a

dentist the easier those numbers will

become for you where it goes from there

is completely up to you whether you'd

like to specialize go on many courses

become an

implantologist own your own clinic for

example there's so many rotes Beyond it

and I don't think 150 to 180 is the peak

of your power this is just opening the

door for your potential of earning

within the UK as a dentist and I would

strongly strongly recommend anybody

who's considering moving to the UK to

definitely go ahead and do it because

Dentistry is not dead here yet the NHS

might be but as a profession there's a

lot more out there for us stay confident

stay on your path and if you have any

questions feel free to drop them in the

comment section below or get in touch

with me directly and I'll be more than

happy to help you out fingers crossed

for all all of us and I'll see you on

the next one take care guys

bye-bye