We are delighted to congratulate Tomson Thomas on passing his Overseas Registration Examinations (ORE). It’s an achievement to celebrate!
Tomson trained and studied at the MGR Medical University in Chennai, India, qualifying as a dentist with a master’s degree in 2016. Subsequently, he worked for three years as a general dentist, before deciding to move to England.
Success in the Overseas Registration Examinations means Tomson has demonstrated he has the requisite skills and knowledge base to practice in the UK as a dental surgeon. He in waiting for the General Dental Council (GDC) to update his registration.
Our sincere congratulations to Tomson for achieving this important career milestone.
What Tom’s patients say:
“Excellent and very kind. He took time to explain everything about my treatment to me. I was a little nervous and he did his best to calm me. A nice man.”
“I appreciated the kind and considerate care I received. Full explanation of treatment and costs.”
“Superb, friendly, informative and extremely professional – can’t recommend highly enough.”
How Tomson can help you
At the moment, Tomson is still registered as a dental therapist. This means our patients may currently book a dental examination with Tomson for a fee that is lower than it will be once his status as a dentist is confirmed by the GDC.
All dental therapists are qualified to provide a range a treatments to support preventive care, including placing fillings. They work closely with dentists and refer patients when appropriate.
What does ORE mean to a dentist from overseas?
To be recognised as a dentist in the UK, dentists who have qualified overseas may only register with the GDC to work as a dentist in England after passing both parts of the ORE assessment.
England has strict rules for approving dentists with overseas qualifications so they can practice. There are two parts to ORE. Part 1 is a written exam for candidates to demonstrate academic knowledge. Part 2 is a clinical examination designed to evaluate candidates’ practical expertise.
During the pandemic, restrictions delayed the qualification process for dentists from overseas. While the GDC approves dentists to work as dental therapists, they must limit their practice to a narrower scope than their training has prepared them for.
Many applicants have been waiting in limbo, and are still waiting, for the opportunity to take ORE. For Tomson, even though he has passed the examinations he must wait for the GDC to process his paperwork to register as a dentist. Once his registration with the GDC is complete, Tomson must be added to the NHS performer list before he can deliver NHS funded treatment. That process alone takes at least a year.
A shortage of dentists
Aware Brexit and the pandemic could impact on the number of dentists seeking employment, SpaDental proactively recruited dentists from overseas. We offered jobs to four applicants, and Tomson is our first to complete ORE. Our three other dentists from overseas are waiting for an opportunity to take their exams but the GDC has not offered additional opportunities to catchup with the backlog of candidates the pandemic caused. Meanwhile, Abdul, Meghana and Sai continue to offer excellent opportunities for our patients to access essential dental therapy and treatment.
We recommend direct access to a dental therapist as an economic way to help keep your teeth in tip-top condition.