The British Dental Association (BDA) has once again criticised the General Dental Council (GDC) for its decision to keep its annual retention fee at its current level.

In 2018, the fee will remain unchanged at 890 pounds, which still represents the highest cost of any UK health regulator. The BDA has voiced particular concern about the fact that the decision on next year's fee levels was made with no formal announcement or discussion with the profession.

“The British Dental Association has criticised the General Dental Council for its failure to reduce registration fee levels for 2018.“

Meanwhile, the necessity and cost-effectiveness of the GDC's current ambitious overhaul plans were questioned, with the BDA calling for a greater focus on core aspects of regulation and a lowering of costs paid by dentists, given that projected complaint levels have not materialised.

The latest comments add to a growing body of criticisms of the GDC from the BDA, which has often accused the regulator of trying to expand its remit beyond its statutory duties, and of running a budget surplus for no justified reason.

Mick Armstrong, chair of the BDA, said: "In 2018, dentists should not be expected to subsidise our regulator's fondness for mission creep, or its obsession with holding vast and unnecessary reserves of our money."

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