15.1 OVERVIEW OF REGULATION AND LEGISLATION

Within the field of dental surgery, practitioners are bound by a set of comprehensive guidelines and standards designed to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and high‐quality patient care. These guidelines are rooted in both national and European regulations, and they serve as a foundational framework for dental professionals to navigate their clinical practice. It is essential for dental surgeons to not only be aware of but also rigorously adhere to these guidelines, which are established by regulatory bodies such as the General Dental Council (GDC), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) [1–3].

The GDC stands as a pivotal authority in the field of dental surgery. It sets out aspirational, basic and conditional standards that dental practitioners must follow to maintain professional competence and ensure patient safety. These standards encompass various aspects of dental care, including ethical considerations, clinical competence, communication with patients and adherence to infection control measures. Dental professionals have a moral and legal obligation to identify, understand and adhere to GDC regulations, as these principles are at the core of ethical dental practice.

In addition to the GDC, dental surgeons are guided by a plethora of national and specialty‐specific guidelines that offer comprehensive recommendations for various clinical scenarios. Specialist professional organisations and Royal Colleges, such as the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP), the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) (FGDP(UK)), provide valuable guidelines to enhance the quality of patient care [3–5]. These guidelines are not mere suggestions but rather well‐researched and expert‐endorsed standards that dental professionals should integrate into their clinical decision‐making processes.