Key Points
- Personal Account of Humiliation: Hamza Ryad, a 28-year-old dentist living in Birmingham who spent two years treating hundreds of patients in Pakistan, described his inability to practise in the UK as “really humiliating,” forcing him into non-skilled jobs while waiting to sit professional examinations.
- National Dental Crisis vs. Unutilised Workforce: Amidst a severe national shortage of NHS dentists and patients struggling with access while in pain, Ryad stated that “my hands are tied,” calling the presence of an under-utilised and unaddressed workforce “totally a failure of the system.”
- Systemic Enrolment Barriers: Since arriving in the UK in 2023, Ryad has attempted to book his qualifying exams three times without success due to intense competition for limited places, noting that overseas dentists are “literally working in takeaways, as care workers, as delivery drivers.”
- Regulatory Pathways: To demonstrate compliance with UK standards, overseas-trained dentists are required to pass either the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE), administered by the General Dental Council, or the Licence in Dental Surgery Exam (LDS), administered by the Royal College of Surgeons.
- Government Response: The government stated that it is rapidly working to expand ways for foreign-registered dentists to enter the workforce and help clear widespread National Health Service (NHS) backlogs.
London (Birmingham Express) July 29, 2026 – Qualified foreign dentists living in the United Kingdom are facing what they describe as profound professional humiliation, stuck working in unskilled roles such as takeaways, care work, and delivery driving while a severe national shortage of NHS dental care plagues patients across the country.
Why Can Foreign Dentists Not Practise Immediately in the UK?
As detailed by BBC News, overseas-trained dental professionals are legally barred from practising in the UK until they clear rigorous assessment hurdles, despite millions of domestic patients struggling to secure appointments. Hamza Ryad, a 28-year-old dental professional residing in Birmingham who previously spent two years treating hundreds of patients in Pakistan, highlighted the painful irony of the situation.
As reported by BBC News, Hamza Ryad stated that it is “really humiliating” that qualified practitioners like himself are unable to treat patients who are suffering in pain, adding: “My hands are tied.” Ryad further asserted to BBC News that leaving an experienced workforce unaddressed and under-utilised within the country is “totally a failure of the system.”
What Are the Strict Examination Requirements Imposed on Overseas Dentists?
To formally prove their professional ability and meet high UK clinical standards, international dentists must successfully pass one of two highly competitive examinations. According to BBC News, these evaluations include the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE), which is run by the General Dental Council (GDC), or the Licence in Dental Surgery Exam (LDS), managed by the Royal College of Surgeons.
However, securing a place to sit these mandatory tests has proven exceptionally difficult due to constrained capacity. As noted by BBC News, Hamza Ryad has attempted to book the qualifying exams three times since arriving in the UK in 2023, yet every enrolment attempt has ended in failure due to intense competition for slots.
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What Types of Unskilled Jobs Are Qualified Dentists Forced to Take?
The bottleneck in the examination process leaves thousands of foreign medical professionals stranded in limbo, unable to utilise their clinical training. Highlighting the stark mismatch between immigrant qualifications and the reality of British high streets, Hamza Ryad told BBC News:
“People [like me] are literally working in takeaways, as care workers, as delivery drivers, which doesn’t reflect what the situation of dentistry really is in the country.”
Industry reports and advocacy groups have similarly emphasized that highly trained clinicians from across the globe find themselves filling low-wage gaps in the service economy. This occurs while local communities face severe dental deserts, leaving desperate patients waiting months or even years for basic National Health Service interventions.
How Is the Government Responding to the National Dental Backlog?
In response to mounting pressure from healthcare professionals, advocacy associations, and affected individuals, public officials have pledged administrative reforms. According to BBC News, the government stated that it was rapidly working to expand ways for foreign-registered dentists to enter the workforce and help clear critical NHS backlogs.
While policymakers explore avenues to increase testing capacity and streamline recognition pathways, professionals like Hamza Ryad continue to call for a far more efficient approach. Critics argue that accelerating verification frameworks is an urgent clinical and economic necessity to rescue an overstretched healthcare system and restore dignity to foreign medical professionals eager to contribute to British public health.
