The General Dental Council is the UK-wide statutory regulator of the dental team. Established in 1956, taking over the roles and responsibilities of the former Dental Board of the General Medical Council, the Council – the ‘GDC’, works to promote public safety and ensures that the public have confidence in the dental profession. The tie of the GDC (20403.4 - condition, good) dates back to late 1950’s/early 1960s when the Council had a membership in excess of 50, including six lay members, and the dental profession was self-regulating – arrangements which persisted until 2002