Step 1 of 15
Qualification
Where did you graduate from dental school?
Your graduation origin determines your route into UK practice and which NHS mechanics apply to you in your first years.
GDC Registration
Have you completed your ORE or LDS exam?
Non-UK-and-non-EEA graduates need to pass either the ORE (Overseas Registration Exam, run by the GDC in two parts) or the LDS (Licentiate in Dental Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons) to join the GDC register. Only then can you start the mentorship required for the NHS Performers List.
GDC Registration
What year did you complete your ORE or LDS?
Year of ORE/LDS completion
This tells us when you became eligible to start your UK NHS mentorship (PLVE). A dentist who passed ORE 6 months ago is at a different benchmark stage than one who passed 3 years ago.
Country
Where do you work (or plan to work) in the UK?
Your country determines the NHS payment mechanism. England and Wales use UDAs (Units of Dental Activity) with fixed rates and annual targets. Scotland and Northern Ireland use capitation (monthly payment per registered patient) plus item-of-service fees (per treatment delivered) under the Statement of Dental Remuneration.
Qualified Since
What year did you qualify as a dentist?
Year of qualification
The year you received your dental qualification — regardless of where you've practised since. If you're still studying, enter your expected graduation year.
Training Status
Are you currently in Foundation / Vocational Training?
Dental Foundation Training (DFT) in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and Vocational Training (VT) in Scotland are both 12-month post-qualification training years with nationally set fixed salaries. England / Wales / NI share the same DFT rate (set annually by DHSC). Scotland's VT rate is set separately by the Scottish Government. If you're currently on one of these programmes, we'll skip the rest and show your confirmed salary directly.
Clinical Practice
What year did you start clinical practice?
The year you started treating patients clinically — including foundation/DFT training, hospital rotations, or your first associate role. This may differ from your qualification year if there was a gap, further study, or a career break.
UK Experience
How much UK practice experience do you have?
UK-specific experience is the single biggest factor in your benchmark. NHS mechanics, UDA targets, and FP17 paperwork take most dentists a full year to master regardless of prior overseas experience.
UK Work Status
Will you need visa sponsorship to work in the UK?
Only practices with a sponsor licence can hire overseas dentists needing visa support. This affects which roles are realistically open to you and is factored into your benchmark.
Your Pathway
Your route into UK NHS practice
Based on your background, you'll start on a mentored NHS pathway before progressing to full associate roles.
On the next step, select Mixed / NHS — we'll apply the mentorship-band benchmark for your stage automatically.
Performer Number
Do you have an unconditional UK NHS performer number?
An unconditional performer number is required for all independent NHS work. Associates just out of PLVE or mentorship typically hold a conditional number for 12–18 months until their supervising principal signs them off. If you're conditional or still applying, Mixed/NHS roles come with supervision requirements that affect your earning ceiling.
Role
Which kind of role are you in, or looking for?
Your available options are based on your qualification route and UK experience. If an option requires prerequisites, the previous step has explained them.
Day Rate
What’s your locum day rate?
Locum day rates range from £350–£450 in lower-demand regions to £550–£700 in London, the South East, and premium private clinics. £500 is the UK average for regular locum work. Rates may include or exclude indemnity and materials — clarify with each practice.
Working Days
How many days per month do you work as a locum?
2–6 days/month = occasional locum (side income alongside another role). 8–12 days = regular locum (half-time covering). 15–20 days = full-time locum. Most locums work closer to 10–14 days once travel, admin, and gaps between shifts are factored in.
Location
Which region do you work in, or want to work in?
Rates vary significantly across England. We factor your region into your personalised benchmark — Scotland and Wales coming soon.
NHS Contract
What's your annual UDA target?
Most full-time NHS associates are contracted for 5,000–7,000 UDAs. Part-time or mixed roles often sit at 2,000–4,000.
UDA Rate
What's your UDA rate?
£13.50 reflects the NASDAL 2025 average UDA rate for UK associates with established performer numbers and at least one full trading year.
Patient List
How many NHS patients are on your active list?
Your active list drives the passive capitation portion of your NHS income. Under 800 = building. 800–1,500 = growing. 1,500–2,500 = established. 2,500–4,000 = full capacity. 4,000–5,000+ = multi-chair coverage or inherited mega-lists. A bigger list means more predictable baseline — but the main earnings lever is new-patient flow, not list size.
New Patients
How many new NHS patients do you see per day on average?
This is the single biggest driver of your item-of-service income. 0–3/day = low (closed list or occasional spaces). 4–7/day = medium (active associate with growing flow). 8–10+/day = high (busy dentist with strong new-patient pipeline). New patients mean new treatment plans — and treatment plans are where the real NHS earnings sit.
NHS Split
What's your NHS split with the practice?
50/50 is the Scottish standard. The practice takes half of your NHS gross to cover overheads, nurse salary, materials, and lab fees. Ranges 45/55 to 55/45 are common depending on seniority and clinic cost base. High-volume associates sometimes negotiate to 55/45 in their favour.
Private Fee Split
What’s your private fee split with the practice?
Gross private fees are split between you and the practice. Typical UK splits are 40/60 to 50/50 in favour of the practice. 45/55 is the most common associate contract. This is before any lab or materials deductions.
Lab & Materials
Who covers lab bills and materials?
This can swing your take-home by £5k–£15k a year on private work.
Conversion
What percentage of your private treatment plans do patients accept?
Plan acceptance in NHS mixed clinics is tougher than most realise — patients arrive expecting NHS work. 20–30% is good, 30–40% is strong, 50%+ is exceptional. In pure private practice, 40–60%+ is typical. Most associates never measure this, which is why it’s the hidden lever in private earnings.
Self-assessment
How confident are you in patient communication and treatment planning?
Communication training separates a good dentist from a high-earning one. Saint Visage's ADP programme includes structured communication and treatment planning coaching for exactly this reason — most associates see plan acceptance climb 15–20 points within a year.
Clinical Skills · 1 of 3
Which restorative procedures do you currently offer?
Restorative procedures are the bread and butter of private upsell. Composite bonding, crowns and veneers drive the bulk of mid-range private earnings for most associates.
Clinical Skills · 2 of 3
Which surgical procedures do you currently offer?
Surgical skills unlock the highest-value private work. Implants add £10k/month practice gross; All-on-4 cases add £20k/month. These are the single biggest earning levers in UK private dentistry.
Clinical Skills · 3 of 3
Which orthodontic or cosmetic procedures do you currently offer?
Ortho and cosmetic procedures tend to come from patient-initiated enquiries. Invisalign cases typically bring £2–5k gross each; facial aesthetics are a repeat-visit lever with high margins.
Working Pattern
How many days per week do you work?
A standard full-time associate works 5 days per week. Days worked only affects private earnings — NHS income is purely UDA-based regardless of days spread.
Your estimated gross
Based on your inputs, you should be earning:
£127,500
This is your gross income — not your take-home. Your real take-home will be lower once tax, NI, indemnity (£3.5k–£6.5k), GDC retention, CPD, accountant fees and NHS pension contributions are deducted. Typical deductions total 28–35% of gross. Unlock the full breakdown below to see your real number.
NHS earnings£67,500
Private earnings£60,000
Band classificationEstablished
How Saint Visage compares
Network data · 200+ clinicians
Complete the calculator to see how Saint Visage compares to your personalised benchmark — including specific earnings ranges, skill-led progression, and internal referral advantages at our 42 practices.
→
Personalised comparison
Free · No subscription · 30 seconds
See your real take-home and the fastest ways to raise it.
Most dentists never know exactly what they take home — or how much they're leaving on the table. Here's what we'll send you based on your specific inputs, in the next 30 seconds:
- Your real take-home figure — after tax, NI, indemnity, GDC, CPD and pension, calculated against 2026 UK rates
- How you compare to dentists with your background — same region, same career stage, same skill mix
- 3 immediate changes you can make to increase your income — based on your actual gaps, not generic advice. Things you can do this month.
- Your personal salary benchmarking report — PDF you can use in your next rate negotiation