Petition GDC to recognise Dental Nurses as a separate professional

The GDC are grouping dental nurses into the same category as hygienists, therapists and lab technicians/owners and as such we are losing our voice.
After many, many years of not recognising us as professionals, they finally agreed to treat us as registrants. This came with an ARF the same as hygienists, therapists, laboratory technicians etc, all are paid considerably higher than the average dental nurse, who is generally on barely above the minimum wage. The RCN refuse to let us use the title of 'nurse' as they don't recognise us as nurses yet their members pay £50 less ARF than we do and all their training is provided.
Dental nurses are, on the whole, self funded individuals with a love of what we do, yet we are still being undervalued by the profession. Dentists cannot work work without us, yet many experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated nurses are leaving the profession due to the expense. This will lead to a shortage of nurses and put a strain on an already strained system.