Thanks to the guys at www.dentist-seo.co.uk for the heads up on the regulations regarding website design for dentists.
At the mopment, over half of all dental websites out there are actually in breach of the GDC rules regarding site design and content, and the dental businesses who run these sites face having their websites taken down for non compliance.
Dental websites must, among other things, contain the following elements :

• The dentist’s GDC registration number
• The type of qualification and what country it was gained in
• When the site was last updated
• The site’s complaint procedure and who to contact if not happy with the process
• A link to the GDC website
• The name, address, telephone number and email address of the practice

Also, practices must be really careful in not calling themselves “specialists” unless they are specifically qualified and on a registered specialist list acceptable to the GDC, so for example, you can’t say you specialize in orthodontic treatments unless you actually are a qualified orthodontist.

It’s definitely worth visiting the GDC website and having a look at the PDF on Ethical Advertising which goes into a lot more detail on the dos and do nots in relation to the setting up of dental websites, but for the moment there are thousands of dental practices out there who are blissfully or flagrantly flouting the regulations, and who may be heading for a bad day at the office !