The decision by the General Dental Council (GDC) in March 2013 to remove the requirement for a patient to first see a dentist before any treatment by a dental care professional, has been seen by some as controversial. The GDC has stated patient safety is the utmost priority and a literature review on direct access in dental and other healthcare fields was commissioned by the GDC in April 2012. The review considered whether any expansion of direct access would involve increased risk to patients, either by treatment or through failure to recognise and refer problems outside DCPs' clinical remit. This paper is an edited version of the results of that literature review.