Prescribed qualifications for dentists

Prescribed qualifications are the qualifications prescribed for a scope of practice under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. These qualifications are gazetted, and undergo continued quality monitoring.

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The Dental Council has prescribed the following qualifications for the general dental scope of practice.

New Zealand


  • Bachelor of Dental Surgery, University of Otago
  • Bachelor of Dental Surgery with Honours, University of Otago.

Australia


  • an Australian Dental Council (ADC) accredited programme1
  • a Dental Board of Australia approved programme of study providing a qualification for the purpose of registration in general dentistry in Australia2
  • a five-year undergraduate dental degree and a pass in the Australian Dental Council licensing examinations.

1 Before 30 June 2010, and before 17 October 2010 for Western Australia
2 From 1 July 2010 onwards, and 18 October 2010 onwards for Western Australia

General Dental Council (GDC) accredited dental schools in the UK and Commonwealth countries


  • a GDC accredited undergraduate dental degree from a GDC accredited dental school in the UK, or Commonwealth, as listed below:

Dental School

Dates of recognition – student must have completed and satisfied all programme requirements before the end-date listed below

Western Cape

before 1 January 1998

Hong Kong

before 1 January 2001

Singapore

before 1 January 2001

Witwatersrand

before 1 January 2001

Pretoria

before 1 January 2001

Stellenbosch

before 1 January 2001

Medical University of South Africa

1 January 1997-31 December 2000

Malaysia

1 January 1997-31 December 2000

Ireland


  • an accredited undergraduate dental degree from the Dental Council of Ireland3

3 Graduate cohorts from 2022 onwards

 

USA or Canada


  • an accredited undergraduate dental degree from the Commission on Dental Accreditation in the USA or the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada
  • a five-year undergraduate dental degree and a pass in the USA licensing examinations
  • a five-year undergraduate dental degree and a pass in the National Dental Examining Board of Canada Equivalency Examination Process4

4 A pass in any of the National Dental Examining Board of Canada Equivalency Examinations after 3 March 2014

Other


  • a five-year undergraduate dental degree and a pass in the New Zealand Dental Registration Examinations5.

5 Administered by the National Dental Examining Board of Canada on behalf of the Dental Council since August 2015