The General Dental Council (Professions Complementary to Dentistry) Regulations Order of Council 2006

• Citation: S.I. 2006/1440
• Sections: 5

Section 1 Citation, commencement and interpretation

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the General Dental Council (Professions Complementary to Dentistry) Regulations 2006 and shall come into force on 31st July 2006.

(2) In these Regulations—

“ the Act ” means the Dentists Act 1984; and

“the appointed day” means the day on which these Regulations come into force.

Section 2 Specified professions complementary to dentistry and specified titles

In the following Table—

(a) the professions complementary to dentistry listed in the column headed “Profession” are specified for the purposes of section 36A(2) of the Act (professions complementary to dentistry); and

(b) the titles which apply to a specified profession are those listed in the corresponding entry in the column headed “Titles”.

Section 3 Transitional provisions applying to certain dental nurses and dental technicians: registration

(1) This regulation applies to a person who—

(a) makes an application to be registered in the dental care professionals register under the titles which apply to the professions pursued by dental nurses or dental technicians within the period of two years beginning with the appointed day, and

(b) satisfies the registrar of matter D, as specified in section 36C(6) of the Act (qualifications for registration),

but who is unable to satisfy the registrar of matter A, B or C, as specified in section 36C(2), (3) or (4) of the Act.

(2) The registrar may register a person to whom this regulation applies in the dental care professionals register under the titles which apply to the profession pursued by dental nurses—

(a) if that person’s name is included in the dental nurses' voluntary register on the date of his application for registration in the dental care professionals register under those titles;

(b) if that person has a minimum of four years' practical experience as a dental nurse, or its equivalent on a part-time basis, gained in the eight years immediately preceding the date of his application to be registered in the dental care professionals register under those titles; or

(c) if that person—

(i) has a minimum of two but less than four years' practical experience as a dental nurse, or its equivalent on a part-time basis, gained in the eight years immediately preceding the date of his application to be registered in the dental care professionals register under those titles, and

(ii) satisfies the requirements of paragraph (2) of regulation 4.

(3) The registrar may register a person to whom this regulation applies in the dental care professionals register under the titles which apply to the profession pursued by dental technicians—

(a) if that person’s name is included in the dental technicians' voluntary register on the date of his application for registration in the dental care professionals register under those titles; or

(b) if that person has a minimum of seven years' practical experience as a dental technician, or its equivalent on a part-time basis, gained in the ten years immediately preceding the date of his application to be registered in the dental care professionals register under those titles.

(4) In this regulation—

“the dental nurses' voluntary register” means the Voluntary National Register of Dental Nurses maintained by the British Association of Dental Nurses ; and

“the dental technicians' voluntary register” means the National Register of Dental Technicians maintained by the Dental Technicians Association .

Section 4 Regulation 3(2)(c): supplementary provisions

(1) The Council shall specify and publish details of—

(a) the areas of practice as a dental nurse in relation to which a person must demonstrate knowledge and skills (known in this regulation as “modules”);

(b) a registration assessment for dental nurses covering all the modules specified in accordance with sub-paragraph (a) (known in this regulation as an “ARA” (Access to Registration Assessment)); and

(c) a programme of registration training for dental nurses in each of the modules specified in accordance with sub-paragraph (a) (known in this regulation as an “ART” (Access to Registration Training)).

(2) The requirements of this paragraph are that the person who is applying to be registered in the dental care professionals register under the titles which apply to the profession pursued by dental nurses satisfies the registrar that—

(a) he has satisfactorily completed an ARA; or

(b) in relation to each module specified in accordance with paragraph (1)(a)—

(i) he has satisfactorily completed an ART, or

(ii) he possesses the knowledge and skills necessary to practise as a dental nurse in the United Kingdom.

(3) The Council shall establish and publish, in relation to each module specified in accordance with paragraph (1)(a), criteria to which they are to have regard for the purposes of determining whether a person possesses the knowledge and skills necessary to practise as a dental nurse in the United Kingdom for the purposes of paragraph (2)(b)(ii).

Section 5 Transitional provision applying to dental nurses and dental technicians: use of title

Notwithstanding section 39(2A) of the Act (prohibition on use of practitioners' titles by laymen), it shall not be an offence—

(a) for a person who is not registered in the dental care professionals register under the title of dental nurse or dental surgery assistant to take or use the title of dental nurse or dental surgery assistant, or

(b) for a person who is not registered in the dental care professionals register under the title of dental technician or dental technologist to take or use the title of dental technician or dental technologist,

within the period of two years beginning with the appointed day.