Dental Council of New Zealand

The New Zealand Dental Specialist Registration Examination Process

To gain registration in a dental specialist scope of practice in New Zealand you will normally be required to:

Be registered as a dentist in New Zealand or hold a prescribed undergraduate qualification for registration as a dentist in the general dental scope of practice; and
Hold a prescribed postgraduate qualification (also see Scopes of Practice for details), or have sat and passed the relevant New Zealand Dental Specialist Registration Examination

In addition you must satisfy the Dental Council of your fitness and competence to practice.

If you do not hold a prescribed qualification you can apply for an assessment of your qualification (using form REG002). Please note that one of the prerequisites for entry into the specialist examination process is that you are registered as a dentist in New Zealand or hold a prescribed undergraduate qualification for registration as a dentist. If this does not apply to you we encourage you to satisfy the requirements for registration as a dentist in New Zealand in the first instance.

Holders of specialist qualifications from UK and North America are advised to contact the Dental Council before lodging an application. In some instance holders of specialist qualifications from these countries may have their specialist registration approved without the need to sit the specialist registration examination.

The Dental Council has decided that time and resources will not be put into the development of examinations for any of the specialist areas until there is a demonstrated need for the examination. To date only the Orthodontic Specialist and Endodontic registration examinations have been developed. Other examinations will be developed as and when required. This means that there could be a delay of up to eighteen months from the time your eligibility to sit the registration examination has been established and the staging of the examination.

NZDREX Specialist Examination Entry Requirements

Refer to the Policy on the New Zealand Dental Registration Examinations - Applicants with Assessment of Eligibility applications submitted AFTER 4 November 2009.

Application process

Assessment of eligibility

When you apply to sit the specialist examination you must demonstrate that you have satisfied the above requirements. Once your completed eligibility application form, supporting documentation and payment has been received this will be acknowledged and your eligibility to enrol in the specialist examination will be assessed.

Confirmation of eligibility

If you are eligible to sit the specialist registration examination you will be issued with a letter confirming your eligibility. At this point the Dental Council will approach the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago with a request to stage the examination.

Timing of the examination

It will take up to 18 months to set up the examination. The actual time between confirming your eligibility and the examination date will depend on a number of factors including:

Whether or not the examination has previously been staged
Availability of examiners
Number of candidates wishing to sit the examination.
The time of year you apply (the examination is likely to be held at the end of year to coincide with the examination of MDS students)

Fees

The examination fee is set to cover costs and may vary between specialist examinations. The exact amount of the fee will be advised to candidates once the examination date has been set. Click here to see the current fee for the Dental Specialist Registration Examination.

Assessment of eligibility

At the time you lodge your application for an assessment of eligibility you are required to pay a non-refundable assessment fee.