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The Use of Qualifications and Titles by Oral Health Practitioners
 
In 1996 the Council, as a result of a formal complaint, set up a small independent committee to review aspects of the use of qualifications and honorary titles by dental practitioners. The committee canvassed opinion widely and received a total of 41 submissions on the subject. It also took into consideration the relevant sections of the Fair Trading Act 1986, (the use of false or misleading descriptions) and the view of the Health and Disability Commissioner that the solution may lie in increased consumer education as to the meaning of professional qualifications and titles. It noted the Code of Practice on Advertising Guidelines which "suggested that advertisements may provide factual information about the practice such as the dentist's name and registered qualifications".
 
Council has a series of guidelines on the use of qualifications and honorary titles. The aims of the guidelines are to:
  1. Avoid the potential for confusion by the public of material on public display where there is no means of distinguishing between honorary titles and qualifications.
  2. Readily enable the public to distinguish between general dental practitioners and specialists.
  3. Continue to enable oral health practitioners to use honorary titles in their dealings with other oral health practitioners and professionals.
  4. Improve consumer education as to the meaning of professional titles and qualifications.

Guidelines for the Use of Qualifications and Titles

  1. The public display of post-nominal (post-graduate) qualifications and honorary titles should be limited to:
    1. Undergraduate or postgraduate dental qualifications and New Zealand Dental Registration Examinations by virtue of which registration or specialist registration is awarded
    2. Qualifications gained by examination and recognised by the Dental Council as additional qualifications for inclusion in the Register
    3. Member of relevant professional body (eg NZDA). It is recommended that this should not be abbreviated and should be used in conjunction with the relevant logo
    4. Civilian and military decorations promulgated in NZ Gazette
     
    All other titles (degrees, fellowships and awards) to be excluded from public display.
     
  2. The above policy should apply to material on public display including:
    • signage
    • media advertising (including electronic media)
    • marketing material
    • yellow pages advertising
     
    All other titles (degrees, fellowships and awards) to be excluded from public display.
     
  3. Practitioners with existing registered qualifications and titles which do not meet the Dental Council's criteria for additional qualifications should be strongly encouraged to adopt the guidelines.
     
  4. Honorary titles should be clearly and physically separated from recognised qualifications in all letterhead paper, for example by placing honorary titles at the bottom of the page.
     
  5. The profession should adopt common descriptors in all advertising material e.g. dentist/general dental practitioner/specialist orthodontist/dental hygienist/dental therapist.
     
  6. General dental practitioners may advertise their areas of special interest, but in conjunction with a common descriptor e.g. general dental practitioner with a special interest in orthodontics.
     

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