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Your responsibilities as a practitioner
 
As a registered oral health practitioner you have certain responsibilities under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. In particular you must
  • Not practise outside the scope of practice in which you are registered (Sn 8)
     
  • Not describe yourself as or imply that you are a health practitioner of a particular kind unless you are registered and qualified to be a practitioner of that kind. For example if you are registered as a dentist you may not describe yourself as or imply that you are a particular kind of dental specialist, unless you are registered in a scope of practice for the dental specialty concerned (Sn 7[1])
     
  • Comply with any conditions that the Dental Council may place on your scope of practice (Sn 22[3])
     
  • Not perform certain activities restricted to health practitioners (Sn 9) unless these activities fall within your scope of practice
     
  • Not practise without a current Annual Practising Certificate (APC)
     
  • Provide the information determined by the Dental Council when applying for an APC along with the relevant fee (Sn 26[2])
     
  • Meet the requirements of a recertification programme as determined by the Dental Council (Sn 41)
     
  • Comply with any orders that the Dental Council may make following a review of your competence (Sn 38)
     
  • Comply with the requirements of any competence programme that the Dental Council may set (Sn 40)
     
  • Allow the Dental Council to inspect all or any of your clinical records for the purpose of a competence review, competence programme or recertification programme (Sn 42)
     
  • Inform the Dental Council of the current postal address, residential address and (if applicable) work address, and promptly advise the Dental Council of any changes in your address (Sn 140)
     
  • Advise the Dental Council of any changes in your name within one month (Sn 141)
     
  • Promptly notify the Registrar of the Dental Council if you have reason to believe that another practitioner is unable to perform the functions required for the practice of dentistry because of some mental or physical condition (Sn 45[2]). Note that if you have similar concerns over a health practitioner registered with another authority you may notify the registrar of the authority concerned
     
Note furthermore that the Dental Council strongly recommends that you
  • Display your Annual Practising Certificate prominently in your practice
     
  • Notify the Registrar in writing if you believe that another health practitioner poses a risk of harm to the public by practising below the required standard of competence (Sn 34[1]).
     
  • Assist in the regulation of your profession, for example by participating in Professional Conduct Committees (PCCs) or Competence Review Committee when asked by the Dental Council to do so. Note that as dentistry operates in self-regulating environment Council depends on the active participation of the professions if this process is to be effective.