Dental practitioners encouraged to renew registration by 30 November

08 Oct 2019

Dental practitioners wishing to renew their registration on time must do so by 30 November 2019.

More than 23,500 dental practitioners hold general, specialist or non-practising registration with the Dental Board of Australia (the Board). The quickest and easiest way to renew is online.

A fees schedule is published on the Board’s website.

Dental practitioners whose application for general or specialist registration is received on time or during the following one-month late period can continue practising while their application is processed.

Practitioners who do not apply to renew their registration by 31 December 2019 will have lapsed registration. They will be removed from the Register of Dental Practitioners and will not be able to practise their profession in Australia.

Check out the Board’s video which provides an overview of dental practitioners’ obligations which are described in the Board’s standards, policies, guidelines and codes. It highlights some of the key requirements for dental practitioners to maintain registration and provides guidance to practitioners on expected behaviours.

Renewal applications received in December will incur a late payment fee in addition to the annual renewal fee. This is outlined in the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory.

Exposure-prone procedures

Changes to renewal questions about working with blood-borne viruses

Each year at registration renewal, dental practitioners are asked to declare that they are aware of their infection status for blood-borne viruses and comply with the requirements of the Australian national guidelines for the management of healthcare workers living with blood borne viruses and healthcare workers who perform exposure prone procedures at risk of exposure to blood borne viruses (the CDNA guidelines) and the Board’s Guidelines on infection control.

The CDNA guidelines have recently been revised, so the Board has updated its compliance questions for this year’s registration renewal.

What’s changing?

This year at renewal, the Board will ask practitioners who perform exposure-prone procedures (EPPs) to answer several questions about their compliance with the CDNA guidelines. Most dental practitioners in clinical practice will perform EPPs.

Each renewal question will provide definitions, information and links to resources to help you answer accurately.

For most practitioners, there is no change in what they must do – that is to be aware of their blood-borne virus status and comply with the CDNA guidelines.

Where do I go for more information about the CDNA guidelines?

The CDNA guidelines and helpful resources are available on the Department of Health website. If you are uncertain about whether you perform EPPs, you should contact your employer or professional association for further guidance.

More information

• Registration standards
• Registration renewal
• Renewal FAQ
• Make an online enquiry
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 8708 9009 (overseas callers)