Know your scope of practice information hub launched

13 May 2020

A ‘know your scope of practice’ information hub is now available on the Dental Board of Australia’s (the Board) website.

In late 2019, the Board announced Health Ministers had approved the revised Scope of practice registration standard and supporting guidelines. Both the revised standard and guidelines are in effect on 1 July 2020 and the Board has published advance copies.

The Board’s ‘know your scope’ stakeholder forums in each state and territory were cancelled after the Sydney forum in mid-March, in line with public health advice about COVID-19. The forums have been moved to a series of online Q&A sessions to be held in June.

The information hub launched by the Board today has resources about scope of practice to support dental practitioners’ understanding of their obligations under the revised standard. Included is a recorded webinar of the ‘know your scope’ stakeholder forums presentation.

‘The Board encourages dental practitioners to use the resources found on the hub, which we developed in recent months with input from practitioners and professional associations,’ Board Chair, Dr Murray Thomas, said.

Online Q&A sessions will be held in June to answer questions practitioners may still have after watching the webinar recording and reading the new scope of practice FAQs.

The first session will be held on Wednesday 3 June 2020 at 8pm AEST. More information about how to register for a Q&A session is on the ‘know your scope of practice’ information hub.

Other resources on the hub are:

• a reflective practice tool, and
• new FAQs.

‘The reflective practice tool helps practitioners reflect on their individual scope of practice and supports planning of their continuing professional development (CPD),’ Dr Thomas said.

Other resources will be published as they are developed. It is recommended practitioners bookmark the ‘know your scope’ hub for future reference.

What will and won’t change under the revised standard

Under the revised standard, dental practitioners across all divisions of dentistry are responsible for the decisions, treatment and advice they provide and must only perform dental treatment:

• for which they have been educated and trained, and
• in which they are competent.

What won’t change on 1 July 2020 is that:

• a dental practitioner’s individual scope of practice doesn’t change – this applies to all five divisions
• dental practitioners cannot change the division in which they are registered, by completing CPD courses, and
• dentists who currently share their Medicare provider numbers with other members of the dental care team may continue to do so.

What will change on 1 July 2020 is that:

• a structured professional relationship between a dentist and other members of the dental care team is no longer a regulatory requirement
  • if an employer wishes to have a formal arrangement, that is a workplace matter between the two parties, and
• all dental practitioners, across all divisions of dentistry, are responsible for their decisions, treatment and advice they provide, and hence, the term ‘independent practitioner’ has been removed from the revised standard.

For more information

• Go to the ‘know your scope’ information hub
• Register for one of the June online Q&A sessions
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 8708 9009 (overseas callers)