Dental Registration Regulations

In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —

Any reference to a registered person, in relation to an inquiry by a Disciplinary Committee or a Health Committee, is a reference to the registered person to whom the inquiry relates.

[Deleted by S 338/2025 wef 01/06/2025]

Where any complaint or information laid before a Complaints Committee under section 44(8) of the Act touches upon the physical or mental fitness of a registered person to practise dentistry, the chairman of the Complaints Committee may send a notice in writing to the registered person —

The Complaints Committee shall, in the notice referred to in paragraph (1) —

Subject to section 45(5) of the Act, the chairman of the Complaints Committee shall forward to the registered person copies of the complaint or information, and any statutory declaration or affidavit made in support of the complaint or information, together with the notice referred to in paragraph (1).

If the registered person —

If the registered person agrees to submit to a medical examination by medical practitioners appointed by the Complaints Committee, the Complaints Committee shall make arrangements for such examination.

The Complaints Committee shall send to the registered medical practitioners referred to in paragraph (1) or medical practitioners nominated by the registered person the information received by the Complaints Committee and shall ask them to report to the Complaints Committee —

The Complaints Committee shall —

If, in the opinion of the Complaints Committee, the reports referred to in paragraph (1)(a) contain any material which is not relevant to the inquiry and which it would not be in the best interests of the registered person for him to see, the Complaints Committee may exclude such material from the documents sent to the registered person under paragraph (1)(a).

Any information excluded under paragraph (2) shall not subsequently be referred to the Health Committee.

The following provisions shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to the Health Committee:

For the purposes of the application of the provisions in paragraph (1)(a) and (b) to a Health Committee —

For the purposes of the application of the provisions in paragraph (1)(a) to a Health Committee, references to the Council’s solicitor in those provisions shall be read as references to any advocate and solicitor appointed by the Health Committee to present evidence on the dentist’s unfitness to practise dentistry.

The Health Committee shall, as soon as practicable, send to the registered person a notice —

The notice referred to in paragraph (1) shall be sent —

Except with the agreement of the registered person, no case shall be heard by the Health Committee at any date earlier than 28 days after the date of the notice referred to in paragraph (1).

The notice referred to in paragraph (1) shall be accompanied by a copy of any report, written statement and document before the Health Committee, which has not already been sent to the registered person.

The President may arrange for one or more medical assessors, appointed under section 54(4) of the Act, to assist the Health Committee at any of its proceedings.

In choosing a medical assessor to assist the Health Committee at any of its proceedings, the President shall have regard to any opinion expressed by the Health Committee as to the nature of the matters on which medical advice would be useful.

The Health Committee may, at any stage of the inquiry —

Where the Health Committee is of the opinion that the written statement or medical reference material which it referred to should be supplemented by oral testimony, the Health Committee may request that the author or, in the case of medical reference material, a medical expert be called as a witness, and adjourn the hearing for that purpose.

The Health Committee shall be entitled to disregard the written statement or medical reference material upon the resumption of hearing if the oral testimony requested for is not given.

At the conclusion of the proceedings, the Health Committee shall consider and determine whether or not the registered person’s fitness to practise dentistry is impaired by reason of his physical or mental condition.

In reaching its judgment, the Health Committee shall be entitled to consider the registered person’s current physical or mental condition, or a continuing or episodic condition, or a condition which, although currently in remission, may be expected to recur.

The Health Committee shall notify the Registrar of any order made under section 55 of the Act.

The chairman of the Health Committee may announce the determination or order of the Health Committee in such terms as the Health Committee may approve.

If, in any case where the Health Committee has adjourned its hearing of a case, it appears to the chairman of the Health Committee that the Health Committee should resume its hearing of the case, the chairman of the Health Committee shall notify the registered person of the date, time and place where the Health Committee will resume its hearing.

Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), where a Health Committee has imposed any requirement under section 55(1)(c) or (3) of the Act and information is subsequently received that the registered person is not complying with the requirement in a material respect, the Health Committee may meet to consider the case and the chairman of the Health Committee shall notify the registered person of the date, time and place of the meeting.

Regulations 32 to 36 (relating to the procedure and powers of the Health Committee at the original hearing) shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to any resumed hearing under this regulation.

Before any resumed hearing under paragraph (1) or (2), the chairman of the Health Committee may invite the registered person to submit to a further medical examination in the manner provided in regulation 30 with such modifications as the Health Committee thinks fit.

The validity of any proceedings of the Health Committee shall not be called into question by reason only that any medical assessor who was present at the original hearing was not present at the resumed hearing, or that a medical assessor present at the resumed hearing was not present at the original hearing.

The executive secretary of the Council, or any other person whom the Council may from time to time appoint, shall be the returning officer for the purpose of electing the elected members of the Council.

The returning officer may appoint assistant returning officers who shall act under the direction of the returning officer.

If any vacancy arises amongst the elected members of the Council, the returning officer shall, as soon as practicable, fix —

The returning officer shall cause a notice to be sent to each relevant dentist informing him of the matters referred to in paragraph (1), together with a nomination paper which shall be in such form as the Council may determine.

Every relevant dentist who desires to nominate a candidate for election as a member of the Council shall —

No person other than a relevant dentist shall propose or second the nomination of any candidate.

The number of candidates nominated in an election by a proposer shall not exceed the number of vacancies for elected members of the Council to be filled in that election.

A candidate shall not canvass for votes, or solicit the vote of any person, except in the manner permitted by the returning officer.

Any candidate who contravenes paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

Voting shall be by secret ballot.

Balloting shall be conducted in such form and manner, whether manually or by mechanical or electronic means, as the returning officer may determine.

Every relevant dentist who votes shall —

The penalty for failure to vote referred to in section 5(2) of the Act shall be $500.

The returning officer shall —

If there is an equality of votes, the successful candidate or candidates shall be determined by drawing lots.

The returning officer shall cause a notice to be sent to every registered dentist informing him of the results of the election.

Subject to paragraph (2), any question arising out of the election as to whether —

Any person aggrieved by an act or decision of the returning officer may, not later than 7 days after the results of an election have been declared, complain to the Council, which may investigate the complaint and take such action (including declaring the election void in whole or in part) as it may think fit.

Any complaint that a candidate or any person on his behalf has used corrupt methods or undue influence in order to secure the election or rejection of a candidate shall be made to the Council which may investigate the complaint and take such action (including declaring the election void in whole or in part) as it may think fit.

No failure to comply with these Regulations shall invalidate an election if it appears that the election was conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in these Regulations, and that the failure did not affect the results of the election.

The form to be used for the purpose of an application for registration as a dentist under the Act is that set out at the Council’s website and every such application shall be accompanied by the following:

Any document produced under paragraph (1) which is not in English shall be accompanied by a certified translation thereof in English.

The form to be used for the purpose of an application for registration as a specialist under the Act is that set out at the Council’s website and every such application shall be accompanied by the following:

If the Council is satisfied that the applicant —

Where the Council refuses to register an applicant, the Council shall by notice in writing inform the applicant of such refusal.

The applicant may, within one month of the date of the notice given under paragraph (3), appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

In this regulation, unless the context otherwise requires, “defined specialty” means any branch of dentistry which the Accreditation Board has defined under section 42(1)(b) of the Act as a specialty in dentistry for the purposes of registration in the Register of Specialists.

The form to be used for the purpose of an application for registration as an oral health therapist under the Act is that set out at the Council’s website and every such application shall be accompanied by the following:

Any document produced under paragraph (1) which is not in English shall be accompanied by a certified translation thereof in English.

An examination referred to in section 14A(2) of the Act shall be in such subjects as the Council may from time to time determine, and may include —

For the purposes of conducting the examination referred to in paragraph (1), the Council may —

The examination shall consist of 3 parts, being Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

The date and place of each part of the examination shall be appointed by the Council.

An applicant who is required by the Council to undergo the examination —

For the purpose of section 21(1)(b)(ii) of the Act, the prescribed examination shall be the Oral Health Therapist (Part I) Registration Examination.

For the purposes of section 21(5) of the Act, the prescribed examination shall be the Oral Health Therapist (Part II) Registration Examination.

For the purposes of conducting the examination referred to in paragraph (1) or (2), the Council may —

The date and place of the examination shall be appointed by the Council.

An applicant who is required by the Council to undergo the examination referred to in paragraph (1) or (2) shall be entitled to only 2 attempts at the examination, both attempts to be taken within a period of 12 months of each other.

In this Part —

In this Part, a registered person obtains a specified number of continuing professional education points if he successfully completes one or more of the activities, courses and programmes in the list of activities, courses and programmes published under regulation 15H(1), the total number of continuing professional education points of which equals or exceeds that specified number.

Subject to paragraph (2), this Part shall apply to —

Regulations 15H and 15I shall not apply to a dentist or an oral health therapist who applies for —

Subject to paragraph (2), where an application for a practising certificate under section 17 or 25 of the Act is made —

Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any first application for the renewal of a practising certificate which has a validity period of one month or less.

The Council shall publish on the Council’s website a list of activities, courses and programmes relating to the practice of dentistry for the purposes of this Part and the number of continuing professional education points which a registered person obtains by successfully completing each of the activities, courses and programmes.

The Council shall —

For the purposes of sections 17(6) and 25(6) of the Act, the Council may refuse to grant a practising certificate to a registered person or renew his practising certificate, if he fails to satisfy the Council that he has obtained the requisite continuing professional education points.

In relation to the continuing professional education points for the grant or renewal of a practising certificate under paragraph (1), not less than the percentage of those points specified in the part of the third column of the Third Schedule applicable to the registered person must be obtained by successfully completing one or more of the core programmes specified in that part.

A registered person who is not in active practice shall not be entitled to rely on any of the lower continuing professional education points specified in item 7 of Part I (if he is a registered dentist whose name appears in the first division of the Register of Dentists) or item 6 of Part II (if he is a registered dentist whose name appears in the second division of the Register of Dentists or a registered oral health therapist) in the Third Schedule for the renewal of his practising certificate unless —

A registered person referred to in paragraph (3) may resume active practice only if he satisfies the requirements specified in item 8 of Part I (if he is a registered dentist whose name appears in the first division of the Register of Dentists) or item 7 of Part II (if he is a registered dentist whose name appears in the second division of the Register of Dentists or a registered oral health therapist) in the Third Schedule.

In computing the total number of continuing professional education points obtained by a registered person applying for the grant or renewal of a practising certificate, only points obtained by him within the qualifying period shall be considered.

The Council may, in such special circumstances as it may determine, grant a practising certificate to a registered person or renew his practising certificate even though he has failed to satisfy the Council of the matter referred to in paragraph (1) or (2).

Where a Disciplinary Committee has been appointed under section 47 of the Act, the Registrar shall send a notice in Form B, as set out at the Council’s website, to the registered person and to the executive secretary of the Council.

The notice referred to in paragraph (1) shall —

If the registered person wishes to raise any defence at the inquiry, he or his counsel shall, at least 10 days before the date fixed for the commencement of the inquiry, send to the Council’s solicitor —

The Council’s solicitor shall, as soon as possible, send to the executive secretary of the Council a copy of any statement, report, or other document received under paragraph (1).

The Council’s solicitor and the registered person or his counsel shall, as far as possible, co-operate to prepare an agreed statement of facts, an agreed bundle of documents or exhibits to be used at the inquiry, and their lists of witnesses to be called at the inquiry.

The Council’s solicitor shall, at least 5 days before the commencement of the inquiry, send the following, if available, to the executive secretary of the Council and the registered person or his counsel:

The Council’s solicitor may —

At the inquiry, the case against the registered person may be presented by the Council’s solicitor.

The Disciplinary Committee shall adopt the following procedure for holding its inquiry but may make such variations or modifications as it thinks fit in any particular case:

Where, at any point in the proceedings, the Disciplinary Committee determines that the evidence brought forward is insufficient or there is no evidence to substantiate all or any of the charges, the Disciplinary Committee shall discontinue further proceedings on the charge or charges.

If the Disciplinary Committee is satisfied that the registered person or his counsel is hampering or attempting to hamper the progress of the inquiry, the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee shall administer a warning to the registered person and, where appropriate, his counsel.

If the Disciplinary Committee is satisfied that any such warning is being disregarded, the Disciplinary Committee shall make a written note of this and shall proceed with and complete the inquiry in any manner it thinks fit.

After the closing address by the Council’s solicitor, the Disciplinary Committee shall inform the parties of its findings in relation to the facts of the case either immediately or on a subsequent date of which reasonable notice shall be given to the parties.

If the Disciplinary Committee is satisfied that the charge or any of the charges made against the registered person have been proved, the Disciplinary Committee shall invite the registered person or his counsel to address the Disciplinary Committee by way of mitigation and, after hearing such address, if any, proceed to exercise its powers under section 50 of the Act.

If, in any case where the Disciplinary Committee has adjourned its hearing of a case, it appears to the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee that the Disciplinary Committee should resume its hearing of the case, the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee shall notify the Council’s solicitor and the registered person of the date, time and place where the Disciplinary Committee will resume its hearing.

Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), where a Disciplinary Committee has imposed any condition or restriction under section 50(2)(c) or 51(2) of the Act and information is subsequently received that the registered person is not complying with the requirement in a material respect, the Disciplinary Committee or any Disciplinary Committee appointed in its place may meet to consider the case and the Council’s solicitor shall notify the registered person of the date, time and place of the meeting.

Regulations 18 to 27 (relating to the procedure and powers of the Disciplinary Committee at the original hearing) shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to any resumed hearing under this regulation.

Where any complaint or information regarding any registered person has been referred to an Interim Orders Committee under section 57(1) of the Act, the Council’s solicitor shall send a notice in Form C, as set out at the Council’s website, to the registered person —

A hearing shall not be held earlier than 14 days after the date of the notice referred to in paragraph (1) except with the agreement of the registered person or in an urgent case.

Before the date of an initial hearing (other than a hearing that has been adjourned), the Council shall make available to each member of the Interim Orders Committee concerned —

The Council shall make available to the registered person any document that has been made available to the Interim Orders Committee under paragraph (1)(b).

Subject to paragraph (4), the Interim Orders Committee may receive oral, documentary or other evidence of any fact or matter which it considers relevant to its inquiry.

No person shall give oral evidence at the hearing unless the Interim Orders Committee considers that such evidence is necessary to enable it to discharge its functions.

The Interim Orders Committee may, at any stage in its proceedings allow a party to produce at the hearing any written evidence —

Where the written evidence referred to in paragraph (5) is produced at the hearing, a copy of the written evidence shall be given to the registered person, the Council’s solicitor and the Interim Orders Committee.

At the hearing, the Interim Orders Committee may invite the Council’s solicitor to address it as to whether an order under section 58 of the Act should be made and the registered person or his counsel shall be given the opportunity to speak last.

Subject to paragraph (7), the procedure at the hearing shall be such as the Interim Orders Committee may determine.

At the hearing, the Council’s solicitor and the registered person or his counsel may, subject to paragraph (4), call witnesses and may put questions to any person called as a witness.

Members of the Interim Orders Committee may put questions to any person called as a witness.

Before a review hearing (other than a hearing that has been adjourned), the Council shall make available to the Interim Orders Committee concerned —

The Council shall make available to the registered person any document that has been made available to the Interim Orders Committee under paragraph (1)(b).

Regulation 37C(4), (5) and (6) shall apply to a review hearing as it applies to an initial hearing.

Subject to section 61 of the Act, an order referred to in section 58 of the Act may, with the prior written consent of the registered person, be reviewed without convening a hearing.

Subject to paragraph (2), regulations 18 to 21 and 26 shall apply, with the necessary modifications, in relation to an Interim Orders Committee as they apply in relation to a Disciplinary Committee.

For the purposes of paragraph (1) —

An Interim Orders Committee shall give its decision and brief reasons for the decision orally at the end of a hearing or, where an order referred to in section 58 of the Act has been reviewed without convening a hearing pursuant to regulation 37D(4), at the conclusion of the review by the Interim Orders Committee.

The Interim Orders Committee shall notify the registered person of his right to apply to the General Division of the High Court under section 62(3) of the Act.

The proceedings of an Interim Orders Committee in relation to a matter shall proceed concurrently with any proceedings of a Complaints Committee, a Disciplinary Committee or the Health Committee in relation to that matter.

Any application to the General Division of the High Court under section 62 of the Act in relation to a matter shall proceed concurrently with any proceedings of a Complaints Committee, a Disciplinary Committee or the Health Committee in relation to that matter.