Scope of practice

To practice as a dentist in Australia, you must comply with the Registration Standards laid down by the Dental Board of Australia (DBA).

One of these Standards covers Scope of practice which is defined by the DBA as the “full range of activities and responsibilities which individuals within the profession are educated, trained and competent to perform”.

In the case of dentistry, this includes a range of activities which take in the furthest extent of standard procedures a dentist may choose to undertake.

It is not simply enough to know how to perform a particular procedure however; you must also possess the ability to decide if an individual patient will benefit from receiving the treatment.

The DBA lists these activities as “the assessment, prevention, diagnosis, advice, and treatment of any injuries, diseases, deficiencies, deformities or lesions on or of the human teeth, mouth or jaws or associated structures.”

This is in effect the minimum scope for all dentists; individuals who choose to undertake what are officially known as “programs to extend scope”, in which they undertake further study to learn new skills, will find their scope of practice more defined than this general Standard.

Additionally, if you choose to undertake study to become one of 13 dental specialist types, you will have a scope of practice commensurate with this specialisation.

While it is possible to begin extending your scope of practice through Continuing Professional Development, you cannot solely rely on this to acquire what is termed “foundation knowledge” for a new skill or technique.

The dental team

You will generally perform activities within the context of a dental team where you are the clinical leader, or one of the leaders.

You will be expected to use your professional judgement to determine your own scope of practice in this situation, as well as those of the other members of the team, and you are responsible for the decisions, treatment and advice made by the team as a whole.

As well as complying with the scope of practice requirements set forth by the DBA, you may also need to comply with workplace agreements and regulatory requirements for such things as prescribing medications, performing radiography and referrals.

Failure to meet the Scope of Practice Registration Standard may result in disciplinary proceedings being enacted against you.

For further information, please refer to the DBA’s Guidelines for Scope of Practice.

Scope of practice templates

While each dental professional has their own scope of practice defined by their skills and experience, these will be exercised within a team environment with the dentist as a clinical leader in what's known as a Structured Professional Relationship.

To assist you in understanding how this works, the ADA has created resources which outline what a Structured Professional Relationship is and how to institute this in your practice location.