Policy Statement 5.1 - Dentistry and Third Parties

1. Position Summary

The dentist-patient relationship is essential for good health outcomes and it is unacceptable for Third Parties to undermine the relationship. Third Parties should provide equal rebates for the same dental service, under the same policy or scheme, in the same jurisdiction, and this should be enforced by Government intervention. However, treatment by specialists in their area of specialisation should attract a rebate higher than the rebate paid for a similar service rendered.

2. Position

2.1 Third Parties must not influence the primary relationship between the dentist and the patient in any way that diminishes a patient’s right to achieve long term optimum oral health.

2.2 Third Parties must provide equal rebates to patients, for the same dental service, under the same policy, and this should be enforced by Government intervention. However, treatment by specialists in their area of specialisation should attract a rebate higher than the rebate paid for a similar service rendered.

2.3 Third Parties should not limit or influence the patient’s choice of dental provider.

2.4 All dentists should be treated equally by Third Parties.

2.5 Third Parties should not impose business rules that favour any particular dentist or prevent patients from accessing rebates for appropriate dental care.

2.6 All Third Parties must use the current version of the ADA’s The Australian Schedule of Dental Services and Glossary which is the recognised definitive uniform coding system for dental services in Australia, which should be easily accessible.

2.7 Third Party complaints resolution mechanisms must be transparent and procedurally fair for patients and dentists.

2.8 Online rating platforms for dentists are often unreliable and should not be published. Governments should enact legislation to prohibit their use. Third Parties should be held accountable for interfering with patients’ access to justice and autonomy; particularly where their influence results in limited access to beneficial treatment, delays in care, marginalisation, or restricted options.

3. Background

3.1 Third Parties have been associated with dentistry for many years, mostly servicing commercial needs and opportunities related to dentistry.

3.2 Healthcare provider comparison websites and product or service rating platforms can be unreliable sources of information for the public. They may present misleading content, lack moderation, have conflicts of interest, promote specific products or services, and be vulnerable to manipulation. Such websites may also breach Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) guidance and the Dental Board of Australia’s Guidelines for Advertising a Regulated Health Service.

3.3 Some Third Parties interfere with the dentist-patient relationship by providing differential rebates for the same service to the detriment of the patient.

4. Definitions

4.1 A THIRD PARTY is an outside body that can influence the relationship between the dentist
and the patient. These include but are not limited to:
• funding agencies (e.g. government departments, agencies and statutory authorities,
private health insurance and private health organisations) which have responsibility for
the entire fee for service, or part thereof;
• owners of dental clinics who are not dentists, including health insurance funds,
corporations and the public sector (government departments);
• regulatory authorities;
• the dental industry;
• professional indemnity providers; and
• appointment and rating websites.

4.2 AUSTRALIAN HEALTH PRACITIONER REGULATION AGENCY (AHPRA) is the agency
that supports the National Boards to implement the National Registration and Accreditation
Scheme.

4.3 PATIENT is a person receiving health care or any substitute authorised decision maker for
those who do not have the capacity to make their own decisions.

4.4 BOARD is the Dental Board of Australia.

5. Last review

August 2026

6. Next review due

August 2031