The Australian Dental Council releases revised Competencies

The Australian Dental Council has released the revised Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner (the Competencies). 
 
The Competencies are an important resource for the ADC. These outcome focused statements are used in program accreditation to ensure dental programs prepare their students with the skills, knowledge and capabilities needed to practice safely upon graduation. In the overseas qualified dental practitioner assessment process, the professional competencies are an important reference point for mapping and blueprinting examinations. 
 
It is important to note that the professional competencies have a broader application beyond the work of the ADC. The dental professions, regulators, consumers, and employers all have use for the professional competencies. 
 
The most significant change is the consolidation of the Competencies for dentists, dental hygienists, oral health therapists, dental therapists, and dental prosthetists into one comprehensive document. This change reinforces that professionalism, communication and leadership, and critical thinking are core skills for all dental practitioners. It also supports collaborative team practice by facilitating a better understanding of competencies across the different dental practitioner divisions.
 
The revised Competencies also have an increased focus on the provision of culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These revisions are designed to support the inclusion of Domain 6: Cultural Safety into the ADC/Dental Council (New Zealand) Accreditation standards for dental practitioners (the Standards) in 2021.
 
Updates to the Competencies supporting this Domain include aligning the definition of cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with the definition agreed across the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme in June 2018. The review has also introduced new statements into Domain 1 to ensure the definition of cultural safety is put into action. These statements outline what a practitioner must do to ensure culturally safe and respectful practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
 
Implementation of the revised Competencies will occur across the ADC’s program accreditation and dental practitioner assessment processes.
 
Planning on the implementation of the revised Competencies against the ADC’s written and practical examinations is underway. Further updates on this planning will be provided on our website as more information is available.
 
For accredited dental practitioner programs, the revised Competencies will come into effect in 2023. The ADC is working closely with dental education and training providers and assessors on the implications the revisions to the Competencies will have on the program accreditation process.
 
Learn more about the revisions to the Competencies and download your copy today at www.adc.org.au