Dental Hygienists and Dental Mechanics have been left out of the draft National Dental Commission Bill. The bill, which would repeal the Dentists Act 1948, was released on January 28.
As per the Dentists Act, 1948, "dental hygienist" means a person not being a dentist or a medical practitioner, who scales, cleans or polishes teeth, or gives instruction in dental hygiene and "dental mechanic" means a person who makes or repairs denture and dental appliances. These two qualifications of Dentistry have been discussed and defined in the Dentists Acts 1948 under Chapter II, Dental Council of India.
The new draft bill does not mention or define "dental hygienist" and "dental mechanic".
In India presently there are 9612 registered dental hygienists in various state councils, as per ANI report published on February 28.
Members of the Kerala government dental hygienists association had held a protest in this matter. "As per the Dentist Act 1948 in India, dental hygienists are well defined and also the dental hygienist course is an approved course. Dental hygienist as a profession is greatly accepted worldwide and the omission in the new National Dental Commission Bill in India is injustice," said Ajayakumar, general secretary, Kerala government dental hygienists association.
The new draft bill has added knowledge related to performance of mastication, phonation and deglutition under the ambit of Dentistry.
It proposes constitution of four autonomous boards: the under-graduate dental education board, the post-graduate dental education board, the dental assessment and rating board and the ethics and dental registration board.
It also proposes an exit exam for undergraduate dental students. The exam will be referred to as National Exit Test (NEXT), which is in line with the MBBS exit exam.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had asked for suggestions on the draft National Dental Commission Bill till February 20.
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