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In order to render safe oral healthcare, there is a global trend and need to professionalise dental assistants. Based on this, the Dental Assistants Association of South Africa (DAASA) approached the Professional Board for Dental Therapy and Oral Hygiene (PBDOH) in 1995, and after consultation with all stakeholders, including the South African Dental Association (SADA), the registration of dental assistants began in 2005.
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The Professional Board for Dental Therapy and Oral Hygiene (PBDOH) created two categories of registration, namely:
1. Registration which allowed experienced dental assistants (with 5 years or more experience) to gain entry into the register of dental assistants. This was termed the “Grandfather Clause” in May 2008 and this register was opened for three months. However, due to a limited response from a number of eligible dental assistants to register, the PBDOH reopened this register for a further period of six months.
2. The second category of registration that was allowed for experienced dental assistants was the Supplementary Dental Assistants register. This register allowed for those dental assistants who had less than 5 years’ experience to register in this category, and then write a Board exam, with the last exam being in 2016. This register has now also been closed. This clause excludes qualified Dental Assistants.
Read: Oral health affects the whole body
In 2014 and 2015, the South African Dental Association (SADA) unsuccessfully instituted legal action against the registration of Dental Assistants. In March 2014, The North Gauteng High Court recommended that unregistered Dental Assistants not be subjected to criminal proceedings and the Dentists not be subjected to unprofessional conduct proceedings until 31 March 2016.
This was to allow the Dental Assistants to obtain the necessary qualifications. This means that, the aforementioned High Court had put a moratorium on the criminal prosecution of unregistered practicing Dental Assistants and the prosecution of Dentists for employing unregistered practicing Dental Assistants.
The South African Dental Association appealed the judgement, and in November 2015, the Supreme Court of Appeal, confirmed the decision of the North Gauteng High Court that Dental Assistants have to be regulated in order to protect the public and Dental Assistants themselves.
In order to facilitate the registration of those dental assistants who, as a result of this moratorium, did not register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), the PBDOH is presently instituting measures that would enable unqualified yet experienced dental assistants to be provisionally registered for a period of two years, with the provision that within a period of two years they complete a Board examination.
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The Board will offer four examinations per annum over a period of two years, and candidates will be allowed three opportunities to undertake the examination. Successful completion of the Board examination will permit access to full registration, and not a qualification.
Whilst being provisionally registered the dental assistant would need to comply with the continuous professional development (CPD) and annual fee payments as required for dental assistants.
The HPCSA will provide additional administrative support to facilitate the registration and examination processes. The registration period will be announced once the regulations have been promulgated by the Minister of Health.
Further information will be made available on the HPCSA website.
Read more:
Dental assistants to register by 31 March
It's never to early to start looking after your child's teeth
