The ADC works to protect the health and safety of the public by ensuring dental practitioners meet the high standards required of dental professionals in Australia.
Information for internationally qualified dental practitioners on assessment pathways and requirements for practice in Australia.
Guidance and resources for education providers delivering ADC-accredited dental practitioner programs in Australia.
Learn more about our submissions, consultations and research activities that support the oral health sector
ADC International (ADCI) is a leading independent authority in accreditation and assessment of health programs worldwide, with a particular focus on oral health.
The ADC works in close consultation with the Australian dental professions and wider community to develop the Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner.
Professional competencies define the knowledge, skills, and attributes that newly graduated dental practitioners need to practise safely and effectively in Australia.
To be accredited by the ADC, a dental program must demonstrate that its graduates meet the professional competencies relevant to their division of registration.
We also use the professional competencies in our overseas trained dental practitioner assessment process. This ensures overseas qualified practitioners meet the same threshold as graduates from accredited Australian programs.
The ADC publishes the professional competencies for each division of general registration in consultation with the dental professions.
To support collaborative, team-based care, we’ve combined the competencies for all five divisions of dental practitioners into a single, comprehensive document. This format helps practitioners understand the roles and expectations across different divisions.
Accessible formats and implementation support for education providers are available on our Resources page.
The Dental Board of Australia (DBA), in collaboration with the Dental Council (New Zealand), developed the Entry level competencies for dental specialists. This document outlines the expectations for newly graduated specialists across each recognised dental specialty in Australia.
The DBA also publishes Entry-Level Competencies for Conscious Sedation Endorsement, which details the knowledge and skills required for dental practitioners seeking endorsement to administer conscious sedation.
We regularly review the professional competencies to ensure they reflect current expectations for newly graduated dental practitioners in Australia. The most recent review was completed in 2022, with updated competencies taking effect from January 2023.
We develop and revise these competencies in consultation with the dental professions and health sector stakeholders.
Under the ADC Accreditation Standards, education providers are required to map the program learning outcomes and assessments to the relevant professional competencies. This mapping process is a key part of the accreditation process and demonstrates how a program prepares graduates for safe and competent practice.
Professional competencies help distinguish between different types of dental programs and ensure consistency in graduate capabilities across institutions.