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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.
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ADC International (ADCI) is a leading independent authority in accreditation and assessment of health programs worldwide, with a particular focus on oral health.
On 18 February 2022 the Australian Dental Council (ADC) Board of Directors approved the revised Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner (the Competencies). The Competencies for the ADC’s program accreditation process came into effect in 2023.
The Competencies are an important reference for the dental professions, outlining what is expected of a newly qualified dental practitioner in Australia. They are used when accrediting dental practitioner programs and assessing overseas trained dental practitioners.
Regular reviews of the Competencies are important to ensure they remain contemporary benchmarks of what is expected of a newly qualified dental practitioner in Australia.
The revised document brings together the Competencies for dentists, dental hygienists, oral health therapists, dental therapists and dental prosthetists in one comprehensive place.
The revised document also reinforces professionalism, communication and leadership, and critical thinking as core skills for all dental practitioners. By bringing the Competencies together, it also supports collaborative team practice and helps practitioners understand how competencies apply across different divisions.
Domain 1 has also been updated to reflect the nationally agreed definition of cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This definition was agreed across the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme in June 2018.
New statements in Domain 1 describe how practitioners can put cultural safety into practice and provide culturally safe and respectful care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Consultation on the proposed revisions to the Competencies was conducted from 27 September to 5 November 2021.
All feedback provided to the draft Competencies released for consultation was considered. The Report on the consultation of proposed changes to the ADC Professional Competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner paper provides a detailed summary of the consultation process, including the feedback and how this was incorporated into the approved Competencies.
The Consultation documents were as follows:
Consultation paper: Proposed changes to the Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner Draft Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner: September 2021
All stages of the review process have been informed by stakeholder consultation and feedback. We would like to thank everyone that provided comment on the draft Competencies. Individual submissions are available below.