The Dental Council of Jamaica was founded in 1972 under the guise of the Ministry of Health. The Council was started in order to:
• Register dentists and dental auxiliaries
• Regulate the training of professional and auxiliaries in the dental field
• Ensure the maintenance of proper standards of professional conduct by persons in the dental profession
Since the inception of the dental council in 1972, Jamaica has expanded its capacity to provide services to the public. Currently, there are three institutions that provide training for the dentist and or the auxiliaries. The institution that provides training currently within the country are as follows:
• The University of Technology, College of Oral Health Sciences provides training for dentists and dental auxiliaries
• University of the West Indies, Mona Campus provides training for dentists
• Northern Caribbean University provides training for auxiliaries
Applying for the dental council exam
Steps to retake the exam OR for candidates electing to take the exam in sections
The Council
The Dental Council is a statutory body constituted under the Dental Act of 1972 for maintaining self-regulation of the dental professions.
Our primary role is to promote and protect the public interest by ensuring that oral health practitioners are safe and competent to practise.
The main functions of the Council are:
(a) To register dentists and enrol dental auxiliaries;
(b) To regulate the training of persons for enrolment as dental auxiliaries;
(c) To appoint examiners to conduct such examinations in respect to persons applying for registration as dentists and persons applying for enrolment as dental auxiliaries as may from time to time be necessary under the provisions of this Act;
(d) To ensure the maintenance of proper standards of professional conduct by persons registered as dentists or enrolled as dental auxiliaries, as the case may be, under this Act.
Other functions as per the ‘Dental Regulations’ of 1974
1. To act as an external accreditation entity under the Dental Regulation of 1974 for dental programme recognition;
2. To develop accreditation standards, policies and procedures for dental practitioner programs of study;
3. To develop standards, policies and procedures for the assessment of overseas trained dental practitioners for registration in Jamaica;
4. To assess programs of study that lead to registration in Jamaica;
5. To assess authorities in other countries which conduct examinations for registration to practise as dental practitioners, or accredit programs of study relevant to registration as a dental practitioner, to decide whether persons who successfully complete the examinations or programs of study conducted or accredited by those authorities have the knowledge, clinical skills and professional attributes necessary to practise as dental practitioners in Jamaica;
6. To oversee the assessment of the knowledge, clinical skills and professional attributes of local and overseas trained dental practitioners who are seeking registration to practise in Jamaica.
The Function
(1) There shall be established for the purposes of this Act of the Council a body to be called the Dental Council which shall be a body corporate to which the provisions of section 28 of the Interpretation Act, shall apply.
BOARD OF EXAMINERS
For the purpose of regulations 4 and 14, the Council shall appoint from among its members a Board of Examiners consisting of five members (one of whom shall be the Director of the Dental Auxiliary Training School), so. however, that where any member of the Board of Examiners so appointed is not available for holding an examination the Council may appoint any registered dentist or enrolled dental auxiliary to act in the place of that member.
THE REGISTRAR
(1) The Council shall cause the Registrar to keep a register (to be known as the Register of Dentists) of the names, addresses and qualifications, and such other particulars as may be prescribed, of all persons who are registered under subsection (3) or who apply in the prescribed manner to be registered as dentists and are so registered pursuant to section 9.
THE DENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The functions of the Advisory Committee shall be to advise the Council:-
(a) On matters relating to the administration of the provisions of this Act in respect of dental auxiliaries;
(b) On the various classes of dental auxiliaries to be prescribed;
(c) On the curricula of study and programme of training to be followed by a person for enrolment as a member of a prescribed class of dental auxiliary;
(d) On the most effective utilization' of the services of the various classes of dental auxiliaries; and
(e) Generally in respect of dental auxiliaries and their functions.
THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE
(2) Where an investigation committee report to the Council that a prima facie case has been made out against the respondent in any case in respect of which that committee was appointed, other than one involving a conviction for a criminal offence, the Council shall forthwith appoint a disciplinary committee to deal with the matter.
THE INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE
(1) Where an allegation is made to the Council that any registered or enrolled member (in this Part referred to as "the respondent'') has been convicted of a criminal offence or is guilty of professional misconduct, the Council shall appoint an investigation committee to decide whether the case should proceed to hearings, and any investigation committee so appointed shall investigate the allegation as they think fit, and shall report thereon to the Council, stating whether or not the allegation made against the respondent has been substantiated.
TRIBUNAL
There is hereby established for the purpose of hearing appeals from the decisions of the Council a Dental Appeal Tribunal (hereinafter referred to as “the Tribunal”)