After 1 August 2006, changes to the Dentist Act mean that a registered dental care professional (DCP) can legally perform an unlimited range of duties for patients. The DCP is however required to prove that s/he has the necessary training and is working within the limits of their competence.
On 1 August 2008 registration with the General Dental Council (GDC) became mandatory for all DCPs who were responsible for patient care.
This registration included giving DCPs the right to provide treatment, directly or indirectly, for patients. Unfortunately, while the GDC publication Standards for Dental Professionals gave guidance on the overall professional responsibilities of all dental registrants, a dilemma regarding the expanded treatment role still remained. While everything, by law, was possible, this was clearly impractical and was also a cause for concern to dental nurses regarding what treatment would, or would not, be appropriate for them to carry out.
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