Under the Legislation Act 2019, notice is given of the making of the following secondary legislation:

This secondary legislation can be accessed at: https://dcnz.org.nz/resources-and-publications/resources/gazette-notices/.

The following notice replaces the prescribed qualifications for the scope of practice for public health dentistry specialists as published in the New Zealand Gazette, 19 January 2023, Notice No. 2023-sl84. The scope of practice and competencies for public health dentistry specialists as published in the New Zealand Gazette, 19 January 2023, Notice No. 2023-sl84 remain unchanged.

Prescribed Qualifications for the Scope of Practice for Public Health Dentistry Specialists

New Zealand Accredited Programme

• MComDent University of Otago.

Competent Authority – Qualification

Australia

• An ADC accredited MDS or MDSc programme in public health dentistry¹.
• An Australian educational institution specialist qualification approved by the Dental Board of Australia for the purposes of specialist registration in public health dentistry in Australia².

Examination

• Two years or more of full-time equivalent postgraduate public health dentistry specialist qualification, evidence of research activity and a pass in the New Zealand Dental Specialist Registration Examination.

Competent Authority – Registration³ (from 1 November 2026)

• Current full/unrestricted/unconditional registration appropriate for practice as a public health dentistry specialist with a competent authority(s) recognised by the Dental Council⁴; and
• Practice in specialist public health dentistry in the recognised competent authority(s) for at least 24 months (working 20 hours or more per week) in the past five years, including 12 months within the last 18 months immediately prior to application.

Dated at Wellington this 31st day of March 2026.

MARIE MACKAY, Chief Executive, Dental Council.

Endnotes

1. Before 30 June 2010, and before 17 October 2010 for Western Australia.

2. From 1 July 2010 onwards, and 18 October 2010 onwards for Western Australia.

3. Upon commencement of practice in New Zealand, practitioners registered under the competent authority registration pathway will practise under the oversight of a Dental Council approved practitioner for a period of at least six months under the terms of the oversight protocol.

4. United Kingdom (General Dental Council), Canada (provincial dental regulators), United States of America (state dental boards), Australia (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) for the purposes of public health dentistry practice.