Professional competencies - The Australian Dental Council

Professional competencies

Overview

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 (the Competencies).

The Competencies are published for each of the five divisions of dental practitioner registered in Australia for general registration.

The Competencies outline the knowledge, skills, behaviours, and attributes expected of dental practitioners upon graduation from an ADC accredited program.

All programs accredited by the ADC must demonstrate that students have developed relevant competencies upon graduation.

We also use the competencies in the development of our overseas trained dental practitioner assessment process. The process ensures that overseas qualified practitioners meet the same level of competency required of graduated of Australian accredited dental practitioner programs.

Revised professional competencies

On 18 February 2022 the ADC Board of Directors approved the revised Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner (the revised Competencies). The revised Competencies for ADC’s accreditation processes will come into effect from 2023.

View the Competencies

One of the most significant changes to the revised Competencies is the consolidation of the Competencies for each of the dental professions into one comprehensive document.

Other updates to the revised Competencies include changes to support the introduction of Domain 6, Cultural Safety into the Standards. This includes aligning the definition of cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with the definition agreed across the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme in June 2018.

The review has also introduced new statements into Domain 1 to ensure the definition of cultural safety is put into action. These statements outline what a practitioner must do to ensure culturally safe and respectful practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Resources

Webinar

The ADC held a webinar on 7 December 2022 for Education Providers to provide an overview of the review process, what has changed in the revised competencies and the plan for implementation. The webinar can be accessed via the link below.

Case studies

The following case studies demonstrate how education providers are developing programs to ensure graduates can demonstrate the Competencies. 

Accessible formats

As part of the transition to the revised Competencies, the ADC has developed accessible formats for each of the five divisions of dental practitioner recognised in Australia for general registration. These outline the specific knowledge, skill, and competence expected of dental practitioners upon graduation from an Australian dental education program.

Guidance notes

Guidance notes have been prepared to support education providers with the implementation of the revised Competencies. The guidance notes cover six focus areas: interprofessional collaborative practice, cultural safety, domestic and family violence, rural and remote populations, social responsibility and at-risk populations. The guidance notes introduce each of the focus areas, outline the revised domains within the Competencies and provide examples of ways providers can prepare students to be able to demonstrate the revised Competencies.

Dental specialists and endorsement of registration

Entry level competencies for dental specialists have been developed by the Dental Board of Australia in collaboration with the Dental Council (New Zealand).

The Dental Board of Australia has developed entry-level competencies expected of applicants for endorsement of registration in the conscious sedation area of practice. These competencies are available on the Dental Board of Australia website.