DENTISTRY - OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF FOUR SPECIALITIES - ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS ARE EXPANDED - Filenews 13/3 by Marilena Panayi
Endodontics, paediatric ontology, periodontology and prosthodontics, are the four specialties of dentistry that will be recognized in Cyprus, with the consent, in fact, of all parties involved.
Yesterday and after a decade of intense discussions, intermittent disagreements, (even between dentists), obstacles and obstacles, the parliamentary committee on Health was pleasantly surprised when all its guests stated that they agree with the relevant amendment of regulations and have no objection to its promotion for its passage into law.
In fact, the common line of all automatically led to a study of the amendment article by article and now the way is open for the passage of the law before the dissolution of Parliament for the parliamentary elections in early April.
As the Ministry of Health states in its introductory report, which accompanies the amendment, the aim is "the institutionalization of new dental specialties in Cyprus, which will contribute to the upgrading of dental science and, by extension, the quality of patient care. At the same time, the recognition of new dental specialties aims to protect citizens and those who hold the specialty, from the exercise of the range of activities of the specialty by inadequately trained specialists."
In essence, with the proposal of the Ministry of Health, in addition to the four specialties, the academic and other educational qualifications that dentists must possess in order for their specialty to be recognized are expanded and the possibility of recognition of postgraduate qualifications and internships carried out in Cyprus is given.
In detail, the new regulations provide that in order for a dentist to be recognized as a specialist in a specific branch of dentistry, he must have a master's degree, diploma or certificate of specialization, which was obtained after passing exams. That qualification must entitle the holder to be recognised as an expert in the relevant field in the country in which it was awarded.
At the same time, the regulations set clear conditions regarding the training framework that the dentist concerned must have followed.
In particular, the specialization must be carried out in a university center, a center for care, education and research or a hospital institution, which operates either in Cyprus or abroad and is recognized by the competent authorities of the country where it is based. In addition, the training program must be approved by the Dental Council.
Particular emphasis is also placed on the nature of the training, as the regulations require the specialization program to include compulsory theoretical and practical teaching, while it is determined that the continuous physical presence and active participation of the trainee in the activities of the training center or hospital where the training takes place is required.
The bill also includes transitional regulations concerning dentists who will already be registered in the Register of Dentists at the time of the entry into force of the new regulations. According to these provisions, professionals can be recognized as experts in specific fields, provided that they prove that they have acquired relevant specialization before March 27, 2009 (as explained in Parliament, this date is determined on the basis of the entry into force of a relevant European Directive).
As far as the training of dentists is concerned, and according to the relevant table accompanying the bill, the duration of postgraduate training for the acquisition of a dental specialty is determined separately for each branch.
Specifically, specialization in orthodontics, oral surgery, endodontics, paediatric dentistry, periodontology and prosthodontics requires three years of training, while maxillofacial surgery is expected to last a total of four years, of which one year in general surgery and three years in maxillofacial surgery.
Oromaxillofacial surgery also requires four years of training and basic training in both medicine and dentistry. The regulations also provide that the training must take place in a recognized university or hospital center and include theoretical and practical teaching with the constant physical presence of the trainee (the specialties of orthodontics, oral surgery, maxillofacial surgery and oromaxillofacial surgery have been recognized for years).
