Dental Board of Australia sets fees for 2014/15

The Dental Board of Australia has announced the national registration fee for dental practitioners for 2014/15.

The fee will apply from 9 September 2014, and cover the registration period for most practitioners of 1 December 2014 to 30 November 2015. The fee will be:

• dentists and specialists: $603
• dental prosthetists: $536
• dental hygienists and therapists: $298

The fees for practitioners whose principal place of practice is NSW will be the same as detailed above (NSW is a co-regulatory jurisdiction).

The Board limited increasing the fee to 2.9%, which is under the national consumer price index (CPI), so that the Board can continue to provide robust and safe regulation of dental practitioners in Australia and to protect the public.

Setting the new schedule of fees ensures that the Board can continue its work in implementing the requirements set out in the National Law through registering dental practitioners, setting professional standards and investigating notifications.

The National Boards, in the national scheme regulating health practitioners in Australia, have continued to see an increase in notifications (complaints) over the past year. As the number, complexity and cost of these cases can't be accurately forecast, the Boards will continue to keep fees under close review to ensure careful financial management.

A fee schedule, including the fee arrangements for practitioners whose principal place of practice is NSW, will be published on the National Board's website.

More detailed information about the Board's financial operations will be outlined in the Health Profession Agreement between the Board and AHPRA for 2014/15, which will be published on the website soon. This agreement sets out the partnership between the Board and AHPRA, and the services AHPRA will provide to support the Board to regulate dental practice.

The regulation of dental practice is funded solely by registrant fees and there is no cross subsidisation between professions that are regulated in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.

For more information, Visit www.dentalboard.gov.au or call 1300-419-495 (within Australia) +61-3-8708-9001 (overseas callers).