Dental practitioners running out of time to renew online

Dental practitioners with registration due to expire on 30 November 2011 have just weeks left to renew online and on time.

About 17,900 dental practitioners across Australia are due to renew their registration by 30 November - the annual registration renewal date for the profession under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.

Dental Board of Australia Chair Dr John Lockwood said all registered practitioners in the National Scheme were responsible for renewing their registration on time.

"The job of the Board - with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) - is to make this as simple and straightforward as possible," Dr Lockwood said.

The quickest and easiest way to renew is online at www.dentalboard.gov.au.

The Dental Board of Australia has reinstated a late payment fee for 2011-12 registration. The late payment fee had been suspended for the first year of the National Scheme.

Dr Lockwood said the late payment fee applied to practitioners who submit an application to renew during the one month late period built into the National Law. The late fee is payable in addition to the annual renewal fee.

There are significant consequences for individual dental practitioners who do not renew on time in the National Scheme. Under the National Law, practitioners who do not renew registration within one month of their registration expiry date must be removed from the National Registers.

Their registration will lapse and they will not be able to practise dentistry in Australia until a new application is approved. Neither the Board nor AHPRA have any discretion about this under the National Law.

Dental practitioners who want to keep working but forget to renew their registration by 30 November, or within the following one month late period, can apply to AHPRA for a fast-track application for registration.

These practitioners should note that they are not able to practise in their profession until their fast-track registration application has been processed and approved. Fast-track is available in the four weeks after a dental practitioner's registration lapses and incurs a fee.