Appellate Division overturns HC verdict on dental technologists' independent practice

The Appellate Division has overturned a High Court (HC) judgment that allowed diploma-holding dental technologists to independently treat patients and run private practices, reaffirming that they may only work under the supervision of registered dental surgeons.

The ruling was delivered on Wednesday (June 24) by an Appellate Division bench led by the Chief Justice, which allowed an appeal filed by the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC).

The verdict effectively ends the legal basis that had enabled dental technologists and dental assistants to provide certain dental services independently, including issuing prescriptions and operating private chambers.

The dispute stems from a 2016 writ petition filed by representatives of diploma-qualified dental technologists seeking recognition of their professional status and the authority to treat patients independently.

In its ruling, the High Court had outlined a range of services that diploma holders could perform, including basic dental treatment, tooth extraction under local anaesthesia, scaling and polishing, fillings, root canal dressing, and prescribing selected medicines, including antibiotics and painkillers.

The BMDC challenged that decision in 2017, arguing that diploma-trained personnel were not qualified to practice dentistry independently and were trained primarily to assist licensed dental professionals.

Following Wednesday’s ruling, dental technologists will no longer be permitted to operate private dental chambers, diagnose patients independently, or issue prescriptions on their own authority.

Legal representatives for dental practitioners said the court reaffirmed the distinction between registered dental surgeons and diploma-qualified support personnel.

According to lawyers involved in the case, the diploma programme was designed to prepare graduates for supportive clinical roles under the supervision of qualified dentists rather than independent medical practice.

The judgment is expected to have significant implications for thousands of diploma-qualified dental technologists across the country, particularly those who had sought broader professional recognition and practice rights.

Medical professionals have largely welcomed the decision, arguing that patient safety and clinical standards require independent dental treatment and prescription authority to remain restricted to licensed dentists.