Industry Structure

What is the NZIDT?

The New Zealand Institute of Dental Technologists (NZIDT) is a professional body/association.

The NZIDT exists to facilitate the professional development of Dental Technicians and Clinical Dental Technicians in the interests of its members. The NZIDT carries out multiple roles, but its main objective is to further the interests of the industry, it is not a governing body. It is advised by its members and through the executive it services the best interests of the industry.

Who regulates Dental Technicians in New Zealand?

The Dental Council of New Zealand is the regulatory body for the dental professions constituted under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. The Dental Council is appointed by the Minister of Health. It has fourteen members currently made of: 11 professional members (five dentists, two dental therapists, one dental hygienist, two clinical dental technicians, one person involved in teaching dentistry) and three lay members.

What is the Dental Council Role?

The Dental Council is the regulatory body that is a government appointed body. The main function of the Council is to protect the public and to oversee registration.

The Dental Council role is to:

• ensure that undergraduate and postgraduate programmes leading to dental registration meet acceptable national and international standards
• set the clinical, cultural and ethical standards that oral health practitioners must adhere to
• authorise the registration of practitioners and considering applications for annual practising certificates
• establish systems and processes to ensure that practitioners maintain competence throughout their practising lives
• promote the health of practitioners and developing programmes for health-impaired practitioners to ensure a speedy return to practice while assuring public safety
• deal with practitioners whose competence or fitness to practise has been called into question

Disciplining of practitioners is not a Council function. This is carried out by the separate and independent Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.

How does an overseas qualified Dental Technician register in New Zealand?

Excerpt from a letter from DCNZ dated 24 March 2010

'In order to register an overseas qualified dental technician, the Dental Technician Board must be satisfied that the dental technician [s15 Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (Link to Legislation,   Link to Ministry of Health)]:

1. holds a prescribed or equivalent qualification
2. is fit for registration
3. is competent to practice dental technology.

Applicants with an overseas dental technology qualification may apply for registration and assessment of their qualification as compared to the prescribed qualification. Where the Board is unable to be satisfied of the applicant's competence to practise, it may require the applicant to sit and pass an examination.

It is therefore open to overseas trained/qualified dental technicians to apply for registration and seek assessment of their qualification. Consideration of their application will not only include an assessment of their qualification, but also consideration of their fitness and competence to practise.

Application forms and further information are available on the Dental Council website

What does the Dental Technicians’ Workforce Board do?

The Dental Technicians’ Workforce Board is responsible for the governance, strategic and policy development for the dental technology industry. The workforce board also deals with issues affecting individual practitioners. The workforce board is only an advisory sub board of the Dental Council and can only make recommendations to the Council.