Dentists
During the implementation of the policy the Rural Directors of Medical Services raised concerns regarding the process in place for dentists, including:
- having the right application forms
- obtaining dental expertise on credentialling and scope of clinical practice committees, particularly in the smaller rural areas
- obtaining referees for dentists who have been solo community dentists for many years before they apply for an appointment to a health service
- assessing competence of dentists
The department has since worked closely with the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch, (ADAVB), Dental Health Services Victoria, (DHSV), and the Dental Practice Board of Victoria to develop guidelines for the appointment, reappointment and assessment of scope of practice for dentists, the ‘Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch Inc: Statement on credentialling and defining the scope of clinical practice for dentists’.
The Credentialling and defining scope of practice policy was updated in February 2009 and the updated Dentist form is now available on the toolkit page and at the ADAVB website (members only access).
Further, in selecting dentists to assist the health service credentialling and scope of practice committees, suggestions for suitable candidates may be obtained by contacting either of the following:
- Director, Clinical Leadership, Education and Research, DHSV, Ph (61 3) 9341 1291 or main switchboard (61 3) 9341 1200
- ADAVB Professional Consultants (senior dentists) Ph (61 3 ) 8825 4600
- Local dentists; list of registered Dentists