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news

WATERLASE YSGG ALL TISSUE LASER WORKSHOP

A Waterlase YSGG All tissue laser workshop conducted by Dr. Prof. Suchetan Pradhan was recently held at the Meridien Hotel in New Delhi.
The workshop was attended by 75 participants with hands-on exercises. Biolase parner and distributor, Unicorn Denmart Limited hosted a
dinner following the workshop at India Habitat Centre. Special guest of honours were Mr. John Beaver, CEO of Biolase USA who was on his
maiden visit to India, and Dr. Prof. Mahesh Verma.

LOK SABHA PASSES NATIONAL DENTAL COMMISSION BILL

The proposed bill aims to replace the existing Dental Council of two years, along with five members selected for four years. Among
India with a new body called the National Dental Commission. The the five members, two will be dental faculty from central, state, or
primary objectives of the commission include formulating policies autonomous government institutes, while the other three will possess
and maintaining high-quality standards for dental education and the specialized knowledge in areas like management, law, medical ethics,
dental profession in the country. health research, consumer or patient rights advocacy, science and
technology, and economics.
KeY FeATURes
• The bill outlines the creation of three autonomous boards under
• This bill also mandates the disclosure of assets by the commission’s the National Dental Commission’s purview - Undergraduate and
chairman and members. All commission members will have to declare Postgraduate Dental Education Board, Dental Assessment and
their assets, liabilities, professional, and commercial engagements Rating Board and Ethics and Dental Registration Board
upon assuming office and at the end of
their term. • The bill calls for the establishment of a
Dental Advisory Council by the central
• One of the significant provisions in the government. The council’s primary
bill is the regulation of fees for 50 percent function will be to advise the National
of seats in private dental colleges to Dental Commission and serve as a
ensure more accessible and affordable platform for states and Union territories
dental education. to express their views on dental education
and examination.
• As part of the bill, it is required that
each state government establishes a State • Until the National Exit Test (Dental)
Dental Council within one year of the becomes operational, postgraduate MDS
Act’s commencement. courses’ admissions will also be based on
NEET-MDS. The commission will conduct
• The National Dental Commission will
be headquartered in New Delhi and will common counseling for All India seats,
be composed of a chairperson, eight ex- while the state governments’ designated
officio members, and 24 part-time members. authority will manage counseling for state-
level seats. The National Exit Test (Dental) will serve as the basis for
• The ex-officio members will include representatives from National granting licenses to practice dentistry and for enrollment in the state
Medical Commission (NMC), the health ministry, and All India or national register.
Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
• Indian students holding foreign dental qualifications will also need
• The part-time members will comprise 19 individuals appointed to clear the National Exit Test (Dental) to obtain a license to practice
on a rotational basis from state and Union territory nominees for dentistry in the country.

70 Dental Practice i July-August 2023 i Vol 19 No 4