The Council recently issued the outcome from its consultation on proposals to remove the 18-year age limit for restorative activities from the oral health therapy scope of practice.
The Council extensively discussed and analysed the feedback both in favour and against the proposal before reaching its final decision to proceed with the proposal and remove the age limit from the restorative activities for oral health therapists (OHTs).
The Council was satisfied that potential clinical risks from allowing OHTs to perform restorative activities for adult patients will be sufficiently minimised by:
- practitioners understanding their clinical capabilities and boundaries
- appropriate education and clinical experience to ensure OHTs practise competently and safely
- OHTs meeting their ethical, professional and legal obligations under the Standards Framework
- established and effective consultative professional relationships between OHTs and dentists/dental specialists.
To implement its decision, the Council will place an exclusion – Restorative treatment on patients 18 years and older – on OHTs scopes of practice effective from 1 November 2019. This exclusion will remain until an OHT completes an accredited adult restorative programme to attain the necessary competencies.
Please contact us if you have any questions about the placing of exclusions on OHT scopes of practice.