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As we approach the end of 2025 I reflect on another busy year in regulation, and the end of my first year as Chair. This year, the Board hosted its biennial conference on the theme ‘Responsive regulation: balancing insight, integrity and impact in a changing world’. It was an invaluable opportunity to explore regulatory issues with the Board’s committees, Ahpra staff and our co-regulatory stakeholders. The Board also published guidelines on the performance and advertising of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, guidance on compassionate release of superannuation, and we close the year with a public consultation on a revised registration standard for sedation in dentistry.
I am truly grateful for the dedication and professionalism of dental practitioners. When talking to members of the profession throughout the year, I have noted the common purpose they share with each other and the Board: the delivery of safe and ethical dental and oral healthcare to the community. I thank Board and committee members for their work. We work as a team and the dedication and commitment of all has helped me in my first year as Chair in so many ways. Our partnership with Ahpra is strong and we will build on this in the coming year. Thank you all for another hard-working year, and we wish you a happy and safe festive season.
Dr Simon Shanahan Chair, Dental Board of Australia
If you haven’t renewed your registration yet, you have until 31 December before your registration lapses and you are removed from the Register of practitioners. If you choose to renew, late fees apply from now until the end of the month.
If you hold more than one registration type, more than one division or if you hold endorsements, make sure you renew everything you need by checking all the relevant boxes on your renewal form.
If you haven’t logged in to your Ahpra portal yet, you will need to link an authenticator app to your portal. This app generates a one-time 6-digit code and is more secure than sending the code by SMS. Every time you log in, you’ll enter:
You can find your username in the email renewal reminders we’ve sent you. If you share your email account with someone else, or use a group email such as ‘[email protected]’, you will need to change it to an email that is unique to you when you first log in.
The Ahpra portal help centre has information on logging in to your portal, linking a multifactor authenticator app and options if you don’t have a smart phone:
If you get stuck, try the troubleshooting tips, or use the portal help centre chatbot. You can also contact Ahpra’s Customer Service team.
Ahpra and the Dental and Medical Boards of Australia have released new guidance for dentists and doctors in response to ongoing concerns of inappropriate conduct when certifying conditions for compassionate release of superannuation (CRS).
The guidance sets out how existing professional obligations in the Code of conduct apply when certifying that a dental treatment is necessary in a patient’s application for CRS. It highlights the need for comprehensive assessments by practitioners who have the appropriate experience and knowledge in the area, informed consent (including financial) and ensuring they only certify treatments that are necessary for the patient’s circumstances.
Read the news item.
Ahpra and the National Boards are seeking feedback on the Draft registration standard: General registration for experienced internationally qualified health practitioners. This new standard could cut both time and complexity of the application process for eligible practitioners, getting them into the workforce faster.
Currently, to get registered in Australia, we consider whether the qualifications of international applicants meet a National Board’s minimum requirements.
This draft registration standard proposes three new pathways that would allow us to also consider a practitioner’s experience if they are registered and work in a health setting comparable to that of Australia. This approach would cut red tape for a potential workforce that has shown the ability to practise safely in an equivalent health setting.
The standard will apply to the following professions:
Provide your feedback before consultation closes at 5:00pm AEDT on 9 February 2026.
The Dental Board is reviewing its registration standard for sedation in dentistry. This document regulates sedation to ensure it is provided safely and effectively by dentists and dental specialists.
We are seeking feedback on the Board’s proposal to revise the standard. We want you to tell us if the changes would affect you, or others, in a positive or negative way.
The consultation paper below has more detail and explains how to have your say.
Consultation paper - review of the Registration standard - Endorsement for conscious sedation (409 KB, PDF), Word version (161 KB, DOCX)
Response template (87.8 KB, DOCX)
Consultation closes 11 February 2026.
Before you can start working as a dental practitioner, you must become registered. The first steps in applying for registration is set up your Ahpra portal and link multifactor authentication. Your portal is where you will manage all aspects of your registration throughout your career.
We have an online portal help centre with step-by-step instructions and videos on how to create your portal and securely link your multifactor authentication app.
On the Graduate applications page of the Ahpra website, you will find helpful guides on completing your application for registration, tips for how to avoid delays, and information flyers you can download for working offline. There is also a page of Frequently asked questions that go into more detail on a range of topics.
We can’t finalise your application until we receive your graduation results from your education provider.
If you’ve submitted everything needed to prove you’ve met the requirements for registration, we aim to finalise your application within two weeks of receiving your graduation results.
For more information, read the news item.
CONTENT WARNING. This newsletter contains references to sexual misconduct that some readers might find distressing.
If you need help, support is available.
You can access 24-hour phone and online support services from the national sexual assault, family, and domestic violence helpline: 1800Respect or the Dental Practitioner Support Service: 1800377700.
13YARN can provide crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Registered health practitioners who have had a concern raised about them are encouraged to contact their insurer, professional association or legal adviser for guidance and support. We publish information on general and profession specific support services on our Support services page.
People who make a complaint against a health practitioner will be protected from reprisals or retaliation under increases to consumer protections that came into effect on 1 December 2025.
People who make a complaint in good faith are already protected from liability for information they provide to Ahpra and the National Boards. The changes will extend this protection, making it an offence for someone to threaten, intimidate or otherwise retaliate against a notifier for making a complaint.
The maximum penalty will be $60,000 for an individual or $120,000 for a body corporate.
It will also be illegal to enter into a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with a patient, unless it clearly states in writing that it does not limit a person from making a notification or providing assistance to regulators. Any NDAs that do seek to limit a person’s ability to make a complaint will be invalid.
The consumer protection changes are part of series of amendments to the National Law coming into effect over the coming months.
Information on the changes, how they will be implemented and what they mean for practitioners and the public is available in the full information guide.
The guide is available on the National Law amendments page on the Ahpra website which includes links to related topics and will be updated as our implementation activities progress.
Changes to the way sexual misconduct is reported on the public Register of practitioners are coming in early 2026.
Practitioners who have a tribunal finding of professional misconduct involving sexual misconduct will have this information permanently published on the register. This change is retrospective, applying from the start of regulation of a profession in the National Scheme.
The information recorded on the register will include a statement that:
Health ministers decided on this change to protect public safety and ensure people are able to make an informed decision when choosing a health practitioner.
Ahpra and the National Boards are finalising guidance on sexual misconduct and the National Law following extensive consultation and will release this guidance as soon as possible. We have also produced a guide to the overall suite of National Law changes which includes more detail on the sexual misconduct changes.
This change will be distressing for some practitioners. If you are contacted by Ahpra about additional information being put on your register entry, we encourage you to contact your insurer, professional association or legal adviser for guidance and support. We publish information on general and profession specific support services on our Support services page.
A new report shows 13 actions aimed at reducing practitioner distress during the regulatory process have now been completed, including changes to the way Ahpra collects information and manages notifications about a practitioner’s health.
The actions were recommended by the Expert Advisory Group (EAG) on minimising practitioner distress, which includes practitioner members with lived experience of the notifications process. The EAG recommended 33 actions covering four areas: managing practitioner health concerns; being open, transparent and fostering hope; supporting practitioners throughout the process; and learning from the practitioner experience.
A report showing the actions completed so far, as well as those still in progress, is now available on the Ahpra website. You can find out more at our webpage: Improving the notifications experience.
Driving safe and sustainable workforce growth through streamlined registration procedures and a strengthened focus on harm prevention are some of the highlights of the 2024/25 Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) annual report. Read the Dental Board report and statistics on the Board’s Annual report webpage.
As always, we encourage you to regularly check the Dental Board website for information and updates relating to the dental profession.
