Dental Board of Australia’s crackdown on booming cosmetic dental industry

The Dental Board of Australia is clamping down on the lucrative cosmetic dental industry following an increase in patient complaints about procedures such as veneers.

The Dental Board of Australia announced on Saturday it is developing new guidelines to better safeguard patients. Picture: iStock.

The nation’s health watchdog is launching a crackdown on the booming cosmetic dental industry following an increase in patient complaints about procedures such as expensive veneers, sales tactics and misleading claims on social media.

The Dental Board of Australia (DBA) announced on Saturday it is developing new guidelines to better safeguard patients having cosmetic dental procedures.

It will work with national boards to develop the guidelines and resources for registered health practitioners performing and advertising non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

It comes as the DBA says it has received complaints from dissatisfied consumers, prompting it to issue guidance to practitioners and patients.

DBA Chair Murray Thomas says practitioners want to do the right thing and advertise responsibly.

“So we encourage them to make use of the tools available to help them meet their requirements to the law, and most importantly to their patients,” Dr Thomas said.

He also urged patients to ask important questions when considering cosmetic procedures, saying they need to be well informed and aware that procedures such as tooth veneers can be major lifelong undertakings that are not risk free.

“Restoring form, function and aesthetics or appearance are integral to dentistry, so the lines between procedures undertaken for cosmetic purposes and addressing a clinical need are often blurred,” Dr Thomas said in a statement.

“Regardless of the reason for providing care, practitioners have a responsibility to put patients’ interests first to achieve the best possible patient outcomes.”

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is the national body which registers dentists and makes sure they practice safely.

It also investigates complaints and then makes recommendations to the DBA.

A recent audit has found two-thirds of dental practitioners were advertising online and via social media, with almost one in five appearing to breach at least one aspect of the current advertising guidelines.

Potential breaches included the false and misleading use of specialist titles, such as specialising in cosmetic dentistry, and the use of promotions and specials without terms and conditions.