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The Oral Health Centre of Western Australia (OHCWA) is being asked by the Australian Dental Council to host an increasing number of exams for overseas trained dentists, due largely to their top facilities and staff.

Associate Professor Stephen Routley, Clinic Co-ordinator of OHCWA, said the Centre started four years ago by hosting one set of exams a year, which rose to two last year. This year they have been asked to fit in another round, which they will squeeze into the mid-semester break in September.

“There is quite a lot of pressure on the Dental Council to process all the applications they get from overseas trained dentists,” Associate Professor Routley said.

“Ten years ago they would have just been in Melbourne and Sydney but these days they are all over the country… in just about everywhere there is a suitable facility.

“We get very glowing praise from the ADC when they are here.”

The ADC exams for overseas trained dentists produce more dentists than any single dental school in the country. The total was about 120 graduates last year.

About 14 rounds of exams are held throughout Australia during the year. In WA, usually 20 to 22 candidates sit the exams each round. In all, about 65 candidates will be examined at OHCWA this year.

Most are from India while others are from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, South Africa and occasionally the US. Dentists from Great Britain, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand automatically have their qualifications recognised in Australia.

The candidates undergo an initial language assessment followed by a written assessment in their country of origin. They must then attend clinical exams in Australia, which include two days of written exams followed by four days of the practical component that includes treating patients.

“They get examined in general dentistry, have an operative technique assessment in a laboratory, and periodontal assessments seeing patients to do scaling and cleaning,” Associate Professor Routley said.

“They see oral surgery patients to potentially do a simple extraction, they do radiography and they do technique cases for endodontics in a laboratory as well as the written theory.”

Some of the OCHWA staff are involved as examiners, including Winthrop Professor Paul Abbott, Professor Raymond Williamson and Associate Professor Routley.

Successful candidates are not required to do a rural stint and are free to practise anywhere in Australia. The exams qualify them to be general practice dentists.

“However, there is a facility for specialist qualifications to be assessed and approved as well,” Associate Professor Routley said. “A couple of our staff have done that in the eastern states and had their qualifications recognised.”