Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 9484)
The title of Republic Act No. 9484 is "The Philippine Dental Act of 2007."
It regulates the practice of Dentistry, Dental Hygiene, and Dental Technology in the Philippines.
A dentist is a person holding a valid certificate of registration and professional identification card in Dentistry who performs dental services such as operations on the human oral cavity, jaws, teeth and surrounding tissues, prescribes drugs for oral diseases, corrects malpositions of teeth, teaches in licensure examinations, or engages in dental research.
A Dental Hygienist must hold a valid certificate of registration and professional identification card, have completed a two-year course in dental hygiene from a government-recognized school under a college of dentistry, pass the prescribed board exam, and perform oral health promotion and preventive procedures under the supervision of a licensed dentist.
The Board is composed of a chairman and four members appointed by the President from nominees submitted by the accredited and integrated professional organization, under the administrative supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
They must be natural-born Filipino citizens, a registered dentist with a valid certificate, a member in good standing of the accredited professional organization for five years, have at least ten years of continuous experience as dentist, preferably with three years teaching experience, not be a faculty member or have pecuniary interest in schools offering dentistry, and not be connected to any dental goods manufacturing business.
The examination includes subjects such as general anatomy, oral anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, nutrition, dental materials, various dental specialties (restorative, prosthodontics, orthodontics, pedodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, etc.), dental jurisprudence and ethics, and practice management.
Penalties include a fine ranging from Two hundred thousand pesos (₱200,000) to Five hundred thousand pesos (₱500,000) and/or imprisonment for not less than two years and one day to five years.
Foreign dentists can only be admitted to the licensure examination if their country permits Filipino dentists to practice under reciprocity on the same basis. Foreign dentists may be granted special/temporary permits for consultation, demonstrations, medical missions, or teaching under specific conditions and duration.
Causes include unprofessional or unethical conduct, malpractice, incompetence, willful destruction of natural teeth for substitution, fraud in obtaining registration, alcoholism or drug addiction, employing unauthorized persons, fraudulent practices with clients, false advertising, and continuous violation of the Act.