THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Dental Council of India (DCI) has taken a serious note of the Dental Technology course being offered by Vocational Higher Secondary Education (VHSE).
In a letter to the Principal Secretary, Health, and Director of Medical Education dated October 3, the DCI highlighted that the dental technology course being offered by VHSE is “unauthorised” and “illegal” and added that no dental or para-dental courses could be offered without its prior approval as per the Dentists Act of 1948.
“We were apprised by the Federation of Indian Dental Hygienists Association (FIDHA) that the VHSE is imparting dental curriculum in an illegal and unauthorised manner,” reads the communique.
The communique, undersigned by DCI undersecretary S S Kanyal, also states not only does the VHSE impart the course it also demands the State Medical Education Department to confer its equivalency with the Diploma in Dental Hygienist offered by it.
The FIDHA in a letter to the DCI in August stated that force is being exerted from various quarters to designate those who complete the Dental Technology course to the post of Dental Hygienist in the Medical Education Department and thus asked the latter to initiate disciplinary action against the VHSE for violating the Dentists Act 1948.
At the same time, the VHSE authorities said they are yet to hear about such a communique from the DCI.
“As of now, we haven’t heard of such a communique.
Follow-up action will only be initiated after the receipt of the communique,” said an officer of the VHSE directorate.
VHSE curriculum
As per the VHSE curriculum, Dental Technology is a course that equips the learner either to be a dental assistant in clinics and hospitals or to be a dental lab technician who fabricates and repairs dental appliances.
The course duration is two years and those who complete it are awarded qualifications of VHSE trade certificate in ‘Dental Technology’.
Kerala Government Dental Hygienists Association general secretary Ajaykumar K said that though it had approached the Kerala Dental Council (KDC), it ignored the issue.
He also said the KDC is yet to provide registration to those who pass the Dental Technology course offered by the VHSE.