PART IV
PRACTICE OF DENTISTRY
22.
—(1) Subject to sections 59 to 61, no person shall practise dentistry in Singapore unless he is a registered dentist and has a practising certificate in force.
(2) Any person who acts in contravention of subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.
23.
—(1) Where an offence is committed under section 22 by any person acting as an employee, agent or partner of another person, that other person shall also be guilty of an offence.
(2) It shall be a defence to a charge brought under subsection (1) if the defendant proves that the first-mentioned offence was committed without the defendant’s knowledge and that the defendant took reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence to prevent the commission of that offence.
24.
—(1) A registered dentist who allows a person to practise dentistry in contravention of section 22 on any premises used by or under the control of that registered dentist shall be guilty of an offence.
(2) A registered dentist who, by his presence, countenance, advice, assistance or co-operation has knowingly enabled a person, whether described as an assistant or otherwise, to practise dentistry in contravention of section 22 shall be guilty of an offence.
(3) In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (1) or (2), it shall be a defence for the defendant to prove that —
(a)
the commission of the offence was due to a mistake on his part or to reliance on information supplied to him or to the act of another person or some other cause beyond his control; and
(b)
he took all reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence.
(4) A registered dentist who practises dentistry on any premises on which any person practises dentistry in contravention of section 22, knowing or having reason to believe that that person was practising dentistry on those premises in contravention of section 22, shall be guilty of an offence.
25.
—(1) Any person whose registration as a dentist under this Act has been suspended under section 44 or 49 shall not practise dentistry during the period of his suspension.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.
26.
—(1) No person other than a registered dentist who has in force a practising certificate shall take or use the title of dentist, dental surgeon, registered dentist, qualified dentist, doctor of dental surgery, professor of dentistry, surgeon dentist, any title prescribed under section 31(5) or any name, title, addition or description implying, whether in itself or in the circumstances in which it is used, that that person is qualified to heal or treat dental disorders or derangement, whether by dentistry or any other means of any kind or description whatsoever.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.
27. Any person who —
(a)
procures or attempts to procure registration as a dentist under this Act, a certificate of registration or a practising certificate, by knowingly making or producing or causing to be made or produced any false or fraudulent declaration, certificate, application or representation, whether in writing or otherwise;
(b)
wilfully makes or causes to be made any false entry in the register;
(c)
forges or alters a certificate of registration or a practising certificate;
(d)
fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine a certificate of registration or a practising certificate which he knows or has reason to believe is forged or altered; or
(e)
buys, sells or fraudulently obtains a certificate of registration or a practising certificate,
shall be guilty of an offence.
28. Any person who is guilty of an offence under section 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 or 27 shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $25,000 and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction for an offence under any of those sections, to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
29.
—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, no person shall be entitled to demand, claim, accept, receive, retain or sue for or recover any fee or charge in any court for the carrying out of any act within the practice of dentistry unless, at the time of carrying out the act, he was registered as a dentist under this Act and had a practising certificate in force.
(2) This section does not apply to any medical practitioner registered under the Medical Registration Act (Cap. 174).
30.
—(1) Every registered dentist who practises dentistry shall cause his certificate of registration and his practising certificate to be exhibited in a conspicuous part of the premises on which he practises dentistry.
(2) Any registered dentist who fails to comply with subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and to a further fine not exceeding $100 for every day or part thereof during which the offence continues after conviction.
(3) The Council may, by notification in the Gazette, exempt any person or group or description of persons from this section.
31.
—(1) A registered dentist shall not use any qualification other than the qualifications which are entered in the register in respect of him, or which have been approved by the Council for his use.
(2) A registered dentist whose name appears in the first division of the register shall not use any title, addition or designation other than —
(a)
the title, addition or designation which has been approved by the Council for his use; or
(b)
if his name has been entered in a list referred to in subsection (6) in respect of a title prescribed under subsection (5), the prescribed title.
(3) A registered dentist whose name appears in the second division of the register shall not use any title, addition or designation other than that of “registered dentist”, “dentist” or, if his name has been entered in a list referred to in subsection (6) in respect of a title prescribed under subsection (5), the prescribed title.
(4) Any registered dentist who contravenes subsection (1), (2) or (3) may be subject to disciplinary proceedings under Part V, and such contravention shall be deemed to be an act which brings disrepute to the profession of a registered dentist for the purposes of that Part.
(5) If the Council is of the opinion that any branch of dentistry has become so distinctive that it would be for the convenience of the public or of the dental profession that registered dentists qualified to practise, or practising, in that branch of dentistry should use a distinctive title, the Council may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations to prescribe appropriate titles and conditions under which they may be used.
(6) In the case of any prescribed title, regulations may provide —
(a)
for a list to be kept by the Council of the names of registered dentists who are qualified under such regulations to use that title; and
(b)
for any registered dentist who is so qualified to be entitled to have his name entered in the list.
(7) For the purposes of this section, “use”, in relation to any qualification, title, addition or designation, includes to exhibit or publish the qualification, title, addition or designation in any card, letter, stationery, nameplate, signboard, placard, circular, handbill or any notice displayed by the registered dentist concerned at any premises used by him for the practice of dentistry.
32.
—(1) The Council may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations prohibiting a person to whom this section applies from performing such procedures within the practice of dentistry as are prescribed by those regulations.
(2) This section applies to any person deemed to be a registered dentist under section 65(1) on the ground that —
(a)
he is registered under the repealed Act immediately before the date of commencement of this Act by virtue of section 6(1)(e) of the repealed Act; or
(b)
he is the holder of a provisional certificate referred to in section 13 of the repealed Act which is in force immediately before the date of commencement of this Act.