Dentists Ordinance [New Version], 5739-1979

In this Ordinance –

"diploma" – includes any degree, certificate, status, qualification or document granted by a university or other body, by the government of a country or place, or by persons acting by virtue thereof;

"the Advisory Committee" – a committee established under section 12;

"the Scientific Council" – the Scientific Council of the Israel Dental Association, and in its absence – whoever the Minister considers to be fulfilling its functions;

"the Director" – the Director General of the Ministry of Health, including his deputy and any office holder in the Ministry of Health whom the Director has appointed to carry out functions under this Ordinance;

"the Minister" – the Minister of Health;

"dental technician" – a person who prepares, in accordance with the instructions of a person authorised to practise dentistry, artificial teeth or other dental appliances;

"dangerous disease" – (Repealed)

"dental therapist" – a person authorised to practise dentistry under section 2(2);

"practice of dentistry" – surgery, treatment, consultation or supervision ordinarily performed by a dentist, as well as such acts carried out in preparation for, or in connection with, the fitting, insertion, fixing or repair of artificial teeth;

"licensed physician" – as defined in section 2 of the Medical Practitioners Ordinance [New Version], 5737-1976;

"dentist" – a person authorised to practise dentistry under section 2(1);

"licence" – a licence to practise dentistry under this Ordinance;

"dental hygienist" – a person authorised under section 5.

The following persons are authorised to practise dentistry:

A person authorised to practise dentistry may employ, under his personal supervision, assistants in his professional work, but shall not permit such an assistant – other than a dental hygienist acting under section 5 – to advise, supervise or treat a patient or to perform any surgery on the patient.

The Director General may, by Regulations, after consultation with the Israel Dental Association and with the approval of the Health Committee of the Knesset –

The term of office of a member of the Advisory Committee shall be three years from the date of his appointment and he may be reappointed, provided that he shall not serve for more than three consecutive terms of office; a member of the committee whose term of office has ended shall continue to serve until another member is appointed in his place.

The Advisory Committee shall deliberate on every matter in the composition in which it commenced until its conclusion, however an alternate of a member of the committee shall replace the member, as determined by the chairperson of the committee –

The validity of the decisions of the Advisory Committee shall not be affected by reason of a vacancy in the membership of the committee or by reason of a defect in the appointment of a member or in the continuation of his service.

An application for a licence shall be submitted to the Director.

For the purpose of proving the existence of a condition from among the conditions specified in Chapter III, the Director shall have regard only to public documents as defined in the Evidence Ordinance [New Version], 5731-1971, and in their absence – to a declaratory judgment of a Magistrate's Court in Israel.

The Director shall give his decision on an application for the grant of a licence no later than the end of six months from the date of submission of the application.

For the purpose of examining the medical fitness of an applicant for a licence or of a person authorised to practise dentistry in the cases referred to in sections 25 and 26, the Director shall appoint a committee of three members, namely: two specialist physicians as defined in the Medical Practitioners Ordinance [New Version], 5737-1976, and a person authorised to practise dentistry (hereinafter – medical committee); the appointment may be general or for a particular case.

A person to whom information has come under the provisions of sections 23 to 27 is obliged to keep it confidential and not to disclose it except to the extent necessary for the implementation of the provisions of those sections, or if authorised to do so by the court before which the need to disclose the information has arisen, or by virtue of a duty to answer questions put to him by a person authorised to conduct an investigation into the commission of offences.

A special licence granted as aforesaid in section 30 shall have the same status as a licence, with respect to the scope of practice specified therein; however, a person who has received a special licence as aforesaid shall not practise dentistry except in accordance with the conditions recommended by the medical committee.