Cyprus parliament updates dentistry regulations and establishes new specialties

On Thursday, the plenary session of the Cyprus parliament passed regulations to modernize the dental profession. These new rules officially establish specific dental specialties in Cyprus, namely endodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontology, and prosthodontics. The legislation expands the academic requirements and educational qualifications necessary for a dentist to be recognized as a specialist. Practitioners must now possess a postgraduate degree, diploma, or certificate obtained through examination, which must grant them specialist status in the country of issuance. The regulations also allow for the recognition of postgraduate studies and clinical internships completed within the Republic of Cyprus. Transitional provisions have been included for dentists already registered on the professional registry, allowing for specialist recognition if they attained relevant qualifications before March 27, 2009. This date corresponds to the implementation of a related European directive. Authorities stated that these changes aim to improve patient care quality and protect the public from insufficiently trained practitioners.