NDA Forum

National Dental Association Forum on Illegal Dentistry

Date: 17 April 2026, Friday | 15.00 – 16.30 hrs

Venue: Orchid Junior Ballroom Level 4

Session Information:

Illegal dentistry can be defined as the provision of oral care by individuals or organizations who are not specifically trained, licensed, registered and regulated to do so, as deemed by a country’s local or national legislation. It is extremely dangerous, placing patients at risk of infections, infectious diseases, permanent damage to oral tissues or even death. To tackle this issue, the ‘Action Against Illegal Dental Practice’ policy statement was adopted by the member states of the FDI (World Dental Federation) in September 2021. Following this in 2024, the Dental Practice Committee of the FDI conducted a survey involving National Dental Associations around the globe, seeking insights into countries’ legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as to understand the steps taken to curtail the practice of illegal dentistry. Cultural diversity, poverty, access to affordable care, and the draw of reduced out of pocket payments were found to be one of the main reasons people turned to illegal dentistry. The survey findings also revealed multiple elements such as a shortfall in the numbers of qualified oral health professionals in certain areas, varying levels of enforcement and uncertainty regarding the impact of efforts to tackle the issue. Additionally, with the rise in social media influencers and celebrities with apparently perfect teeth, followers may be aspiring to or actively seeking alternative routes to achieve that perfect smile, which is another possible factor in the surge of certain illegally performed dental procedures.

Although the prevalence and extent of the practice of Illegal dentistry is uncertain in several nations, it nevertheless poses a serious health risk, as unlicensed providers continue to endanger the health and safety of patients, whilst at the same time compromising confidence in the oral health profession. In the pursuit of enhanced monitoring and enforcement of regulatory frameworks, the needs of low-income and other vulnerable groups must also be met through optimised access to care and affordable oral care options. There is an urgent call from the oral health professional community for more stringent initiatives and legislation, for the raising of public awareness such as through social media, and the need for progressively enhancing global collaborative action and joint efforts between dental professionals, government and public health authorities, enforcement bodies, researchers, dental vendors and the public.