Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

(a) the assessment of, and the giving of advice to, a patient;

(b) the issuing of a prescription;

(c) a radiographic examination and radiological report;

(d) the dressing of deciduous or permanent teeth and other palliative treatment;

(e) the repair and refixing of inlays, crowns and bridges;

(f) the extraction of deciduous or permanent teeth;

(g) the provision of post-operative care;

(h) the provision of sedation;

(i) the provision, replacement, repair or alteration of dentures or other dental appliances;

(j) urgent treatment for acute conditions of the gingivae or oral mucosa, including treatment for pericoronitis or for ulcers and herpetic lesions, and any necessary oral hygiene instruction in connection with such treatment;

(k) any treatment immediately necessary as a result of trauma;

(l) domiciliary visits and recalled attendance;

(m) conservative treatment of permanent or retained deciduous teeth by way of fillings or root fillings; and

(n) in respect of patients aged under 18, conservative treatment of deciduous teeth.

    (3) Where the dentist, due to any cause beyond his control, is unable to complete any course of occasional treatment which he has commenced, he shall forthwith notify the Agency in writing of the extent of the occasional treatment he has provided and the reason he is unable to complete the remainder of the treatment.";

(a) undertake at least 15 hours of clinical audit activities; and

(b) take reasonable steps to ensure that any assistant of his also undertakes such activities.

    (2) In this paragraph - 

"clinical audit activities" means activities which involve the systematic and critical analysis of the quality of dental care provided by the dentist, including the processes used by him for diagnosis, intervention and treatment and his use of resources, and may include peer review by means of participation in meetings of a group of not less than 4 dentists where such a group considers the quality and performance of specific treatments and approaches to treatment; and

"the relevant period" means - 

(a) subject to head (b), where a dentist's name is included in the dental list and he is providing dental services - 


(i) on 1st October 2001, the period of three years commencing on that date,

(ii) from a date after 1st October 2001, the period of three years commencing with that later date,



and each successive period of three years thereafter;

(b) where a dentist's name remains included in the dental list but he does not provide dental services during any continuous period in excess of thirteen weeks, the period specified in head (a), to which is added any such continuous period during which he is not providing dental services.