Industry urges implant test overhaul

A Dubai dentist has called for fairer licensing exams for would-be implantologists, branding the existing oral test unclear and potentially biased.

Dr Hussein Labib, who owns a private practice in Dubai, said an overhaul of the emirate's exam system was required to prevent exploitation by well-connected candidates.

"The license is based mainly on an oral exam and unfortunately, sometimes the person interviewing you does not base the interview on your performance or knowledge of the subject," he said. "In many cases, if the examiner likes you, within five minutes you are given a licence."

Labib suggested some candidates are permitted to sit the exam without completing the required study hours. Other very capable candidates are refused licenses after the oral exam, but no explanation is provided as to why they failed, he added.

"The criterion for the oral exam needs to be more clearly defined and set in stone," he said.

Last month, the Department of Health and Medical Services (DoHMS) proposed tighter laws that would require dentists to complete 100 hours of study and to present case reports, before being permitted to sit the oral exam for an implantology license.

The reforms have won a cautious welcome from many dentists, who believe the move will improve implantology standards in the emirate.

"The proposed system will ensure that before a dentist can claim to be an implantologist, they will have had to prove themselves to be capable of performing the procedure to a much higher standard," said Dr Rabih Abi Nader, of the Dubai Sky Clinic.

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