Oral Health Degree not equivalent to BDS, KDA tells Parliament amid accreditation concerns

In a memorandum dated February 26, 2026, and addressed to Parliament through the Departmental Committees on Health and Education, the association raised alarm over reports that graduates of the programme are being represented to the public as dentists or dental practitioners despite not undergoing the accredited training required for a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree.

“This matter raises serious issues concerning public safety, professional standards, consumer protection, and regulatory oversight,” the memorandum notes

The KDA argues that dental education and practice in Kenya are governed under a structured legal and regulatory framework involving the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Commission for University Education (CUE), and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC).

The association further notes that under Kenyan law, dental schools and training programmes must undergo rigorous accreditation processes; therefore, graduates must meet prescribed competency standards and secure registration with KMPDC before they can legally practice as dentists.

However, the association says the Oral Health programme in question appears to be operating without publicly verifiable accreditation from the relevant statutory bodies.

It further alleges that the course is being marketed as a pathway to dental practice, with insufficient disclosure to students and parents about potential licensure limitations. If confirmed, the KDA warns, the situation could amount to professional misrepresentation and regulatory failure.

The association stresses that dentistry is a highly specialised profession requiring extensive academic instruction and supervised clinical training. Any deviation from approved training frameworks, it says, may result in inadequately trained individuals providing dental services, increased risk of patient harm, confusion over professional titles and scope of practice, and erosion of public trust in Kenya’s healthcare system.

“Parliament has a constitutional oversight mandate to ensure that healthcare training standards protect citizens,” the association notes.

Clarifying Lawful Pathways to Dentistry

To prevent confusion, the KDA outlined the legally recognised pathway to qualification as a dentist in Kenya. It stated that a prospective dentist must be admitted into an accredited Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) or equivalent programme approved by CUE, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and KMPDC.

“Only individuals who complete this pathway are eligible for registration and lawful practice as dentists/dental practitioners,” the association emphasised.

The association acknowledged the existence of other legitimate oral health professions such as dental therapists, dental technologists, dental assistants and dental hygienists. However, it emphasised that these roles are distinct from dentistry and must not be represented as equivalent to dentists.

It further stated that if the Bachelor of Science in Oral Health programme is intended to train auxiliary or mid-level oral health professionals, its scope of practice must be clearly defined, its accreditation status publicly verified, and its graduates must not be presented as dentists.

Beyond patient safety, the association raised concerns about consumer protection and student welfare, arguing that students and parents deserve clear and accurate information about a programme’s accreditation status and eligibility for professional registration. It called for the establishment of a central reference registry of approved healthcare courses across regulatory bodies to enhance transparency.

The memorandum warns that offering unapproved programmes under implied professional equivalence risks financial loss to families, career disruption, ineligibility for licensure, and reputational harm to graduates.

In its petition, the association urged Parliament to direct an immediate inquiry into the accreditation and recognition status of the programme, seek formal clarification from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and CUE, and obtain confirmation from KMPDC on whether graduates are eligible for registration as dentists.

It also called on lawmakers to issue public advisories to safeguard students and parents, strengthen legislative oversight mechanisms to prevent the proliferation of unapproved healthcare training programmes, clarify statutory protections regarding professional titles to prevent misrepresentation, and regularly engage with the professional society on the regulation of emerging dental-related courses.