Dental Law Governing the Practice of 

Dentistry in the Philippines
 

PURPOSES OF PROFESSIONAL
REGULATIONS:

1. Protect the citizen of the country from abuse

and neglect.
2. Provides the benchmark of quality and
excellent service of the different health
professionals.
3. Minimize if not
not eradicate
eradicate the ill-effects of 
malpractice and illegal practice of a profession.
 

ILLEGAL PRACTICE IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. Fake professional license

2. Under board dental graduates
3. Professional misrepresentation

4. Dental technicians and hygienists

 

Technologist
Dental Technolo gist

refers to a person who renders technical

services such as mechanical construction of 
artificial denture,
denture, and other oral devices under 
the supervision of a licensed dentist, and has
finished a two year certificate course in dental
technology from any government recognized
school.
 

Dental Hygienist

refers to a person who renders oral health

health
 promotion and preventive measures, performs
scaling and polishing, oral examination, taking
 brief clinical history
history,, taking radiograph, and giving
oral health education to patients under the
supervision of a licensed dentist.
 

Section 14, Article 12

12 Philippine Constitution
states that :

³The practice of all profession in the

Philippines shall be limited to Filipino citizens, as
prescribed by law.´
law.´
 

ARTICLE IV
PRACTICE
PRACTI CE OF DENTIST
DENTISTRY
RY,, DENTAL HYGIENE AND DENTDEN TAL
TECHNOLOGY (R epublic
epublic Act No. 9484
9484))

SECT
SE CTIOIONN 31
31.. FO
FORE
REIG
IGN
N RE
RECI
CIPR
PROC
OCIT
ITY
Y.
- Unless the country of which he/she is a subject or citizen
specifically permits Filipino dentists to practice within its
territorial limits on the same basis as the subject or citizens of 
such foreign state or country under reciprocity and under 
international agreements, no foreigner shall be admitted to the
examination and be given a certificate of registration to
practice as a dentist and be entitled to any of the privileges
und
ndeer thi
hiss Act.

.
 

CURRENT
CURRE NT REGULA
REGULATOR
TORY
Y SETUP

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8981

³THE PRC MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2000´

- rep
repeal
ealed
ed Pre
Presid
sident
ential
ial Dec
Decree
ree No.
No.223
223 wh
which
ich
created the Professional Regulation Commission
Commission
 

Functions of the PR C

1. Quasi-Judicial
Investigates cases against erring examinees and
 professionals.

2. Quasi-Legislative
Formulate rules and policies on professional regulation.
a nd effect of law.
These rules have the force and

3. Executive
Administer,, implements, and enforces the regulatory
Administer
 policies of the national government,
govern ment, including the
maintenance of professional and occupational
occup ational standards and
ethics and the enforcement of the rules and regulations
relative thereto
 

R egulated
egulated professions

Professional R egulatory
egulatory Boards of the
different professions

- consi
consists
sts of forty-th
forty-three
ree (43) Board
Boardss
- The 43 PR Bs
Bs perfor
performm their functions subject
to review and approval by the Commi
Commission:
ssion:
-
 

Specific Functions of the

Professional Regulatory Board

1. Prepare the contents of licensure examinations.

2. Determine, prescribe, and revise the course requirements
3. Recommend measures necessary for advancement in
their fields
4. Visit / inspect schools and establishments for feedback 
5. Adopt and enforce a Code of ethics for the practice of 

their respective professions

6. Administer oaths and issue Certificate
Certificate of Registration
7. Suspend, revoke, or reissue Certificate of Registration for 
causes provided by law
 

SECTION 15. SCOPE OF EXAMINATION.

1. Genera
Gene rall anat
anatom
omyy, oral
oral anat
anatom
omy y,
2. general
gen eral and mic
micro
roscop
scopicic ana
anatomy
tomy and emb embryol
ryology
ogy,,
3. gen
ge ner
eral
al an
and
d or
oral
al ph
phys
ysiiol
olog
ogyy,
4. gen
ge ner
eral
al an
and
d or
oral
al pa
path
thol
ologogyy,
5. pharmacology,
6. microbiology,
7. nutrition,
8. dental
den tal mat
materi
erial,
al, re
restor
storati
ative
ve den
dentis
tistry
try,, pr
prosth
osthodo
odonti
ntics,
cs,
9. ortho
orthodo
dontntic
ics,
s, ped
pedod
odon
onti
tics,
cs, ped
pediat
iatri
ricc de
dent
ntis
istr
try
y,
10. oral physiology,
physiology, anesthesiology,
anesthesiology, oral diagnosis and treatment
treatment
planning,
11. endod
endodontic
ontics,
s, periodontics
periodontics,, roentgenol
roentgenology
ogy,, oral
oral surgery
surgery,,
12. denta
dentall jurispruden
jurisprudencece and ethics, community
community dentistry
dentistry and
practice management.
 

REGULATORY
REGULATORY LA
LAW
W OF DENTI
DENTISTRY
STRY IN THE
PHILIPPINES

HISTORY

Janu
anuary
ary 10, 19
10, 1903
03 - the Phi
Philip
lippin
pine
e Com
Commi
miss
ssion
ion
by authority of the US government passed
CT NO. 593¶;
µAC
µA
³act regulating the practice of dentistry in the
Philippine Islands´
 

REGULAT
REGULATORY
ORY LAW
LAW OF DENTIS
DENTISTRY
TRY IN THE
PHILIPPINES

June 18, 1949 Under the new Philippine Republic

µRepublic Act
Act 417
417¶;
¶;

³an act to regulate the practice of dentistry in the

Philippines and for other purposes´
 

REGUL
REGULAATORY LA
LAW
W OF DENTI
DENTISTRY
STRY IN THE
PHILIPPINES

HISTORY

June 19, 1965 Philippine Congress passed

µRepublic Act
Act 4419¶ or µThe Philippine Dental

Act of 1965¶
 

REGULAT
REGULATORY
ORY LAW
PHILIPPINES LAW OF DENTIS
DENTISTRY
TRY IN THE

HISTORY
February 19, 2007
Philippine Senate and Congress passed
µRepublic Act
Act no 9484¶ or µThe Philippine Dental
Act of 2007¶
 

DENTAL
DENTAL ACT OF 2007 (Republic Act 9484)

³An act that provides for the regulation,

³An
control and supervision of the practice of 
dentistry,, dental hygienist and dental
dentistry
technologist´
 

SALIENT POINTS OF REPUBLIC ACT 9484

1. Broader Powers and Function of the Professional
Regulatory Board of Dentistry

2. Creation of Specialty Boards in Dentistry

3. Supervision and Regulation of the practice of dental
technologists and dental hygienists
4. Prescribe Code of Ethics and Code of Dental Practice
5. Full implemen
implementation
tation of Continuing Professional
Education
6. Integration Provision of Dentist, Dental
technologists, Dental
technologists, Dental hygienis
hygienists.
ts. (All dentist, dental
technologist and hygienist are integrated into ONE national
organization)
 

SALIENT POINTS OF REPUBLIC ACT 9484

(Penal Provision and Enforcement of the Act)

Stiffer penalty for illegal practice of 
dentistry

SECTION 33. PENAL PR OVI

OVISION.

Fine of not less than P200,000.00 nor more

than P500,000.00 or to suffer imprison
imprisonment
ment for a period
of not less that two
tw o (2) years
year s and one day nor more
more than
five (5) years, or both, in the discretion of the court
 

Chapter 4 Rule III Section 13-24 (Licensure Examination

and Registration)

1. Qu
Qual
alif
ific
icat
atio
ion
n of ex
exam
amin
inee
ees
s

2. Qualification for Issuance of the certificate

of registrati
registration
on

3. Requirements for continued practice of the

profession
 

Accredited Professional Organization

PHILIPPINE DENTAL ASSOCIATION

- Recommends mandatory continuing Dental Education

Professional Regulation Commission

- Endorsed amendments to standardized guidelines for 
the implementa
implementation
tion of continuing professiona
professionall education
 

PLANNED GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION

(The Concept of ³Ladderized Dental Education´)

1. To make dental education more attractive to

younger generation of students
2. To increase job opportunities for students
going for a dental degree
 

Ladderized Dental Educationµ

´

1st yea
yearr college
college ± dent
dental
al assistant
assistant

2nd year
year college
college ± dent
dental
al technolog
technologist
ist

3rd year
year dental
dental proper
proper ± dent
dental
al hygieni
hygienist
st

4th year
year dental
dental proper
proper ± den
dental
tal degree
degree
 

FILIPINO PIONEERS IN
DENTISTRY
 

FILIPINO PIONEERS IN DENTISTRY

It was possible that some crude form of dentistry, along

with other primitive arts of healing had been practiced by

early Filipinos. As in other ancient countries, dental

practitioners of early Filipinos were the barbers,

herbolarios, tribe chieftains.
 

Captain (Chengcheng) Arevalo

- regarded as the first

Fili
Filipi
pino
no de
dent
ntis
istt
- a sculptor by occupation
- he was an expert in
carving tooth and plate on
a single ivory piece
- established his dental
office at Villalobos St.
 

Dr. Ant
Anton
onin
ino
o Vergel de Dios
 born in 1859 in the town of San Rafael,
province of Bulacan

graduated from the University of Pennsylvania
College of Dentistry,
Dentistry, with the degree of Doctor of 
Dental Surgery on May 10 1893
 regarded as the First Filipino who graduated in
dentistry abroad
 the only Filipino member appointed to the First
Board of Dental Examiners.
 

Gregorio R. Mateo
Dr. Gre

 introduced the so-called infiltration

anesthesia in the Philippines which consist of 1
to 2 percent procaine hydrochloride and
Adrenaline
 also introduced the gold porcelain fixed
bridge which became popular among the rich
people
 In 1908, he founded the Sociedad Dental de
Filipinas, the first dental organization in the
Philippines..
Philippines
 

Juanito Arevalo
Dr. Juanito

 introduced in the Philippines the gold-foil filling

which became a craze among young people of 
the time
 made an astringent mouth called Basibaro out
of buy
buyo
o  a compound
compound of bunga
bunga  fru
fruit
it (betel
(betelnut
nut))
leaves and lime.
 

Antonio 
Dr. Antonio de Asis

 introduced a kind of general anesthesia

which he named Somnigen which literally
means a substance which produces sleep.
The use of this anesthesia made him widely
k
nown.
 

Others were Dr. Franci

cissco Ponc
ncee,
Placido Flores and Joacquin A.
Ladao. While Filipino dentist
increased, the dental needs and
problems of the people increased. To
solve this, they formed an  
organization called the Sociedad Dental 
de Fililiipi
pin
nas    with Don Bonifacio
as 
Arevalo as President, Gregorio Mateo
as Vice President, F. Calleja and Juan 
Villanueva as Secretary and
Treasurer, respectively