Many dentists in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh don’t have licence

Hyderabad: Nearly 60 per cent of the dentists in AP and Telangana are liable to be prosecuted for not having a licence. “As per the 2008 law, every dentist who wants to practice dentistry needs to renew the licence annually by paying '300. Earlier, licences with a lifetime validity were being issued. But many dentists are not aware of the current system and this has resulted in low registration,” said president of the AP State Dental Council Dr K. Mahendranath Reddy. Licence renewal, which is can be done online at www.apstatedentalcouncil.com, is open all year round. Licences lapse on December 31 every year, regardless of when they are renewed. Dr Reddy said the defaulting dentists would be penalised from next year.