Medical self-government to ministers of health and science: changes needed in education of dental hygienists

The Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council, at the request of the Dental Commission, sent an appeal to the Minister of Health and the Minister of Science and Higher Education on October 24, 2025. The doctors call for the development of legal solutions that will ensure a standardized curriculum and an appropriate level of education in dental hygiene studies, leading to a professional degree of at least a bachelor's or engineer's degree.

The position reminds that the Law of August 17, 2023 on Certain Medical Professions defined the rules for practicing the profession of dental hygienist, among others. The law indicates that professional licenses can be obtained both after studies in dental hygiene completed with a bachelor's or engineer's degree, and after graduation from a post-secondary school in the profession of dental hygienist started after August 31, 2019.

At the same time, as the medical government notes, the scope of professional activities of a dental hygienist as defined in the Regulation of the Minister of Health of April 22, 2025 (Journal of Laws 2025, item 626) is very broad. It includes not only cooperation with the dentist, but also organizing the work environment with regard to biological and radiological risks, applying the principles of aseptics and antisepsis, as well as performing initial dental examinations, preventive and diagnostic oral rehabilitation procedures.

"The scope of professional authority of a dental hygienist, established in this way, clearly supports the fact that the criteria and conditions for gaining access to practice this profession should be standardized at the level of higher education." - The Presidium of the NRL stresses.

The medical self-government points out that for some medical professions, such as physician and dentist, statutory training standards are already in force. They are specified in regulations issued under Article 68 of the Law on Higher Education and Science of July 20, 2018. They include requirements for the program of studies, the organization of education, the qualifications of teaching staff, as well as learning outcomes and the manner of their verification.

"The same requirements for setting educational standards should also apply to the profession of dental hygienist, a profession regulated by the new law on certain medical professions," the appeal reads.

The NRL warns that the current state of the law, in which individual universities have full autonomy in setting educational programs, leads to significant differences in the level of education and competencies of graduates.

"Dentists who collaborate with dental hygienists in their professional capacity are therefore uncertain whether each person with a bachelor's degree has similar, comparable knowledge and skills to perform tasks related to the provision of services to patients." - indicates the local government.

The Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council is calling for a legislative initiative that will lead to the development of uniform teaching standards in dental hygiene, guaranteeing a high level of professional competence and patient safety.

Source: NIL