Dentist, orthodontist, periodontist and oral surgeon: scopes of practice
The Dental Council of New Zealand defines general dental practice and separate scopes for orthodontics, periodontics, endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery and others. This guide compares them in the Council's own words, cites Health NZ on what a hygienist does in a dentist's practice, and states that this directory does not check any clinic against the register.
Information only, compiled from the named sources. No dentist has reviewed it. The author is an SEO specialist, not a dental professional. It is not dental advice and does not recommend a clinic.
The Dental Council of New Zealand defines each scope of practice below. The Council wording below is reproduced as published. The last two sections use a Health NZ page and this directory’s method. This guide does not check who holds any scope.
The Council page opens:
“This page lists the general dental practice and dental specialties scopes of practice.”
It also says the scopes beyond general practice need additional recognised qualifications and training. For example, for periodontics:
“Specialist periodontics is undertaken by a dental practitioner who possesses additional postgraduate qualifications, training and experience recognised by the Dental Council as appropriate for registration.”
What does a general dentist do?
“General dental practice encompasses the practice of dentistry in the maintenance of health through the assessment, diagnosis, management, treatment and prevention of any disease, disorder or condition of the orofacial complex and associated structures in accordance with a dentist’s approved education, training, experience and competence.”
“Areas of general dental practice which were not included in a practitioner’s training should not be undertaken unless the practitioner has completed appropriate training and practises to the standards required by the Standards Framework for Oral Health Practitioners.”
What does an orthodontist do?
“Orthodontic specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the supervision, guidance and correction of the growing and mature dentofacial structures and includes the diagnoses, prevention, interception and treatment of all forms of malocclusion of the teeth and associated alterations in their surrounding structures.”
This directory does not check whether any clinic holds this scope.
Related: orthodontics and braces in Tauranga
What does a periodontist do?
“Periodontic specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases or abnormalities of the supporting tissues of the teeth or their substitutes.”
This directory does not check whether any clinic holds this scope.
What does an endodontist do?
“Endodontic specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the morphology and pathology of the pulpo-dentine complex and periradicular tissues.”
These are the Council’s terms; this guide does not explain them.
What does an oral and maxillofacial surgeon do?
“Oral and maxillofacial surgery specialists practise in the branch of dentistry in that part of surgery which deals with the diagnosis, surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries and defects of the human jaws and associated structures.”
“Oral surgery specialists practise in the branch of dentistry concerned with the diagnosis and surgical management of conditions affecting the oral and dento-alveolar tissues.”
This directory does not check whether any clinic holds this scope.
Which other scopes of practice does the Council list on its scopes page?
| Scope | Council wording |
|---|---|
| Oral medicine | “Oral medicine specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the oral health care of patients with chronic and medically related disorders of the oral and maxillofacial region, and with their diagnosis and non-surgical management.” |
| Oral pathology | “Oral pathology specialists practise in the branch of dentistry which deals with that nature of diseases affecting the oral, maxillofacial and adjacent regions.” |
| Paediatric dentistry | “Paediatric dentistry specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with oral health care for children from birth through to adolescence.” |
| Prosthodontics | “Prosthodontic specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation and maintenance of patients with a range of clinical conditions involving missing or deficient teeth and/or craniofacial tissues, using biocompatible substitutes.” |
| Dental public health (community) | “Dental public health (community) specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the science and art of preventing oral disease, promoting oral health and improving the quality of life through the organised efforts of society.” |
| Special needs dentistry | “Special needs dentistry specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the oral health care of people adversely affected by intellectual disability, medical, physical or psychiatric issues.” |
| Restorative dentistry | “Restorative dentistry specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with dental procedures in the dentulous or partially edentulous mouth.” “Restorative Dentistry as a scope of practice is no longer available to new registrants.” |
What is the difference between a dentist and a dental hygienist?
“Your dentist will do a visual check of your teeth and gums. They may take x-rays.”
“Dentists use professional cleaning instruments and techniques that clean your teeth much more thoroughly than you are able to at home.”
“Your dentist may have a dental hygienist in their practice. If they do, the hygienist will do the cleaning and can give you advice on cleaning and caring for your teeth.”
Health NZ says a dentist does a visual check and that dentists clean teeth. It says a practice can have a hygienist who does the cleaning and gives advice. The page does not define the hygienist’s scope of practice.
What does the category on a clinic listing mean?
The category on a listing is the Google Maps category shown for that business. It is not a professional title and not a scope of practice. This directory does not check any clinic against the regulator’s public record, so a listing never shows that a clinic holds a scope. To check a practitioner, use the regulator’s public register directly.
| Google Maps category | Listings |
|---|---|
| Dentist | 30 of 60 |
| Dental clinic | 17 of 60 |
| Denture care center | 5 of 60 |
| Orthodontist | 4 of 60 |
| Teeth whitening service | 2 of 60 |
| Dental implants periodontist | 1 of 60 |
| Oral and maxillofacial surgeon | 1 of 60 |
A listing labelled with a specialty name shows Google’s label for that business. It is not evidence that anyone there holds that scope.
To check a practitioner:
- Get the practitioner’s full name from the clinic.
- Search that name on the regulator’s public register, linked from the methodology page.
- Compare the scope the register shows with the scope wording in this guide.
Related: how this directory collects its data
Sources
- Scopes of practice, Dental Council of New Zealand, read on 2026-09-30.
- What a dentist does, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, read on 2026-09-30.
This guide is information only and is not dental advice. It is compiled from the sources above. No dentist has reviewed it, and it does not recommend a clinic. The author is an SEO specialist, not a dental professional.