About our Council and members
Our role as a health regulator
We manage concerns about how dental practitioners behave, their professional performance, or whether their health is affecting patient care.
We work closely with the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) to regulate registered practitioners. Both regulators are entrusted with protecting the public, but we have different powers under the law.
The HCCC can conduct investigations and prosecute practitioners. The Council helps them meet the standards needed to practise safely, and this can include placing restrictions, or conditions, on their registration.
We have emergency interim powers to suspend or restrict practitioners if we decide there is an immediate public safety risk – or if we need to take action in the public interest. But our role is to protect patients rather than punish practitioners.
How our Council is formed
The Dental Council is one of 15 Health Professional Councils in NSW. We have 9 practitioner members, one legal member and 2 community members.
Practitioner, community and legal members apply in response to public advertisements calling for expressions of interest.
The NSW Minister for Health nominates both practitioner and community members for appointment based on the skills, experience and knowledge needed for the role.
Current members of the Dental Council
President and practitioner
Adjunct Professor Deborah Cockrell AM
Deputy president and practitioner
Dr Vaishnavi Parimalanathan
Practitioner members
Associate Professor Melanie Aley
Mr Christiaan Claassens
Dr Peter Duckmanton
Dr Stephen Harlamb
Dr Yong Kho
Dr Angela Pierce
Dr Mohit Tolani
Community members
Ms Dianne Sales
Ms Amanda Wilson AM
Legal member
Emeritus Professor Jenni Millbank
How we work with the Health Professional Councils Authority
The HPCA manages the Council’s day-to-day business, from initial complaints assessment to complaint case management, and monitoring practitioners with conditions on their registration.
We work closely with our HPCA executive officer and their team and other staff members across the HPCA, who provide legal, financial and other corporate advice.
Their work is important to our role as the regulatory decision maker. We have different, but complementary, responsibilities.