A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay High Court against the Dental Council of India’s guidelines allowing Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons to perform aesthetic and hair transplant surgeries. The PIL, submitted by the Dynamic Dermatologist and Hair Transplant Association, raises concerns about dental practitioners engaging in these specialized fields without proper qualifications.
The guidelines, issued on December 6, 2022, have come under scrutiny for permitting individuals without adequate training in dermatology and hair transplant procedures to conduct such surgeries. The petition highlights a rise in complaints from dermatologists, hair transplant surgeons, and the public about dental practitioners operating in these areas without the necessary expertise.
The PIL argues that some Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, although trained as dental practitioners, are misleadingly advertising themselves as specialists in dermatology and hair transplants. This, according to the petitioners, has misled the public and attracted patients to unqualified practitioners through deceptive advertisements.
“The procedure of hair transplant and dermatology requires meticulous care and specific training. Lack of expertise can result in serious patient injuries,” the plea states.
The petition seeks to overturn the guidelines allowing dental practitioners to conduct these surgeries and demands action against those who engage in such practices without proper qualifications.
Following the hearing, Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar instructed the petitioners to confirm whether the National Dental Commission has been appointed and if any notification under Section 52 of the National Dental Commission Act, 2023, has been issued. This section allows the Central Government to dissolve the commission if necessary.
The court will resume hearing the PIL on September 19.