OMFS specialists can perform hair transplants: Health Ministry

The Union Health Ministry has clarified that Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons trained under DCI rules can legally perform aesthetic surgeries and limited hair transplant procedures. The move aims to end confusion following conflicting guidelines from medical and dental regulators.

Hyderabad: In a development that can put to rest the controversy surrounding whether dentists should be allowed to conduct hair transplants and aesthetic surgeries, the Union Health Ministry has clarified the professional scope of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (OMFS) in the field of aesthetic medicine.

Responding to queries in Rajya Sabha raised by Member of Parliament Vivek K Tankha, the Union Minister of State for Health, Anupriya Patel, confirmed that OMFS specialists, trained under the Dental Council of India’s (DCI) MDS Course Regulations of 2017, are legally permitted to perform aesthetic surgical procedures and selected hair-restoration treatments.

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The Ministry emphasised that these procedures are strictly limited to the cranio-maxillofacial region, encompassing the face, scalp, and jaw. This clarification underscores that OMFS practitioners receive extensive, recognized postgraduate training that makes their domain distinct from general medicine and dermatology. Further, the government highlighted that the roles of the Dental Council of India (DCI) and the National Medical Commission (NMC) are complementary rather than conflicting.

Controversy over aesthetic procedures in India flared up early this year when a turf war emerged between dermatologists and dental communities due to conflicting notices from the NMC and the DCI.

While the NMC had issued a circular stating that hair transplants and aesthetic surgeries should preferably be performed only by specialised medical doctors like dermatologists or plastic surgeons, the DCI countered with guidelines affirming that OMFS specialists are equally qualified under their MDS curriculum.