Professional, legal and ethical standards
Sources of obligation
Dental therapists in Aotearoa New Zealand practise under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCA), which gives the Dental Council responsibility for scope, competence and discipline. You must hold an annual practising certificate, work inside the dental therapy scope, keep records that justify your decisions, and notify the Registrar if you believe another practitioner poses a risk of serious harm. The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights is law, not guidance: Right 4 (reasonable care and skill, compliance with professional standards), Right 6 (full, honest information), Right 7 (informed consent, presumption of competence) and Right 5 (choice and autonomy).
Consent and privacy
There is no single statutory age of consent to dental care in New Zealand. Competence is judged on the young person's understanding, not their birthday. Record the child's assent and the guardian's consent. The Privacy Act 2020 and Health Information Privacy Code 2020 govern collection, storage, use and disclosure of clinical information: collect only what you need, keep it secure, and disclose only to authorised people.
Worked example
A 13-year-old asks you not to tell her mother about a fractured incisor. She can explain the options, risks and consequences, and she consents. You treat, document the competence assessment, and encourage-without forcing-whānau involvement. Refusing treatment solely because of her age, or ringing the parent against her expressed wish, breaches Right 7 and professional standards.
Traps
Assuming 16 is the consent threshold; handing records to a non-guardian parent; discussing a patient in a corridor; posting clinical photographs; treating friends or family without the same documentation you would use for anyone else.