Dermatologists and plastic surgeons welcomed the TMC’s notice, calling it a much-needed step that upholds the sanctity of ethical allopathic practice and safeguards patient safety.
Published Jun 27, 2025 | 10:14 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 27, 2025 | 10:14 AM
The announcement could have serious implications for private clinics and cosmetic centres where OMFS specialists have been performing aesthetic and hair transplant services.
Synopsis: The Telangana Medical Council has declared that dental surgeons, including Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (OMFS), are not qualified to perform aesthetic or hair transplant procedures, citing a lack of formal training in these areas. The announcement follows the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) earlier clarification.
The Telangana Medical Council (TMC) has clearly stated that dental surgeons, including Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (OMFS), are not qualified to carry out aesthetic procedures or hair transplantation surgeries.
“Dentists (BDS)/Dental Surgeons, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons (MDS) do not have the aforesaid specialties as core topics in their curriculum and as such, they lack formal surgical knowledge and training to perform these procedures,” reads the TMC public notice, dated 26 June.
The Council’s notice comes in the backdrop of a 2022 guideline issued by the Dental Council of India (DCI), which had extended limited permissions to OMFS specialists.
Dermatologists and plastic surgeons welcomed the TMC’s notice, calling it a much-needed step that upholds the sanctity of ethical allopathic practice and safeguards patient safety.
“The TMC’s stand against quackery and crosspathy reflects its integrity and deep commitment to the medical profession,” a group of Dermatologists and plastic surgeons said in a statement.
The announcement could have serious implications for private clinics and cosmetic centres where OMFS specialists have been performing aesthetic and hair transplant services.
The matter may also open the door to legal cases against such practitioners, particularly in instances involving alleged malpractice or harm to patients.
At the heart of the issue is an unresolved difference between the DCI and the National Medical Commission (NMC), which regulate the dental and medical professions respectively but have found themselves at odds over the overlapping domain of cosmetic procedures.
The controversy began with a notification issued by the Dental Council of India on 6 December 2022. The DCI clarified that OMFS practitioners, after receiving adequate training, were allowed to perform aesthetic and hair transplant surgeries.
The DCI circular stated that such procedures could only be undertaken by those registered with a State Dental Council and who had access to proper infrastructure and emergency support systems.
However, in a recent development, the National Medical Commission (NMC) – India’s apex medical regulatory authority – took a different view.
Responding to a clarification sought by the Telangana Medical Council on 29 May, the NMC replied on 13 June, stating that the DCI had issued its 2022 notification without consulting the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of the NMC.
Referring to its official guidelines, the NMC reiterated:
“Hair transplant should preferably be undertaken only by those who have surgical grooming like formal surgical training such as MCh/DNB in Plastic Surgery, or MD/DNB Dermatology with adequate grooming in dermatological surgical procedures.”
On aesthetic procedures, the NMC added:
“Such procedures should be undertaken only by those RMPs (Registered Medical Practitioners) who have adequate training to do these procedures as per their curriculum. The curriculum of various specialities should be the guiding principle.”
The Telangana Medical Council’s advisory follows the NMC’s clarification.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
