How to check a dentist's licence in the UAE

Why the licence matters

In the UAE, a dentist can only practise legally if they hold an active licence from the relevant health authority and are registered at a licensed facility. The licence confirms that their degree was verified, that they met the experience requirements for their category, and that they passed the authority's assessment. It also means there is a regulator you can complain to if something goes wrong.

Licences are specific to an emirate's regulator and to a facility. If a dentist moves from one clinic to another, the licence is transferred. If a dentist is visiting from abroad, they need a temporary or visiting licence to treat patients. A dentist without a valid licence for that emirate should not be treating you.

Which regulator covers which emirate

There are three dental licensing bodies in the UAE. Check the one that matches where the clinic is located, not where the dentist trained or where you live.

• Dubai: Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Includes clinics in Dubai Healthcare City, which also has its own regulator for facilities inside the free zone (DHCR).
• Abu Dhabi, including Al Ain and Al Dhafra: Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH).
• Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah: Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP).

Checking a Dubai dentist on Sheryan (DHA)

DHA publishes its medical directory through Sheryan, its professional licensing platform. You do not need an account to search it.

• Go to the DHA website and open the medical directory, or search 'DHA Sheryan medical directory'.
• Choose the professionals search.
• Enter the dentist's name. Try variations, because names may be listed in full with middle names.
• Open the profile. It shows the licence title (for example 'General Dentist' or 'Specialist Endodontics'), the facility, and often nationality, languages and gender.
• Check that the facility on the profile matches the clinic where you are booking.

Checking Abu Dhabi (DOH) and northern emirates (MOHAP)

DOH lists licensed professionals and facilities through its online services and the TAMM government platform. Search by name or facility. Profiles show the licence number, specialty, category and facility. If you are a Thiqa member, the same tools help you find network providers.

MOHAP publishes a medical professionals directory on its website, where you can filter by profession and emirate. Search for the dentist's name and check the category and facility. For government facilities in the northern emirates run by Emirates Health Services, staff are also licensed through MOHAP.

If you cannot find a dentist, it does not always mean they are unlicensed. Names are sometimes spelled differently, and registers can lag behind recent transfers. Ask the clinic for the dentist's licence number and search with that, or call the regulator.

What the licence categories mean

All three regulators follow the UAE's unified qualification requirements for healthcare professionals, so titles mean broadly the same thing across emirates.

General Dentist (sometimes listed as General Practitioner Dentist): holds a recognised dental degree, has met the post-graduation experience requirement and passed the licensing assessment. Can provide the full range of general dental care.

Specialist: holds a recognised postgraduate qualification in a dental specialty, usually a multi-year residency or master's programme, plus the required clinical experience. Licensed under that specialty, for example Specialist Orthodontics or Specialist Prosthodontics.

Consultant: a specialist with significantly more experience after specialisation and usually a higher or board-level qualification. Consultants often handle the most complex cases and may lead departments.

The category tells you about formal training, not about everything a dentist is skilled at. A general dentist with years of focused experience and additional courses in aesthetic or restorative work may be very capable in that area, while a specialist's licence limits them to their specialty.

Practical tips for searching the registers

Registers can be awkward to search. Names are often listed in full, including middle names and family names in a different order from how the dentist introduces themselves, and Arabic names may be transliterated in several ways. If a search for 'Dr Ahmed Khan' returns nothing, try just the family name with a filter for dentists, or search by the facility instead and scroll through the professionals registered there.

Look at three things on the result: the licence title, the facility and the status. The title tells you the category and, for specialists, the field. The facility should match where you are booking. If a register shows a licence status or expiry date, check that it is active. If the clinic tells you a dentist is a 'specialist' but the register shows General Dentist, ask about the difference; marketing titles such as 'implantologist' or 'cosmetic dentist' are not licence categories.

• Search by family name only if the full name returns nothing.
• Search by the facility and browse its listed professionals.
• Ask the clinic for the licence number, which is unique.
• Remember that recent transfers may take a few weeks to appear.

Checking the clinic as well

Facilities also hold licences. Clinics should display their facility licence, and dentists' licences are often displayed in reception. The same registers let you search facilities. If a dental service is offered from a salon, spa or home-visit service, check that it is linked to a licensed dental facility, because unlicensed teeth whitening and 'smile makeovers' do appear on social media.

If something goes wrong

Start by raising the concern with the clinic in writing and ask for a copy of your records. If that does not resolve it, you can file a complaint with the regulator. DHA, DOH and MOHAP each have patient complaint channels on their websites and apps. Keep receipts, treatment plans, X-rays and photos, and note dates and the names of staff involved.