Egypt's top dentistry body has proposed adding a supplementary academic year for postgraduate students to address growing regional disputes over dental qualifications.
The proposal, confirmed by the President of the Dental Syndicate Dr. Ehab Heikal, would apply to the two postgraduate specialties of “fixed prosthodontics” and “removable prosthodontics.” Dr. Ashraf Hatem, head of the medical sector committee at the Supreme Council of Universities, said the final draft is expected to be issued in the coming days.
The move follows pressure from over 2,000 affected dentists, who urged the syndicate to intervene after Gulf countries refused to recognize their Egyptian certificates due to naming discrepancies.
Over the past three years, several Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, have updated licensing requirements for dentists. These changes require postgraduate qualifications to carry the generic title “prosthodontics” without specifying subspecialties.
However, Egyptian degrees continue to list either “fixed” or “removable prosthodontics,” creating a mismatch that impedes professional registration abroad.
MP Rawya Mokhtar raised the issue in an official letter to Egypt's Ministry of Higher Education and Al-Azhar, urging authorities to approve a uniform degree title and allow graduates with older titles to obtain updated documentation. “This would help facilitate international recognition,” Mokhtar wrote in the letter, which was reviewed by Al Manassa.
MP Ayman Aboul Ella also submitted an official request for clarification this month, describing the situation as a “serious impediment” to the careers of more than 2,000 dentists. He cited stalled certificate accreditation, lost employment contracts, and cancelled postgraduate opportunities as direct consequences of the title inconsistency.
“This has caused profound financial, professional, and psychological harm, in addition to damaging the international reputation of Egyptian dental qualifications,” Aboul Ella said.
Mid-May, MP Sarah El-Nahas filed a similar request, calling on authorities to address the academic discrepancies that are affecting recognition across Arab states.
Dr. Heikal told Al Manassa that the Dental Syndicate met with the Supreme Council's dental sector committee to discuss the issue and propose solutions. “The committee is finalizing a decision within days,” he said.
According to Heikal, the proposed academic year would include two semesters and offer unified curricula and credit hours. The aim, he explained, is to “streamline educational tracks between the fixed and removable specializations and bring Egyptian programs in line with international standards.”
Heikal acknowledged that the proposal does not formally rename the certificates, but said the additional year would help close the academic gap and reassure foreign accreditation bodies.
On his end, Dr. Ashraf Hatem confirmed that varying program structures and certificate titles among Egyptian universities have raised concerns abroad. “The duration for master's or doctoral degrees may differ, but the inconsistency in naming and program content is what really alarms foreign regulators,” he told Al Manassa.
Hatem added that regional doubts over Egyptian qualifications have extended beyond prosthodontics. “At one point, even the Egyptian medical board certification faced skepticism in Arab countries,” he said.
In response, affected dentists have formed a WhatsApp group titled “Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics Dentists,” which comprises more than 1,000 members. They have also circulated an online survey to gather broader data on how many professionals are impacted.
In a statement last week, the Dental Syndicate said the crisis impacts both current postgraduate students and alumni, pointing to variations in curricula, training protocols, and degree durations across Egyptian institutions. The lack of standardization, it said, continues to hinder regional and international recognition.
