Rules of the institute
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Membership Grades and Sections

1. There shall be five grades of subscriber to the Institute, namely Fellow, Licentiate, Life Member, Associate, and Student Associate, Fellows, Licentiates and Life Members shall be regarded as Members of the Institute and entitled to vote, but Associates and Student Associates shall have no entitlement to vote. The Rules of the Institute shall nevertheless apply to an Associate or a Student Associate as if he were a member unless the context so forbids.
2. There shall be Honorary Fellows of the Institute, who shall not be called upon to remit subscriptions and shall have no entitlement to vote.
3. Every member of the Institute, of whatever grade of membership, shall be allotted to the Section (or Sections) which the Council regards as relevant to his or her professional discipline.

Qualifications for Membership

4. Qualifications for membership are as follows:

1. Associates: Applicants who have some relevant experience and are undertaking a course of instruction but who, in the opinion of Council, are not yet qualified for the Licentiate grade.
2. Student Associates: Those who have entered onto the second year of a relevant course leading to an award qualifying for the Licentiate grade. On successful completion of the course, a Student Associate must upgrade to Licentiate.
3. Licentiates: Applicants who have passed the final examinations in courses of education as prescribed by the Council, or have passed another examination recognised by the Institute for this grade of membership; or those who have been practising as surgical technologists for a total of not less than 4 years and are not less than 24 years of age.

Examples of awards prescribed by the Council for membership at this level are:

TEC Diploma Dental Technology

BTEC Diploma Dental Technology

SCOTEC Diploma or Higher Certificate Dental Technology

CGLI Final Certificate Dental Technology

HM Forces - relevant Certificate

4. Fellows: Fellowship will be awarded by the Council only after 4 years in continuous membership at Licentiate grade, to those who have obtained an higher educational award prescribed by the Council or who have completed other forms of professional development recognised by the Council.

Examples of higher educational awards prescribed by the Council are:

Relevant degree in Dental Technology or associated subject

BTEC Higher Diploma or Certificate Dental Technology

SCOTEC Higher Diploma Dental Technology

CGLI Advanced Certificate Dental subjects

Courses accepted within the EC for registration or practice as a Dental Technician

Non EC - courses/awards recognised within the applicant's own country for registration or work as a Dental Technician


5. Life Members: Those who have been Fellows or Licentiates of the Institute for a continuous period of not less than fifteen years, and whose subscriptions have been paid up to date throughout the period of membership, and who have reached retirement age and receive no income from employment.

Qualifications for Honorary Fellowship

5. Persons eligible to be admitted as Honorary Fellows shall be those who have at no time been a member of the Institute but who are considered by the Council to have performed signal service in furtherance of the Institute or the interests of its members.

Designatory Letters

As long as membership of the Institute is maintained, the following shall apply:

  • a Licentiate shall be entitled to use the letters "LBIDST"
  • a Fellow shall be entitled to use the letters "FBIDST"
  • a Life Member shall be entitled to continue to use whichever letters are appropriate on his becoming a Life Member

    Upon ceasing for any reason to be a member of the Institute, the right of those listed above to use the designatory letters shall cease. An Associate, or Student Associate, is not entitled to use designatory letters.

Subscriptions

6. Every member of the Institute shall pay an annual subscription to the Institute of such sum as may be determined from time to time by the Council. Annual subscriptions shall be due in advance and payable on the 1st January in each year or on the date of admission in the year of admission. A member shall pay only one subscription, even if Council has allotted him to more than one Section.
7. Every member shall be obliged to submit subscriptions, without exception. However, there are two circumstances in which Council may grant partial relief:

1. Student Associates who have no income from employment and are engaged upon a course of full time education and training with a view to qualification meeting the requirements for membership may apply to the Secretary for partial relief from their obligation.
2. Associates, Licentiates and Fellows who have maintained a period of subscribing membership but have since become unemployed and have no income from employment at 1st January, may also apply to the Secretary for partial relief from their obligation.

8. In both cases, such documentary evidence as the Secretary may require shall be supplied, and such lesser sum as he decides and notifies shall become immediately payable.
9. For those who are unemployed, the relief will be for the current year only, and annual review of such relief will be restricted to a maximum of two occasions. In the event that a member who has been granted such relief obtains paid employment, the balance of the subscription for the year in which he obtains employment shall become payable within three months of the date on which employment commenced. A member who has paid a subscription, or whose subscription has become due, and who later becomes unemployed, shall not have entitlement to a refund and may not apply for partial relief in retrospect.

Suspension and Removal of Members

10. In the event of the subscription of any member being unpaid three calendar months after it has become due, whether so demanded or not, the Secretary shall send him a notice requiring him to pay the subscription and all arrears (if any) by a date specified within the notice, being not less than 14 days from the date of the notice. If the subscription and all arrears have not been paid by the date specified, the Council shall have the power, by Ordinary Resolution, to suspend or exclude such member from the Institute.
11. Any member excluded from the Institute shall not be entitled to claim a return of any money paid by him to the Institute, whether on admission or by way of annual subscription or otherwise as a member.
12. Council may at any time suspend or exclude any member who appears to have failed to observe the Rules and Articles of the Institute, or to have been found guilty of conduct which would render him unfit or undesirable as a member of the Institute, by serving notice in writing. The member served such notice shall at the expiration of one month cease to be a member and shall deliver up his certificate of membership of the Institute, provided that before any such notice is served the member on whom it is proposed to serve the notice shall be given a reasonable opportunity of attending before the Council and being heard. Any member whose membership is thus determined shall forfeit any unexpired portion of his subscription.
13. Membership shall also cease on death; and on bankruptcy.

Resignation of Membership

14. A member may resign from the Institute by sending in his resignation in writing to the Council and paying all subscriptions then in arrears. Provided, however, that no member shall be released from his obligation to pay his annual subscription until such time as his certificate of membership shall have been returned to the Institute.

Code of Professional Conduct

15. Every member shall sign, and adhere to, the Code of Professional Conduct detailed on the application form for membership.

Copies of these Rules, Application Forms, and the Articles of the Institute, are available from the Secretary:

  • BIDST Office
  • 4 Thompson Green
  • Shipley
  • West Yorkshire
  • BD17 7PR