NEW DELHI: In a major change that will affect both patients and dental students, the Centre has replaced the Dental Council of India (DCI) with a new regulator, the National Dental Commission (NDC). The new system came into force on March 19, with the old law governing dentistry scrapped. The move is aimed at improving the quality of dental education, keeping a tighter check on colleges, and ensuring better and more affordable dental care for people.Govt has also changed how the system will work. Instead of a single body, NDC will function through three separate boards – one to oversee dental education, one to inspect and rate colleges, and one to handle ethics and registration of dentists. Officials said this will make regulation more focused and accountable.Dr Sanjay Tewari has been appointed as chairperson of the new commission. The Centre has also named experts to head the three boards.For the public, the biggest impact is expected in the quality and availability of dental care. The new commission will set clearer standards for how dentists are trained and how institutions operate. It will also work on improving access to basic dental services, an area where gaps have been widely reported.Students are likely to see stricter oversight of dental colleges. Institutions will be assessed and rated, and the commission will frame guidelines to regulate fees in private colleges. This is expected to bring more transparency and reduce sharp variations in costs. The commission will also look at the availability of dentists across the country and promote research to address shortages and improve services.The National Dental Commission replaces a decades-old system that had faced criticism over transparency and delays in reform. With the new panel in place, govt is aiming at creating a more streamlined and accountable framework that improves both dental education and patient care.