How do I check if a dentist is licensed in Dubai?
Search for the dentist in the Dubai Health Authority's public medical directory on its Sheryan portal and confirm three things: the name matches, the licence category (general dentist, specialist or consultant) fits what the clinic says, and the dentist is linked to the clinic treating you. Clinics inside Dubai Healthcare City answer to their own regulator. Creative Arts lists every dentist's title on its doctors page so you can check them.
Who treats you here Dr. Duaa Ameen General Dentist · Dr. Khalid Saeed Co-founder & Dentist · Dr. Marina Antoniuk Dentist
Every dentist’s licence can be checked on the DHA Sheryan medical directory.
Who licenses dentists in Dubai?
Every dentist who treats patients in Dubai needs a professional licence, and every clinic needs a facility licence. For most private clinics in the emirate, both come from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The main exception is Dubai Healthcare City, a free zone whose clinics are licensed by its own regulator, so a dentist working there is checked on that regulator's register instead.
Each emirate's health regulator licenses the professionals who work in its area. A dentist who practises in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah appears on that emirate's register; a dentist treating you in Dubai should appear on the Dubai register that applies to their clinic. The directory also shows the facility each dentist is registered with, so you can see whether they are linked to the clinic you are visiting.
None of this is a formality you need to take on trust. The DHA publishes a searchable directory of licensed professionals and facilities, and anyone can use it.
How do you search the DHA Sheryan medical directory?
Sheryan is the DHA's licensing system; its medical directory is the public part. The layout of the page changes from time to time, but the logic stays the same.
Open the DHA medical directory
Go to the DHA website and open the medical directory in the Sheryan section. Use the official DHA site rather than a third-party listing, which may be out of date.
1 minuteChoose Professionals
The directory has a Professionals tab and a Facilities tab. Start with Professionals to check the dentist.
SearchSearch and filter
Enter the dentist's name, then narrow the results with the filters offered, such as licence type, category, speciality, language and facility. Filtering by the clinic's name is often the quickest way to find the right person.
SearchRead the result
Check the name, the licence category, the speciality and the facility. All four should match what the clinic told you.
CheckCheck the clinic too
Switch to the Facilities tab and confirm that the clinic itself appears, under the name on its signboard or its trade name.
Check
Why can't I find my dentist in the directory?
Not finding a name straight away does not mean something is wrong. The usual reasons are simple:
- Spelling. Arabic, Russian and other names are transliterated in different ways: Khalid or Khaled, Muhannad or Mohanad. The licence uses the name on the passport, which may differ from the name on a clinic website. Try a shorter part of the name or filter by facility.
- A different regulator. If the clinic is in Dubai Healthcare City, the dentist is on that free zone's register, not the DHA's.
- A first name only. Some clinics introduce dentists by first name. Ask for the full name as it appears on the licence; a licensed clinic has no reason to refuse.
If you still cannot find the dentist after trying these, ask the clinic directly, and do not book treatment until you have a clear answer.
What do general dentist, specialist and consultant mean?
These are licence categories in Dubai, not marketing words. Each one says something specific about training; none of them on its own tells you how a dentist communicates or plans.
| Title | What it means in general terms | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| General Dentist | Licensed with a basic dental degree that meets the UAE's unified professional qualification requirements | Trained for most everyday dentistry: examinations, fillings, cleaning, many root canals, extractions, crowns. Many general dentists add courses or diplomas in areas such as implants or cosmetic work, but the licence title stays the same |
| Specialist | Licensed in a specific branch after a recognised postgraduate specialty qualification and the required clinical experience | Orthodontist, endodontist, periodontist, prosthodontist, oral surgeon and paediatric dentist are examples. The speciality is shown in the directory |
| Consultant | A senior specialist title that requires an approved specialty qualification plus further experience | Usually a dentist with long specialist practice; useful for complex or multi-disciplinary problems |
| Dentist (no qualifier on a website) | Clinics often write simply "Dentist" | Check the directory to see which category the dentist is actually licensed in |
Categories are defined by the regulator and can change. The directory always shows the current category.
Can a general dentist do implants, root canals or braces?
A general dentist can carry out a wide range of treatment, and many treat complex cases well. The limit is training, not the word on the licence. The DHA's scope-of-practice standard for dentists says general dentists should not practise in areas outside their education or training, and that complex cases should be referred to someone with expertise in that field.
In practice, that means two useful questions rather than one. First, what is this dentist's licence category? Second, what training and experience do they have in this particular treatment, and who would they refer me to if the case turned out to be more complex? A clear answer to the second question is as reassuring as a specialist title.
At Creative Arts, general care, fillings and hygiene are led by general dentists such as Dr. Duaa Ameen, restorative and root canal work by Dr. Marina Antoniuk and colleagues, and cosmetic and implant planning by dentists including Dr. Khalid Saeed, while orthodontics is carried out by specialist orthodontists. If you are choosing someone for implants or braces, our guides on choosing an implant dentist and choosing an orthodontist go further.
Is the clinic licensed for what it offers?
The facility licence matters as much as the dentist's. Check that the clinic appears in the Facilities tab under its trading name and address. Then think about the treatment you are planning:
- Sedation or general anaesthesia. Ask who gives and monitors it. Sedation should be given by an appropriately qualified, licensed clinician, and general anaesthesia by an anaesthesiologist. Our guide on whether dental sedation is safe explains what to ask.
- Crowns, veneers and dentures. These are made in a dental laboratory. Ask which lab makes them; at Creative Arts it is Creative Art Dental Lab, a separate business in the same building.
- Who you will see. Ask whether the dentist named at consultation is the one who will treat you and review you afterwards.
Treatment outside a licensed clinic is a red flag
Dental procedures offered in homes, hotel rooms, salons or at pop-up events, by someone you cannot find in the directory, or by a "visiting" dentist who leaves the country after treatment, carry real risks: no proper sterilisation checks, no records and no one responsible for follow-up. If something goes wrong, you may have nowhere to return to.
Which other warning signs should make you check twice?
A valid licence is the legal minimum. These signs do not prove anything is wrong, but each is a good reason to look up the dentist and ask more questions before you agree to treatment:
- The clinic will not tell you the full name or title of the person who will treat you.
- Someone describes themselves as a "specialist" but the directory lists them in a different category.
- You are asked to commit to a large plan on the day, without a written, itemised plan and time to think.
- Nobody explains the alternatives, including simpler or slower options, or what happens if you wait.
- Your questions about the diagnosis, X-rays or the lab are treated as an inconvenience.
Our guide to spotting unnecessary dental treatment covers the questions to ask about a recommendation, and how to read a dental treatment plan explains what a proper plan should contain.
Every dentist at Creative Arts is listed with their title and areas of work. Look them up, check them in the DHA directory, and ask us anything before you book.
Meet our dentistsWhat a licence does not tell you
The directory confirms that a dentist may legally practise, in which category and where. It cannot tell you whether their explanations are clear, whether they offer conservative options, or whether you feel comfortable asking questions. That is why a licence check is the first step, not the whole decision.
Combine it with the practical checklist in our guide to choosing a dental clinic in Dubai, and, if you have just arrived in the city, with our guide for people new to Dubai. If you are worried that someone is practising without a licence, you can raise it with the DHA through its official channels.