The Dentists Act was passed in 1921. It permitted unqualified dentists to register, provided they were over the age of 23 years, and that dentistry had been their principal means of livelihood in five out of the last seven years.
Leonard Charter Starte was registered under the new Act on 11 July 1922. He was issued with certificate of registration no. 15075. The description and date of his qualification were given simply as “Dentist, 1921”. His address was again shown as “203, Wells Road, Knowle, Bristol.”
A subsequent debate in the Irish Free State parliament gave some background:
In "1921 steps were taken by the British Government to try and regularise the position in regard to persons practising dentistry, and that a register was then compiled of persons then termed “non-qualified,” or persons who had not got the necessary degrees and who had not passed an examination in a university or recognised college for dentistry. Every person who could prove that for a number of years he had been engaged in the practice of dentistry was admitted to the register. Such persons were entitled, because of their qualifications through the practice of dentistry, although they had not the necessary degrees, to go on the register in 1921." (
http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/S/0010/S.0010.192803140006.html)
William
