Dentists challenge dental technician statutes before the Extremaduran courts

The Illustrious Official College of Dentists of Extremadura has filed a contentious-administrative appeal against the modification of the Statutes of the Illustrious Professional College of Dental Technicians of Extremadura. The Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Extremadura is processing the matter as ordinary procedure no. 374/2026, according to the resolution published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura number 189, dated September 30, 2026 (reference 2026062428). The announcement summons potential interested parties to appear before the court within nine days.

The origin of the conflict

The appeal is directed against the Resolution of July 1, 2026, issued by the Minister of Finance, Public Administration, and Social Dialogue of the Regional Government of Extremadura, published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura number 132, dated July 10, 2026. That resolution approved the modification of the statutes of the technicians’ college, adapted to Law 11/2002, of December 12, on Professional Colleges and Councils of Professional Colleges of Extremadura, in accordance with the modifications introduced by Law 4/2020, of November 18.

The challenge is not limited to the statutory text. The plaintiffs question three acts:

• The legality of the modification of the Statutes of the Illustrious Professional College of Dental Technicians of Extremadura.
• The registration of said modification in the Registry of Professional Colleges of Extremadura.
• Its publication in the Official Gazette of Extremadura.

A second appeal from the General Council

The same issue of the gazette includes a parallel procedure with an identical objective. This is ordinary procedure no. 395/2026, promoted by the Illustrious General Council of Official Colleges of Odontologists and Stomatologists of Spain (reference 2026062429), also before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Extremadura.

Both announcements originate from the Ministry of Finance, Public Administration, and Social Dialogue and share the same motivation: the submission of the administrative file required by the Chamber and the summons of all those who have a legitimate interest in the lawsuit.

Deadline and procedures

The resolutions, dated September 22, 2026, are issued under articles 48 and 49 of Law 29/1998, of July 13, regulating the Contentious-Administrative Jurisdiction. Interested parties have nine days, counting from the day following the publication, to appear before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Extremadura, located at Plaza de la Audiencia, s/n, Cáceres.

The documents are signed in Mérida, on September 22, 2026, by the Secretary General, María Inmaculada Núñez Arroyo.

Impact

The litigation pits the region’s two dental collectives against the professional association of dental technicians and the Junta de Extremadura itself, which endorsed the statutory reform. The published resolution opens the door for any professional or entity with a legitimate interest to appear in the proceedings before the nine-day deadline expires, which could increase the number of parties in a lawsuit affecting the distribution of competencies between dentists, odontologists, and dental technicians. Until the Chamber rules, the statutory modification and its registry filing remain in effect.

Source: Official Gazette of Extremadura, number 189, of September 30, 2026, section III (Other Resolutions) (official reference: 2026062428).