Oral Health Therapist

Oral Health Therapists (combined dental therapists and hygienists) are registered oral health practitioners who provide primary oral health care for children and adults. This includes examining and diagnosing dental decay and gum diseases and providing routine dental treatments. They also promote oral health and provide preventive dental services among individuals and the broader community.

Services will include:

Provide routine clinical dental treatment for children, adolescents and adults including:

Dental examinations and diagnosis, cleaning, scaling and polishing teeth, filling cavities and
Extracting teeth under local anesthetic
Treat gum conditions for all ages including adults, take X-rays of teeth and jaws, apply sealants and remineralising therapies and take impressions.
Educate and motivate people to maintain good oral health.
Promote oral health for the community by providing education and information on oral health, work with other health services and groups such as parents’ groups, play groups and parents and citizens’ associations to improve oral health.
Bring more complex dental problems to the attention of dentists, specialists or other healthcare providers.
Advise managers of school canteens about healthy food, work to improve oral health with childcare and elderly residential care settings and other settings that support health, especially those that work with people who do not have good access to dental care.
Liaise with other health care providers to support oral health as part of general health.