An increasingly important member of the dental team, dental therapists play an active role in supporting dentists with carrying out most routine treatments, in addition to being trained to carry out duties of a dental hygienist.
The role can include carrying out dental fillings, cleaning patient’s teeth, as well as applying fluoride and sealants to adult and baby teeth to help prevent tooth decay. They are also able to remove baby teeth and carry out some nerve treatments on these teeth.
Featuring a mixture of study and clinical placements, a qualified dental therapist will complete a three-year undergraduate degree in Dental Therapy and Dental Hygiene (BSc).
Once qualified a dental therapist might choose to work in general dental practice carrying out routine procedures such as scale and polish and fillings. They might also opt to work in a dental hospital setting or community clinic setting, where they would treat patients with more complex oral conditions and less common oral diseases.
Visit the rest of this floor to learn about what life is like as a dental therapist in Wales!
Useful links: