Dental Therapist - Tasks and specialisations
Kaihaumanu Niho
Tasks & duties
Dental therapists may do some or all of the following:
- examine the oral condition of the mouth and teeth, and prepare a treatment plan
- restore teeth and do routine dental treatment and prevention work, such as applying prevention coating to teeth
- extract first teeth with a local anaesthetic
- advise patients on how to keep teeth and gums clean and prevent oral diseases
- promote oral health and hygiene in the community
- keep records of treatment
- refer people who require specialist dental treatment to a dentist or dental specialist and discuss their treatment with them
- take x-rays of mouths.
Glenys Higgs recording a child's treatment
Amber Davies treating a child in a mobile dental unit
Updated
September 2009
