Dental therapist

Dental therapists are key members of a dental healthcare team, treating patients and promoting good oral health

As a dental therapist you'll give advice to patients on oral health and will carry out some routine dental work, such as scaling and polishing, taking x-rays, extracting teeth and carrying out straightforward restorative procedures like fitting crowns.

You may go on to offer additional services to patients such as teeth whitening.

You'll work as part of the dental healthcare team and while you won't run your own practice you will have independence with your work.

Dental therapists treat both adults and children and can work in a variety of settings, including the NHS, independent general practice, specialist periodontal or orthodontic practice, education, research and the community.

Some dental therapists are also trained in dental hygiene, which tends to focus more on preventative dental health and treatment, such as keeping your gums healthy. Find out more about being a dental hygienist.

Responsibilities

As a dental therapist, you'll need to:

• communicate effectively with patients to obtain and evaluate their dental history and diagnose the condition
• carry out clinical examinations
• perform routine treatments such as carrying out simple fillings and replacing temporary fillings or crowns, undertaking root service debridement, treating periodontal disease and placing pre-formed crowns on deciduous teeth (also referred to as primary or milk teeth)
• scale and polish teeth
• treat and restore deciduous teeth known as pulp therapy
• extract deciduous teeth
• provide care of implants and treatment of peri-implant tissues
• take dental impressions and dental x-rays
• recognise, identify and interpret abnormalities and common pathology
• remove plaque and other coatings
• work with a range of patients including adults and children with special needs or those who are extremely anxious about treatment
• motivate and educate individuals or groups of people to care for their oral hygiene and eat a healthy diet
• refer patients where necessary to other healthcare professionals
• record accurately patients' dental history and dental treatment plan.

Salary

• Starting salaries for dental therapists working in the NHS typically range from £28,407 to £42,618 (Band 5 or 6 on the NHS Agenda for Change pay scales).
• Experienced dental therapists working as clinicians can expect to earn between £43,742 and £50,056 (Band 7).
• Salaries outside of the NHS vary. Hourly rates in private practice can range from around £20.00 to in excess of £50.00.

Salaries can vary widely depending on a range of factors, including your location, experience and skills, type of employer (i.e. private or NHS) and whether you're employed or self-employed.

Income figures are intended as a guide only

Working hours

You'll usually work around 37.5 hours per week if you're employed on a full-time basis, although part-time work is also possible. You may sometimes have to work evenings or weekends, depending on your employer.

If you're working in a hospital, you may have to be on call during weekends, or work on shifts.

Flexibility is required within community dental work as you’ll need to travel between patients and health centres.

What to expect

• You'll work as part of the dental healthcare team, including dentists, dental nurses, dental technicians and dental hygienists.
• Jobs are available throughout the UK. With experience, you could choose to set up your own practice.
• You're required to wear protective clothing such as safety glasses, a face mask and gloves to protect yourself and patients from infectious diseases.
• Eye strain, neck and back fatigue can be an issue due to the repetitive nature of some of the work. However the nature of the role with helping patients improve their dental health is rewarding.
• If you're based within a dental practice, you won't normally have to travel during the day. However, if you're working for a community dental service, you'll usually travel between patients and health centres. There are some opportunities for experienced dental therapists to work overseas.

Qualifications

To work as a dental therapist, you must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC). In order to do this, you need to successfully complete a GDC-approved diploma or degree training course. You'll also be required to hold professional indemnity insurance.

Degree courses are typically three years full-time and relevant titles include oral health science, dental therapy, or dental hygiene and therapy.

You'll typically need at least five GCSEs at grade 4 to 7 (A to C) and two or three A-levels. Alternatively, some institutions may accept a recognised qualification in dental nursing.

Degree courses are more widely available but some institutions do offer a diploma in dental hygiene/dental hygiene and dental therapy which lasts either 24 or 27 months depending on the institution.

Entry criteria vary between courses so check with individual course providers for exact requirements, as well as for information on fees and funding opportunities. You can find a list of institutions that offer the dental therapy qualifications at the British Association of Dental Therapists.

You'll need to complete a successful Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before admission to a training programme in England and Wales (or equivalent check for Scotland). You may also have to undergo a health screening.

If you're on an eligible dental therapy course in England (level 5 and 6) you may be able to receive at least £5,000 towards the cost of your studies, which doesn't need to be paid back. For full details, see the NHS Learning Support Fund.

Details of financial support for students studying in Scotland and Wales are available from:

• Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)
• Student Awards Services (Wales)

Skills

As a dental therapist you'll need to have:

• excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact with patients in a calm and reassuring manner and to advise them on how to look after their teeth and gums
• effective listening and good motivational skills to educate patients to maintain healthy oral hygiene and a healthy diet
• excellent manual dexterity and confidence in handling dental tools and equipment
• the ability to work well in a team as well as independently
• an interest in helping and advising people to look after their teeth and gums
• good eyesight and steady hands for carrying out precision work
• the ability to concentrate for long periods of time
• attention to detail
• basic knowledge of IT, and the ability to write accurately and keep safe records of patients
• thinking and reasoning skills
• sensitivity, compassion and a patient-centred approach to care
• a friendly, confident and professional manner when interacting with patients and colleagues.

Work experience

To get a place on a training course, you're expected to have some awareness of the profession and be able to demonstrate an interest in helping people. You can achieve this by work shadowing a dental therapist in your local dental practice or by getting involved in voluntary healthcare work in, for example, care homes or hospices.

Experience as a dental nurse may also be useful prior to applying to courses.

Courses include a mix of academic study and clinical work, so you'll build up practical work experience in both hospital and community practice for when you graduate and start looking for a job.

For free mentoring resources and experiences designed to support aspiring healthcare and legal professionals - including virtual work experience that is accepted by medical schools, see Medic Mentor.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Dental therapists are employed by:

• general dental practices - the number of full and part-time dental therapists employed in general dental practices providing NHS or private treatment to patients is growing as the need to provide oral healthcare and treatment to younger and older patients has increased
• dental hospitals - you can start your first job as a dental therapist in the NHS or in a private hospital, helping orthodontists during complex treatments and surgery
• community dental practices, including schools and care homes - working in a clinical or educational role to ensure that everyone has access to dental care
• specialist periodontal or orthodontic practices
• education/research establishments - conducting research and delivering teaching at a dental hospital
• HM Prison Service
• defence dental services - at locations in the UK or overseas with the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.

After gaining some experience you could set up and manage your own private independent practice.

There are also some opportunities for experienced dental therapists to work overseas.

Look for job vacancies at:

• BDJ Jobs
• British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT) - available to members only
• British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT) - available to members only
• NHS Jobs and NHSScotland Jobs

Specialist recruitment agencies such as DentalElite and Zest Dental Recruitment also advertise full and part-time vacancies.

Professional development

Once you have successfully completed your diploma or degree, you can apply for the Dental Therapists Foundation Training (DTFT) scheme. This programme is aimed at newly qualified dental therapists making the transition into the workplace and provides an opportunity to receive tailored clinical and educational support to further develop your skills, confidence and competence.

In order to maintain your registration with the General Dental Council (GDC) you must undertake continuing professional development (CPD) throughout your career to keep your knowledge and skills up to date. As a dental therapist you’ll need to complete a minimum of 75 hours of CPD across a five-year period, with at least 10 hours done every two years. Find out more about maintaining your GDC registration through professional development at GDC - CPD for dental professionals.

Typical CPD activities can include:

• involvement in lectures and courses
• attending hands-on clinical training or workshops
• attending or presenting at conferences
• participation in clinical audit or peer review.

The BADT and BSDHT provide a range of CPD events and an annual conference. If you gain membership with either professional body it will provide access to networking opportunities, resources and advice.

It's possible to pursue further study at Diploma, Masters and doctorate level if you're interested in developing your expertise in a specialist field of dental healthcare, such as orthodontic therapy.

Search for postgraduate dental courses. 

Career prospects

There are opportunities within dental therapy for you to develop your interests and career further. For example, with several years' experience as a dental therapist, you could progress into a dental practice manager role.

There are also opportunities to develop specialist skills that will allow you to carry out additional responsibilities such as:

• carrying out tooth whitening to the prescription of a dentist
• administering inhalation sedation
• removing sutures from a wound after it's been checked by a dentist.

If your interests lie in teaching and research, it's possible to take further training to move into a dental hospital/school to work as a lecturer, researcher or tutor.

There are also opportunities for experienced dental therapists to set up their own/independent dental practice.

It may also be possible for you to qualify as a dentist by undertaking an additional degree in dentistry. Some universities offer a four-year accelerated dental course for graduates with at least a 2.1 from a course that had a large element of biology or chemistry. Check entry criteria with individual course providers.   

Other related areas you could move into with additional training include orthodontic therapy, public health or work as a health improvement practitioner.