Dental Therapist Career Description
Dental therapy as an occupation was introduced in the seventies to cater for the growing number of people who rely on the public health service for their dental care. The dental therapist offers a basic dental service and is mainly concerned with preventative dentistry.
What am I going to do in this occupation?
The dental therapist is taught to perform all the basic and much needed dental procedures. The qualified dental therapist must register with the Interim National Medical and Dental Council of South Africa before commencing work in this field. Work includes tasks such as:
» Doing dental examinations on patients.
» Identifying and diagnosing more serious conditions and referring these to dentists.
» Carrying out preventative procedures against the most common oral and dental diseases (These measures have proven to drastically restrict gum and tooth decay).
» Simple fillings and extractions.
» The taking of X-rays.
» Cleaning, scaling and polishing teeth .
» Educating people about oral health.
Dental therapists work mainly in clinics and may also visit schools and this may require frequent travelling. The dental therapist can work independently, or in a team with an oral hygienist and a dentist and will refer complicated procedures for further management to a dentist. They may however not practise independently unless they have practised for at least one year under the control and supervision of a dentist or another dental therapist.
Requirements
What kind of personality do I need?
A dental therapist should be interested in physical and biological sciences. A good intellectual ability is required to successfully complete the course. A dental therapist needs to be an accurate and careful worker and be able to work with fine instruments. Good eyesight and manual dexterity is thus required.
Some basic tasks may be of repetitious nature and the dental therapist must be able to maintain high standards of work even under these circumstances.
Where can I work?
Due to the ever-increasing number of people relying on health care, there is a constant demand for their services.
Can I work for myself in this occupation?
Dental therapists may begin their own practice, but must refer more serious conditions to dentists. Dental therapists must, however practise for at least one year under the supervision of a dentist or another dental therapist.
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