A dental therapist is a licensed dental auxiliary who specializes in treating children's teeth and oral hygiene. Local dental regulations determine the duties therapists are able to perform. Typically, therapists under the prescription of a dentist are licensed to examine children's teeth, administer restricted techniques of local anesthesia, take radiographs, provide sealants, scaling and cleaning in children. Also restoring primary teeth and vital pulp treatments such as pulpotomies.

Local dental regulations are constantly changing to include extended duties and exemptions for dental therapists.

[edit] By country or state

In the UK a dental therapist working from a prescribed treatment plan can treat children and adults, with direct restorations, periodontal and oral hygiene treatment and extraction of deciduous teeth. They can also place pre-formed stainless steel crowns on deciduous teeth. They can apply medicaments listed by the General Dental Council and administer local anaesthetic by infiltration, interpapillary, interligamentary and inferior block techniques. Dental therapists can work independently and outwith the supervision of a dentist. Training is usually by dual diploma in dental hygiene and dental therapy but a few dental schools offer full degree training in combined hygiene/therapy. Therapists trained in the UK can work in the NHS and privatly or work in the hospital and community service.

In the United States (Alaska and Minnesota) allow dental therapists to practice basic dental surgical procedures under the supervision of a dentist.

In Canada dental therapists to practice basic dental surgical procedures under the supervision of a dentist.

In Australia and New Zealand, therapists mainly work for state government (public clinics) and school dental programs, treating children's teeth. Regulation restrictions include: reading of periapical radiographs, restoring adult teeth in children above grade 10 and restoring non-vital teeth.

In Sri Lanka a dental therapy program was developed by New Zealand trained dental therapists as a result of the Colombo Plan. Dental therapists are allowed to work in school based clinics and maintain the dental hygiene in young Sri Lankans.

[edit] See also

• Dentistry
• Dental auxiliary
  • Dental hygienist
  • Dental assistant
  • Dental technician

[edit] External links

• University of Washington Dental therapy program
• UK NHS dental therapist careers
• Canadian Dental Therapists Association
• Alaskan Dental Health Aid program
• Dental therapist description, Australian Dental Association

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• Minnesota dental therapy program