Dental therapist
Dental therapists provide a range of dental services to adults and children, like x-rays, tooth impressions, scaling and polishing.
Typical Salary
£30,000 – £53,000
per year
Working Hours
38–42
hours per week
Day-to-day tasks
As a dental therapist, you would work closely with a dental team.
You could:
- do tests to assess a patient's oral health, and chart and monitor gum disease
- take dental x-rays
- remove plaque and tartar from teeth and polish them
- apply sealants and fluorides to help prevent tooth decay
- extract baby teeth, and add crowns and fillings for clients under certain circumstances
- provide care for implant sites
- advise patients on treatment plans and how to care for their teeth and gums
Skills needed
- knowledge of medicine and dentistry
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- sensitivity and understanding
- customer service skills
- the ability to work well with others
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to work well with your hands
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to get into this role
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- working towards this role
Career progression
With experience you could:
- move into dental practice management
- become self employed and set up your own practice
- work in dental teaching, training or research
- join a commercial company that makes dental products and equipment
- complete a dental degree to qualify as a dentist