Talk:Dental therapist

Intro edits
A dental therapist is a member of the dental team whose role is dependent on their approved education, training and competence. [1] The age of patient's they are able to treat, whether it be children adolescents or adults is also dependent on their training, however their main role in the dental team is the provision of preventative services. [1] This page will explore various countries that employ dental therapists. This includes information on their training, responsibilities, roles within the dental team, and a brief history of dental therapy.

Local dental regulations are constantly changing to include extended duties and exemptions for dental therapists, with each country having their own regulations and guidelines. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Em.nugi.boh (talk • contribs) 10:10, 25 May 2014 (UTC)

Suggested Edits
Watch this space for the link to the edited page suggested by a group of oral health students from Australia Kateo231 (talk) 02:31, 2 December 2013 (UTC)Kateo231

Suggested Contents by StaccaP

1. Training

2. Responsibilities

3. Role within the dental team

4. History

5. By country - wanting to delete this section written by the previous authors Kateo231 (talk) 06:52, 22 May 2014 (UTC)

6. See also

7. References — Preceding unsigned comment added by StaccaP (talk • contribs) 02:50, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Training
Suggested Edit under the training section by Kateo231 :

Dental Therapists provide preventative and restorative dental care for children and adolescents in fifty three countries, below are a select few that sufficient and appropriate information was able to be obtained about. Kateo231 (talk) 23:58, 13 May 2014 (UTC)

Dental Therapist Training in Australia

Dental Therapists in Australia examine and treat oral disease in children and adolescents, under the supervision of a dentist. Therapists need to be registered under the Dental Board of Australia (DBA) and can work in both public and private sectors but are primarily employed to work in public in community dental. Dental therapists are no longer trained in Australia, and instead Oral Health Therapists are being trained. An oral health therapist is trained as both a dental therapist and a hygienist with a focus on health promotion and disease prevention. Kateo231 (talk) 07:24, 29 April 2014 (UTC)

Oral health therapy training occurs at university and therefore completion of secondary schooling to a high standard is mandatory, including certain pre-requisite subjects that differ between states/territories and between the universities that offer the courses themselves. This specific information can be found by following this link … http://www.jobguide.thegoodguides.com.au/occupation/Oral-Health-Therapist

Oral Health Therapists are trained to perform: •	Educate and motivate children and the community •	Dental examinations •	Cleaning teeth •	Restoring teeth •	Local anaesthetic •	Extracting deciduous (baby) teeth •	Taking radiographs (x-rays) •	Preventative treatments – fissure sealants, fluoride applications, oral hygiene instruction •	Taking impressions for mouthguards •	Refer complex problems to dentists •	Educate school canteens about health foods •	Liase with other health care professionals Kateo231 (talk) 06:49, 22 May 2014 (UTC)

The training differs in each course but the golden rule is that once graduated an oral health therapist can only perform what they have been formally trained in. (References = Inc. ADA. Education and Training 2014. Available from: http://www.ada.org.au/dentalprofessionals/edandtrain.aspx. and AustralianGovernment. Oral Health Therapist 2014. Available from: http://www.jobguide.thegoodguides.com.au/occupation/Oral-Health-Therapist.) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kateo231 (talk • contribs) 10:20, 20 January 2014 (UTC)  Kateo231 (talk) 10:22, 20 January 2014 (UTC)

Dental Therapist Training in New Zealand

Development of the Dental Therapists began in New Zealand, they were initially trained as “Dental Nurses” providing preventative and simple restorative care to children aged up to 12 years old. Dental Therapists in New Zealand were employed to treat children at a school dental service including treatment of pre-schoolers. Kateo231

Dental Therapist Training in Alaska

Dental therapists were first employed in Alaska in 2005, mostly focused on providing treatment in rural communities. Kateo231

Dental Therapist Training in the United States

The united states are increasing employment and training opportunities for dental therapists in order to reduce to the level of need and to increase access to care for Americans. Kateo231 Kateo231 (talk) 10:58, 4 April 2014 (UTC)Kateo231

Dental Therapist Training in the United Kingdom

Training can be obtained through two courses, a combined Dental Hygiene and Therapy 27 month (full-time) course or an Bachelors in Oral Health Science 3 year (full-time) course, once qualified a therapist must be registered with the General Dental Council. Kateo231 (talk) 08:16, 29 April 2014 (UTC) Dental therapists in the UK are majorly employed into the community dental profession and perform a limited range of treatment. Before treatment can occur through the provision of a therapist, a qualified dentist must perform the initial examination. The procedures performed by dental therapists in the UK include routine and preventative treatment and education with patients. The therapists have a large focus on patients self care creating home care plans and identifying areas where patients express deficits in efficacy of plaque removal. Kateo231 (talk) 08:16, 29 April 2014 (UTC) [User:Kateo231|Kateo231]] (talk) 00:11, 16 April 2014 (UTC)

Responsibilities of a Dental Therapist.

Under the supervision of a dentist, in a private or public setting, a Dental therapist is allowed to examine, prevent and treat oral diseases in pre-school, primary and secondary school children.

The following tasks are regularly performed by Dental Therapists.

Educate patients, parents, schools and communities about the progression of dental disease, how to prevent dental disease and how to maintain good oral health.

Treat patients via giving comprehensive oral examination, dietary advice, help to modify any risk factors for dental disease, give oral hygiene instruction to patient and parent/guardian, remove and fill any carious lesions. Extract deciduous (baby) teeth under local anaesthetic, take radiographs of the patient’s teeth, provide fissure sealant protection when necessary, administer fluoride therapy and provide a professional clean.

Refer and Communicate -  Dental Therapists are able to refer to a dentist when a problem becomes complex, they working with schools, including canteens in recommending  healthy options for students and staff. They can give oral hygiene instruction to classes and can communicate with other health care providers ie. Immunisation clinics and maternal health care nurses.

http://www.ada.org.au/dentalprofessionals/therapist.aspx

Sirparsley (talk) 09:12, 21 January 2014 (UTC)

Role within the dental team
Suggested edit to Role within the dental Tristandfield

Dental therapists practice in a team situation alongside a practising dentist and have a tradition of being part of the dental team primarily to provide dental care to children through school dental services – need to add to wiki page Their position has previously been under some scrutiny however recent research has highlighted their level of competence is equal to that of a dentist when clinicians stay within their scope of practice. [Phillips, E., & Shaefer, H. L. (2013). Dental therapists: Evidence of technical competence. Journal of Dental Research, 92(7 Suppl), 11S-S15.] Tristandfield (talk)13:00, 24 of May

Referencing to follow. Rm2mcrae (talk) 00:15, 19 March 2014 (UTC)

Professional support for the role of the dental therapist in the dental team has been widely accepted in Australia and New Zealand, where their role came about in response to population need from the rising numbers of caries prevalence in children.

Referencing to follow. Rm2mcrae

This same support has not followed in all countries, with the United States referring to dental therapists as ‘lower level practitioners’ with a study showing 75% of US paediatric dentists not knowing what a dental therapist was and 71% of them disagreeing to add them as part of the dental team.

Referencing to follow. Rm2mcrae — Preceding undated comment added 10:30, 5 May 2014 (UTC)

references

History Text
In 1913, the then President of the New Zealand Dental Association, Dr Norman K Cox proposed a system of school clinics operated by the state and staffed by 'oral hygienists' to address the dental needs of children between the ages of 6 and 14 years. At the time the idea was considered too unorthodox but in 1920, at a special meeting of the New Zealand Dental Association, 16 members voted for the adoption of school dental nurses with 7 opposed to the proposal. School dental nurses were to provide diagnostic and restorative services to children less than 12 yeas of age '...in a rigidly structured set of methods and procedures which spare her the anxiety of making choices'.

In Great Britan, during the first world war, 'dental dressers' were used to carry out examinations and treatment for children in parts of England. Their role however, was eliminated by the Dentist Act of 1921 because of hostility to the role on the part of the dentist profession. They were later re-introduced, on the strength of the New Zealand scheme, as dental therapists when the high dental needs of children were 'rediscovered' in the 1960's, carrying out similar services but under the prescription of a dentist who carried out the examination and care plan.

School dental services based on dental therapists were also established in other countries including Canada, South Africa, the Netherlands (temporarily), Fiji, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines and in 2000, 28 countries around the world utilised dental therapists. In today's modern day practices, in all previously mentioned countries dental therapists are becoming more recognised and employable due to the identifiable need for dental professionals in undeserved areas Friedman, J. W. (2011). The international dental therapist: History and current status. Journal of the California Dental Association, 39(1), 23-29.

The above information can be accessed at

http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0011848611002640/1-s2.0-S0011848611002640-main.pdf?_tid=610983a4-db61-11e3-a96f-00000aab0f27&acdnat=1400069883_3f36878a1921f9928056e2ba9ecb6344

Referencing to follow. StaccaP (talk) 04:03, 18 March 2014 (UTC) Tristandfield ( talk) 10:29, 14 May 2014 (UTC)

By country edits
In the Netherlands, there is currently a dental professional similar to that of an Oral Health therapist. They are called Oral hygienists. They can currently perform procedures of a dental hygienist and are trained to perform therapeutic procedures that a dental therapist can perform. However, they are only allowed to perform these therapeutic procedures under the instruction of a dentist.

Proposal to delete the "By Country" section as it is now applicable to the "Training" Kateo231 (talk) 03:13, 20 April 2014 (UTC)

Suggested Edits
Watch this space for the link to the edited page suggested by a group of oral health students from Australia — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kateo231 (talk • contribs) 02:22, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has had 'School Dental Therapists' (initially trained in New Zealand starting in 1951) in a School Dental Service-like system like NZ. https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/1136/dental-nurses-from-ceylon Since 1955 they have be trained in Sri Lanka, initially by NZ instructors https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353009216_School_Dental_Therapists'_Services_in_Sri_Lanka_An_overview Pear285 (talk | contribs) 01:44, 7 August 2022 (UTC)