Dental therapist

You would carry out treatments to make people’s teeth healthier and look better such as doing simple fillings, polishing teeth and taking x-rays.

You’d need to be friendly and sympathetic to help anxious patients feel more relaxed about having the treatment.

You could work in dental practices, hospitals or the community.

You’d work as part of a team and carry out the clinical treatments prescribed by a dentist.

You would:

• Remove plaque and other tooth coatings, such as calculus

• Apply antibacterial and de-sensitising agents

• Polish teeth

• Do tooth whitening

• Apply sealants and fluorides to teeth to help prevent decay

• Take x-rays

• Replace temporary fillings and crowns

• Carry out simple fillings

• Extract deciduous (milk) teeth

• Give certain types of local anaesthetic, unsupervised

You would use a range of instruments, and sometimes have the help of a dental nurse.

You’d also do health promotion and education activities with children and adults. You’d teach and motivate individuals and groups to look after their teeth and gums.

You could work for the National Health Service (NHS) or in the private sector. You can see more about this role in the National Health Service on the Dental therapist page on the NHS Careers website.

• General Dental Council - the regulatory body for the dental profession

• Disclosure Scotland – more about the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme

• NHS Education for Scotland – Training for the healthcare workforce including higher education and professional development