Dental therapist
Give people treatments to make their teeth healthier and look better such as simple fillings, polishing and x-rays.
Also known as: oral health practitioner
About the job
What it's like
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.
Hours
You would usually work around 37.5 hours a week between 9am and 5pm. Part-time work is also possible.
Environment
You would work mainly in dental surgeries and clinics, which are clean and well lit. When carrying out treatments, you would usually wear a coat or tunic, surgical gloves, eye protection and a mask to reduce the risk of cross infection.
Travel
If you are working in the Community Dental Service (CDS) or carrying out health promotion work, you may need to travel between schools, community centres and clinics.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- dentistry
- preventive care
- dental care
- oral health
- restorative dentistry
- tooth bleaching
- periodontology
- ibm parallel sysplex
- dental health
- cosmetic dentistry
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- time management
- taking initiative
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- empathising
- verbal communication
- cooperating
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Biology
Care
Chemistry
Human Biology
You would do a course approved by the General Dental Council (GDC) such as the BSc in Oral Health Science (SCQF level 10). This is a three-year degree course and is available at Dundee University, Glasgow Caledonian and the University of the Highlands and Islands.
To enter a Oral Health Science or dentistry degree (SCQF level 9/10) requires National 5 qualifications and a minimum of four Highers at B or above.
Edinburgh University offers the BSc Hons Oral Health Sciences. For entry you require four highers at BBBB including Biology.
Glasgow Dental School and Hospital offers a Diploma in Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy. This course is full time and is run over 27 months. You require three highers at C or above plus five subjects at National 5.
Qualifications that show understanding of health, wellbeing and care such as:
Health and Social Care (SCQF level 6)
SQA Wellbeing Award (SCQF levels 3-5)
It may be of an advantage to have experience as a dental nurse.
To be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland.
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