A dental therapist is a dental professional who provides dental services but is not a licensed or trained dentist. Dental therapists usually perform the same procedures as dentists, such as tooth cleaning, drilling, and cavity filling. In countries like the United States and parts of Western Europe, where medically trained dentists are plentiful, dental therapy is a contentious practice. A dental therapist, on the other hand, can be a much-needed solution in other parts of the world where there is a severe lack of dental care.
Dental therapy developed primarily as a response to severe dental shortages in some of the world’s most remote locations. Although many dentists will travel to remote areas on short-term medical missions to provide one-time dental care and check-ups, most dentists do not want to live in those areas permanently. It was widely assumed that training local residents to work as dental therapists would be a better long-term solution.
Traditional dental school entails four years of dental school and an undergraduate degree, usually in biology or chemistry. Doctors of dentistry are graduates who are typically licensed to provide dental services a state or national government. Dentistry is a highly regulated profession, which requires dentists to pass an exam and continue their education on a regular basis in order to maintain their license.
In contrast, there are usually only a few, if any, set requirements for dental therapists. There are no educational requirements for many dental therapist training programs, and while some are facilitated and taught licensed dentists, not all are. A dental therapy program’s main goal is to teach people how to perform basic dental procedures and to provide community dental hygiene and care advice. The majority of dental therapists work with children.
Dental therapy training programs began in rural areas where there was a lack of access to dental care. The goal was to teach residents how to look after themselves while also promoting community health and economic stability. Dental therapy programs have expanded to include a wider range of applicants, and the job description for a dental therapist has grown as well.
While dental therapists are still most common in underserved rural areas, they are also becoming more common in mainstream urban and suburban communities, where they are often used as a cost-effective alternative to oral care. Dental therapists in these settings frequently run dental clinics that offer the same dental services as a regular dentist’s office. They also go to schools and community events to teach children about proper dental hygiene.
The practice of dentistry is strictly regulated in many countries. Because much of what a dental therapist does is dentistry as defined statutes and laws, some jurisdictions have prosecuted dental therapists for practicing dentistry without a license. While the practice of dental therapy is tolerated and encouraged in some communities, it is illegal and punishable in others. Some countries, states, and provinces have created licensing schemes and limited recognition of dental therapy as a legitimate profession in response to the increase in dental therapist services, but not all have.