Meet your dental team
Queensland Health employs a range of staff to deliver oral health services to eligible patients. The types of dental practitioners may vary between clinics, but here are some roles you may find at your local dental clinic,
Dentist
Dentists provide a full range of general dental services to patients of all ages in a variety of settings. They provide assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management and preventive services to patients of all ages.
Dentists are registered dental practitioners with the Dental Board of Australia.
Dental specialist
Dental specialists are dentists who have completed further study to specialise in a particular area of dentistry such as
- endodontics
- oral pathology and oral medicine
- orthodontics
- paediatric dentistry
- periodontics
- prosthodontics.
Dental specialists are registered dental practitioners with the Dental Board of Australia.
Dental prosthetist
Dental prosthetists are dental technicians who have completed further studies to enable them to work directly with patients for the construction, maintenance and removal of prosthetic appliances, such as dentures and mouthguards.
Dental prosthetists are registered dental practitioners with the Dental Board of Australia.
Oral health therapist
Oral health therapists are dual qualified as a dental therapist and dental hygienist. Oral health therapists provide oral health assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management and preventive services for children and adolescents. If trained, oral health therapists provide these services for adults of all ages. Oral health therapists may provide dental hygiene services to patients of all ages.
Oral health therapists are registered dental practitioners with the Dental Board of Australia.
Dental therapist
Dental therapists provide oral health assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management and preventive services for children and adolescents. If trained, dental therapists provide these services for adults of all ages.
Dental therapists are registered dental practitioners with the Dental Board of Australia.
Dental technician
Dental technicians perform the technical laboratory tasks involved in the fabrication of prosthetic appliances such as dentures (false teeth) and other appliances including crowns, bridges and mouthguards. Dental technicians are not registered dental practitioners.
Clinical assistant
Clinical assistants provide clinical support to other dental team members (dentists, dental specialists, oral health therapists, dental therapists and dental prosthetists) in providing care to patients. They may have additional qualifications, skills and experience to enable them to take dental radiographs (x-rays) and provide health promotion and preventive advice to patients. Clinical assistants are not registered dental practitioners.
Administration officers
Administration officers are critical to the smooth functioning of oral health facilities within Queensland Health. They are responsible for scheduling and confirming appointments, patient record maintenance and in ensuring patients are made to feel welcome at their first point of telephone or face-to-face contact with the service.