University of Newcastle oral health therapy students graduate with dual qualifications in dental hygiene and dental therapy. Our degree is also the only one in NSW that qualifies you to treat both children and adults, broadening your career options and boosting your employability.

When you study to be an oral health professional, you will learn skills in oral health that can make a real difference and shape a healthier future for children and adults. Work closely with professional dental practitioners and learn to perform a range of preventative and minor restorative tasks, educate your community on best practices and discover emerging methods for controlling and treating disease.

What you will study

The Bachelor of Oral Health Therapy degree will build your scientific knowledge and clinical skills, using a population-based approach to oral health care.

• Learn how to provide preventative and simple restorative treatments to individuals.
• Discover how oral health and general health are intertwined, developing skills to improve overall individual and community wellbeing.
• Develop critical research skills that will set you in good stead for life-long learning as an oral health professional.
• Gain hands-on experience in our on-campus oral health clinic and simulation laboratory and undertake clinical placements in rural and urban regions across NSW.

Your courses will be drawn from a variety of disciplines including:

• clinical treatment for children, the elderly, Indigenous Australians and special needs groups
• communication
• dental therapy
• health promotion
• human bioscience and anatomy
• oral pathology
• periodontology
• radiography

The Bachelor of Oral Health will not qualify a student to become a Dentist but will allow graduates to work closely with practitioners in clinics and perform a range of specialist tasks.

The sample job titles listed include a range of opportunities for graduates at degree, honours and postgraduate study levels and may vary based on experience.

• Dental Assistant
• Dental Hygienist
• Dental Prosthetist
• Dental Technician
• Health Promotion Officer
• Oral Health/Dental Therapist
• Research Scientist
• University Lecturer/Academic