NSW Health Logo
COUNTRY CAREERS
  1. You are here:
  2. Home
  3. Oral Health

Oral Health

As an Oral Health practitioner in country NSW you are an integral and respected part of the community. Take the opportunity to achieve personal as well as professional satisfaction and take advantage of the many lifestyle benefits available to those who live in country NSW.

Plus enhance your career progression with access to further development and training that may be supported state or national scholarships.

There is also significant growth and development occurring in your field in country areas, for example:

  • The opening of the Rural and Regional Oral Health Centres at Orange, Coffs Harbour and Queanbeyan
  • Ensuring specialist paediatric dental services (provided on a rotation basis) will be available in more regional oral health centres
  • Upgrade of clinics and chairs

Oral Health Practitioner's Categories

  • Dental Specialists:
    Diagnose and treat diseases, injuries, irregularities and malformations of teeth and associated structures in the mouth and jaw using surgery and other specialist techniques.
  • Visiting Dental Officers
    A dentist (or dental specialist) appointed by a public health organisation as a visiting practitioner under an agreed Service Contract. A VDO is employed as an independent contractor and as such there is no applicable award i.e. they are not an 'employee'.
  • Dental Officers
    Diagnose and treat dental disease and restore normal oral function using a broad range of treatments such as surgery and other specialist techniques. They also advise on oral health.
  • Dental Therapists
    Health providers registered to provide a range of primary dental health services for children and adolescents.
  • Dental Hygienists
    Use preventive, educational and therapeutic methods for controlling oral diseases in order to help individual patients and groups achieve and maintain oral health.
  • Dental Assistants
    Provide assistance to the dentist, dental therapists, dental hygienist, oral health therapist or dental prosthetists during oral health care procedures.
  • Dental Technicians
    Construct and repair dentures (false teeth) and other dental appliances, including crowns and bridges. They work under the prescription of a dentist or dental prosthetist
  • Dental Prosthetists
    Work independently and in public clinics to provide complete and partial dentures and mouthguards to the public. They also consult directly with clients about their dental prosthetic needs.

Read on for information on Benefits and you can check out what positions are available in Job Search.

International Applicants

If you an international graduate and in Australia or currently overseas see International Applicants.

This web page is managed and authorised by Workforce Development & Leadership of the NSW Department of Health. Last updated: 26 June, 2009