1. Position Summary
Government should adequately plan for the dental workforce to provide for the needs of the community. Education and training of dental personnel should be appropriate to the duties they are expected to perform.Dentists are the only dental practitioner who are registered to practise the full scope of dentistry and should be the team leader. Australia must be self-sufficient with regard to workforce supply.
2. Background
2.1 Dentists were one of the first formally trained health practitioners.
2.2 Dentists are the only dental practitioner who are registered to practise the full scope of dentistry.
2.3 Maintaining and improving the oral health of the community relies on adequate dental workforce and infrastructure.
2.4 Over the years dental workers other than dentists have been introduced into the dental workforce.
2.5 The number of dental practitioners being educated should reflect the demand for services and this depends on population, demographic changes, levels of oral diseases, price sensitivity and access to quality care.
2.6 The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law recognises Dentists and the following other Dental Practitioners: dental specialists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, oral health therapists and dental prosthetists.
2.7 Other Dental Personnel in Australia include dental assistants, dental laboratory assistants and dental technicians.
2.8 Other support staff in dental practices include cleaners, practice managers and receptionists.
2.9 A dentist is the only dental practitioner entitled to use the title “dentist”.
2.10 Dentist education and training involves different models with at least five years at university. This
can be:
• either a single primary dentist degree; or
• a combination of initial general biological science degree and a postgraduate primary dentist degree the latter of which is at least 3.5 year duration; or
• a three-year primary dentist degree and a two-year postgraduate dentist degree.
2.11 Dentist education and training in Australia follows a range of models, all of which must be accredited by the Australian Dental Council (ADC) and approved by the Dental Board of Australia (DBA). These include:
• A single-entry undergraduate dental degree, typically aligned with AQF Level 7 or 8;
• A postgraduate dental degree following a prior degree in science or health, typically aligned with AQF Level 9; or
• A combination of undergraduate and postgraduate programs that together meet the ADC’s accreditation requirements for general registration, collectively aligned with AQF Level 7, 8 or 9 depending on program structure
2.12 Regardless of the educational pathway, registered dentists should be considered the principal dental practitioner and leaders of the dental team
Definitions
2.13 A DENTIST is an appropriately qualified dental practitioner, registered by the Board to practice all
areas of dentistry.
2.14 BOARD is the Dental Board of Australia.
2.15 DENTAL PRACTITIONER is a person registered by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency via the Board to provide dental care.
2.16 DENTAL PERSONNEL are dental practitioners and other staff working in the provision of dental services.
2.17 A DENTAL TEAM comprises a mix of dentists and other registered dental practitioners and support staff and should be led by a dentist who is responsible for the diagnosis, treatment planning, delivery of dental procedures and continuing evaluation of the oral health of the patient. The dentist supports and directs the other members of the dental team working directly with them.
2.18 OVERSEAS QUALIFIED DENTISTS are dentists whose primary dental degree was gained outside of Australia.
2.19 AUSTRALIAN DENTAL COUNCIL (the ADC) is an independent authority assigned the accreditation functions for the dental profession by the Dental Board of Australia under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.
2.20 VET - Vocational education and training. VET focuses on providing practical skills for work and may be completed off-the-job in education institutions such as TAFE institutes and private providers.
2.21 DENTAL SCHOOL: A dental school is a tertiary institution or faculty within a university that delivers a program of study accredited by the Australian Dental Council (ADC) and approved by the Dental Board of Australia (DBA), leading to a qualification aligned with Level 7 or above of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Completion of this program enables graduates to obtain general registration as a dentist in Australia.
3. Position
3.1 All Australians should have access to modern, comprehensive oral health care provided by an appropriately educated and trained dental workforce.
3.2 Australia must be self-sufficient with regard to workforce supply. The dental workforce training numbers for each category of dental personnel should be based on necessity, the requirements and demand of the community.
1.1. Dentists, being the most completely trained dental practitioners, are central to the delivery of comprehensive dental care.
1.2. Board and governments should recognise dentists as the principal dental practitioner and team leader.
3.3 Dental personnel who perform invasive and irreversible procedures should be registered.
3.4 All dental practitioners must clearly identify themselves by their protected title and must not misrepresent their registration status.
3.5 Non-registered dental personnel should work under the supervision or prescription of a dental practitioner.
3.6 There should be clearly defined competencies for dental practitioners to assist:
• educational institutions to provide national uniform training outcomes;
• members of the dental workforce to understand each others' roles;
• the public to understand each team member’s role; and
• the accreditation of allied dental practitioner training where appropriate.
3.7 Education and training institutions should use uniform nomenclature for qualifications for each category of the dental workforce.
3.8 Clinical supervision and teaching of dental practitioners must be provided or directly overseen by a dental practitioner who is registered in Australia and competent to deliver the skill being taught within their registered scope of practice. Where other qualified educators contribute to clinical teaching, their involvement must be supported by appropriate oversight and accountability structures to ensure alignment with Australian regulatory standards and patient expectations and safety requirements.
3.9 The future dental workforce should provide services that:
• are patient focused ;
• are population based;
• lead to the coordinated, non-fragmented provision of oral health services;
• are preventively oriented;
• ensure adequate availability in regional and remote areas; and
• are delivered efficiently and effectively.
3.10 The dental workforce is best served by dental teams with the dentist as the team leader.
3.11 Education and training of dentists in Australia must be conducted in the higher education sector by a tertiary institution and result in a qualification aligned with Level 9 or above of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The program must be accredited by the Australian Dental Council (ADC) and approved by the Dental Board of Australia (DBA).
3.12 Selection for entrance into such a program should not be based solely on academic performance and may include must possess the intellectual, ethical, physical and emotional capabilities required to participate in the full curriculum and to achieve the levels of competence at graduation required by the dental school and the Australian health practitioner regulation agency.
3.13 The dental workforce training numbers for each category of dental practitioners and support staff should be based on the requirements and demand of the community.
3.14 Oral diseases, especially dental caries, periodontal disease and oral cancer, are largely preventable. Therefore, the training of dental practitioners should have a strong focus on prevention.
3.15 Education and training of dental specialists in Australia may be undertaken by registered dentists through postgraduate programs accredited by the Australian Dental Council (ADC) and approved by the Dental Board of Australia (DBA) for specialist registration. These qualifications are typically aligned with Level 9 or above of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), depending on the program structure and university awarding the degree.
3.16 Education and training of oral health therapists in Australia must be delivered in the higher education sector by a tertiary institution and result in a qualification aligned with Level 7 or above of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The program must be accredited by the Australian Dental Council (ADC) and approved by the Dental Board of Australia (DBA). Training must be conducted within a dedicated course for graduate oral health therapists. Wherever possible, the program should be delivered in association with dental schools to support integrated learning and collaborative practice models.
3.17 Education and training of dental hygienists must result in a qualification aligned with Level 6 or above of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The program must be accredited by the Australian Dental Council (ADC) and approved by the Dental Board of Australia (DBA).
3.18 The program must be delivered through a dedicated course for graduate dental hygienists. Where possible, training should be undertaken in association with dental schools to support collaborative team-based care and alignment with broader dental education.
3.19 Formal education and training of dental technicians must be delivered through the vocational education and training (VET) sector and result in the completion of the Diploma of Dental Technology, aligned with Level 5 of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The program must be nationally recognised and delivered by a registered training organisation accredited to provide dental technology qualifications.
3.20 Training for dental laboratory assistants should be delivered at a minimum of Certificate III level, aligned with AQF Level 3, and consistent with nationally endorsed qualifications such as the Certificate III in Dental Laboratory Assisting.
3.21 A dental prosthetist must first be qualified as a dental technician and then gain an Advanced Diploma or Bachelor Degree aligned with AQF Level 6 or above, with a period of structured learning. The education and training must be conducted in the VET sector or tertiary institution and in accordance with Health training package and in programs accredited by the ADC.
3.22 Formal education and training of dental assistants should be at a minimum Certificate III level in the VET sector and result in a qualification aligned with at least Level 3 of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The program should be delivered in accordance with the nationally endorsed Health Training Package. The title for such a qualification should be Certificate III in Dental Assisting.
3.23 The number and distribution of dental practitioners should be carefully monitored and there should be annual publication of workforce data in a timely fashion.
4. Last review
September 2025
5. Next review due
September 2030
This Policy Statement is linked to other Policy Statement: 3.2 Dentists, 3.6 Higher Education Funding for the
Dental Workforce & 3.8 Overseas Qualified Dentists.
