Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who is an Oral Health Therapist?

They are part of a team of Dental professionals working alongside Dentists to ensure that the oral hygiene of patients is at an optimal level before receiving complex/specialist treatment. An Oral Health Therapist is not a Dental Assistant, they treat actual patients.They are specially trained to treat children for extractions and fillings for milk teeth. They also see patients of all ages for scaling, polishing and deep cleaning.Oral Health Therapists are licensed to treat patients under the prescription of a Registered Dentist (Please see “About Oral Health Therapy” page for more information).

Why should you see an Oral Health Therapist?

Did you know… Oral Health Therapist are also known as Dental Hygienist in westernized countries. In New Zealand, the profession has been around for close to a century. In America, they have been around for more than 50 years. In Australia, it has been around for more than 30 years.

In Singapore, we are a decade and a half young. Despite our youthfulness, we are confident that our graduates conduct themselves professionally and ethically.

The bone and gums in our oral cavity support our teeth. Without them, our teeth would be at stake. It is, therefore, imperative that one finds an Oral Health Therapist that they are comfortable making a regular visit to. The OHT will help you maintain the health of your gums on a regular basis and
identify any new budding cavities.

They are the first line of communication with patients when they come back for their 6-monthly dental checkups. OHTs are able to identify and differentiate health; disease, stable; unstable conditions.

What are the differences between a Dentist and an Oral Health Therapist?

A Dentist does more complex treatment such as Dental Crowns, Bridges, Dentures, Root Canal Treatment, and even Oral Surgery. These treatment modalities require much time in Examination, Diagnosis and Prescription before the actual procedure is carried out.

They are trained under the Bachelor of Dental Science program at the National University of Singapore, certifying them to practice competently on the more complex treatment stated above.

Does this mean that an Oral Health Therapist is less competent than a dentist?

There should not be much debate on the qualification of a clinician. Ultimately, it is the amount of experience a person has in the field of work they do.

It would be wiser to allow Oral Health Therapists an opportunity to do a couple rounds of Scaling and Polishing or Deep Cleaning before making a judgment call.

In addition, there have been many testimonials of patients wanting to only see an Oral Health Therapist/Dental Hygienist/Dental Therapist. This is because they are doing the same kind of work throughout the day, allowing them to learn the tricks of the dental procedure.