Oral Health Therapy,B-ORALHT

Overview

Oral health therapists are experts in diagnosing, treating and preventing oral disease in patients of all ages. They are registered independent dental practitioners, skilled in various dental treatments, including deciduous tooth removals, some fillings and periodontal therapy. Oral health therapists promote oral health, encourage healthy oral hygiene behaviours and prevent oral disease.

In this course, you’ll learn how to communicate with a diverse group of patients, develop public health initiatives, change behaviours and manage oral and dental diseases.

Throughout your studies, you’ll complete various placements, collaborating with dentists and other healthcare professionals to address the oral health needs of individual patients.

Upon graduating, you’ll have the knowledge, practical skills and confidence required to commence your career as an oral health therapist.

This can be a physically and mentally challenging course. Please familiarise yourself with the inherent requirements before applying.

What you'll learn

• identify oral disease and synthesise information to develop appropriate preventive and treatment plans to support the oral health needs of individuals, including special care
• apply problem-solving, critical thinking and decision-making skills in the management of oral disease in individuals and the community, utilising contemporary technologies relevant to dental practice in a responsible and effective manner
• identify oral disease and synthesise information to develop appropriate preventive and treatment plans to support the oral health needs of individuals, including special care
• provide appropriate patient care and oral health education by applying evidence-based clinical principles and behaviour management techniques, and apply contemporary technologies relevant to dental practice in a responsible and effective manner
• communicate effectively with patients, key stake holders and other health professionals
• utilise lifelong learning skills promoting ongoing personal and professional development to offer the best possible care to individuals and the community
• promote oral health and general health of individuals and the community by working collaboratively and considering cultural differences
• demonstrate cultural awareness and promote equal access to preventive oral health care for the community
• practice in a professional and ethical manner as part of the dental team and critically reflect on care provided

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

If your documents are not issued in English, an official translation from a recognised translation service must be provided.

Recognised translation services

• National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) accredited translator in Australia
• The Awarding institution
• A Notary Public Office
• The official Government body
• An official and accredited translator*

*Official translations are subject to review.

If you have undertaken previous study or work that matches the content of some of your Curtin course units, you may be able to obtain credit for recognised learning, which exempts you from studying those units.

You can apply direct online through our Applicant Portal. You can access the Applicant Portal by:

1. Navigating to the relevant course page
2. Click ‘Apply now’
3. When the pop-up window appears, select “Apply directly to Curtin University”.

If you want to package your course with a Curtin English course, you can submit your application with your course application documents to streamline the process.

If your application is successful, you will receive an offer that you will need to accept or reject.

If you accept your offer, you will receive a Confirmation of Enrolment ­– a document from Curtin that details your course, how long you will be studying the course, and the tuition fees. This document can be used for acquiring a student visa.

Apply to the Australian government for your student visa. Gaining a student visa will allow you to participate in full-time study in Australia and work up to 40 hours in a fortnight. If you’re under 18 years of age, you must have approved accommodation and welfare arrangements in place before a visa can be issued.