Oral Health Therapist – Kaiakuaku Waha
“It doesn’t really feel like a job! I really find it rewarding that we make it a positive experience as a child, and then that leads on to adulthood, and hopefully onto their children, so we improve that positivity circle around dentistry”.
– Jordan Wearne, Oral Health Therapist
About the Career
Oral health therapists play an important role in community health and it’s a rewarding career for people who like working with young people and whānau. They may refer clients to dentists for more specialised dental treatment. Oral health therapists work with clinical guidance from a dentist or periodontist (a dentist who specialises in treating gum disease).
There’s a shortage of oral health therapists, especially Māori therapists, so it’s a meaningful career and it makes a difference for tamariki and whānau in our community. Oral health therapists provide dental care to patients, which includes treating gum disease and teaching people how to care for their teeth and gums.
Qualities you need
Oral Health Therapists need to be:
- Great communicators, good with children and whānau
- encouraging and willing to listen
- caring and sensitive to patients who are in pain or distress
- aware of the needs of people from other cultures and backgrounds
- able to explain complex information to patients
- skilled at organising, making decisions, and solving problems.
Career Pathway
School leavers need NCEA Level 3 with Biology. Entry requirements vary for adult learners. Oral health therapy training requires tertiary study. For students enrolling in the degree Te Whatu Ora may offer potential Scholarship opportunities, including paid holiday work, employment after graduation and a financial contribution at end of studies.
Find out more about Oral Therapy Careers here: https://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/health-and-community/health/oral-health-therapist/
Dental Technician
Dental technicians create and repair devices for the treatment, replacement and protection of damaged, crooked or missing teeth. Find out more:https://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/health-and-community/health/dental-technician/
Dental Hygienist
Treats gum diseases and helps people to have good oral and. Gives out information about how to prevent oral disease by caring for teeth and gums. Find out more: https://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/health-and-community/health/oral-health-therapist/
Dental Assistant
Helps dentists with patients and running the dental practice. https://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/health-and-community/health/dental-assistant/
In 2021 Why Ora made a video to promote Oral Therapy as a career, with the support of the Taranaki DHB and Community Oral Health team. Jordan features in the video!
Our Whānau Career Story
Jordan Wearne, Oral Health Therapist
Where do I work and what do I do?
Taranaki District Health Board in the Community Oral Health Service (COHS)
In my role as a Dental Therapist we complete regular dental examines on children from 0-17yrs. We provide preventative treatments, ie xrays, fissure sealants, fissure protections, fluoride treatment. We also treat teeth that have ‘decay’, ie place Stainless Steel Crowns’, complete ‘fillings’ and extract baby teeth when necessary. But most importantly we provide a huge amount of education for our patients and their whanau on how to best care for their smile.
What was my career pathway to get where I am / and what led me to this?
After I finished High School I was very unsure what I wanted to do so instead of going to University I decided to stay in Taranaki to work and get some ‘life experience’. I started working as a Dental Assistant, initially for a couple of the private Dentists around New Plymouth, and then working as a Dental Assistant for the Community Oral Health Service.
My interest in dentistry, and more specifically children’s dentistry, really grew while assisting this group of super passionate Dental Therapists back in 2010, 2011 and for the beginning of 2012. Seeing how much they so genuinely cared for their patient groups, always educating them in a warm and non-judgmental setting and making a child’s visit to the dental clinic seem fun!These same Dental Therapist were the reason why I made the decision to apply to for the Bachelor of Oral Health course. I had to complete a Level 3 Biology course via correspondence before being accepted into Oral Health and everyone in the Community Oral Health Service was super supportive and pushed me to get it done.
“My why” for doing this job and making a difference for Māori
If I can make a dental appointment for just one whānau super positive and meaningful then that is my why. I believe health care, and oral health care in particular, is about helping to further educate people on how to best care for their teeth and their oral environment, fulfilling their needs where they are unable to and encouraging them to maintain a level of good oral health while doing this all in a non- judgmental, safe, friendly and culturally sensitive environment.
As a Māori woman I am disheartened by the statement that being of Māori decent is a risk factor for a predicted lifetime of ‘bad’ oral health, and I feel a strong urge to help change this fact, even if it is only by a small amount. This is the main reason, out of many, as to why I have chosen the health field as my lifetime career.
