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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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32111.02 – Dental therapists

Dental therapists provide limited restorative dental treatment in addition to dental hygiene services.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Dental therapist

Core competencies

  • Monitoring to monitor patient response, emotions and pain levels during tooth restorations, extractions and dental examinations to determine if breaks, additional anesthesia or other solutions are required
  • Social Perceptiveness to provide comfort to nervous patients, build rapport and maintain friendly conversation during appointments
  • Finger Dexterity to use molds to take accurate dental impressions, to use precision instruments to remove stains and deposits from teeth and to perform routine tooth restorations
  • Near Vision to closely examine teeth and interpret X-rays, perform precise procedures and maintain detailed records
  • Attention to Detail to identify subtle indicators of oral health issues and to ensure thorough record-keeping
  • Knowledge in Physical Health to understand and recognize signs and symptoms of systemic health issues during dental examinations

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Perform routine dental check-ups, oral cancer examinations and emergency dental examinations
  • Take dental impressions
  • Take and develop X-rays
  • Perform preventative dental procedures such as teeth cleaning, gum stimulation and fluoride and sealant applications
  • Provide oral care instructions such as oral hygiene procedures, strategies to maintain and improve oral health and on the impact of nutrition on oral health
  • Perform routine teeth restorations and uncomplicated extractions and provide post extraction oral care instructions
  • Refer patients to other dental professionals for care beyond the scope of the dental therapist
  • Provide oral health promotion activities
  • May supervise dental assistants in their health care functions.

Additional information

No data has been provided for this section.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants (33100)
  • Dental technologists and technicians (32112)
  • Dentists (31110)
  • Denturists (32110)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

3 – Health occupations

TEER

2 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of two or more years; or supervisory occupations

Major group

32 – Technical occupations in health

Sub-major group

321 – Technical occupations in health (except practitioners of natural healing)

Minor group

3211 – Technical occupations in dental health care

Unit group

32111 – Dental hygienists and dental therapists

Occupational profile

32111.02 – Dental therapists

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.