They are now also trained in New Zealand, Singapore, and Indonesia. Depending on local regulations, oral health therapists may work in consultation with dentists, or independently.
And depending on regulations and training, may treat only children, or patients of any age. Duties usually include examining teeth and/or gingiva (gums), taking and interpreting intra and extra-oral radiographs, diagnosing dental caries (decay) and periodontal (gum) disease, restoring teeth (either deciduous (primary) or both deciduous and permanent), extracton of deciduous teeth, scaling or debridement to remove calculus, polishing to remove stain, applying fisssure sealants and topical fluoride, patient education, and oral hygiene instruction.