As a Bachelor of Oral Health student you’ll develop all the scientific, theoretical and clinical skills to practice in oral health therapy — which includes careers as both dental hygienist and dental therapist.
You will learn alongside dental students at the Melbourne Dental School in a high-tech clinical setting. You will also have the opportunity to undertake placements in metropolitan clinics and rural areas.
You will learn from a clinical teaching team including active practitioners and world-leading academics who bring international leadership, research and policy expertise to the degree.
The Bachelor of Oral Health has combined vocational outcomes in hygiene and therapy.
Hygiene
Dental hygienists provide dental care for all age groups. They examine and record the nature and severity of periodontal conditions, and clean, scale and root-plane teeth.
Therapy
Dental therapists provide dental care for children and adolescents. They examine oral and dental conditions, restore and conserve permanent and deciduous teeth, perform extractions of deciduous teeth, and remove calculus. Under recent changes dental therapists are also able to provide care to adults under certain circumstances.
Clinical and real-world experience
In the first two years, you’ll undertake clinical work at the Royal Dental Hospital. In the final year, clinical rotations are undertaken at community clinics in metropolitan and rural locations.
High-tech facilities
The Melbourne Dental School provides the most high-tech dental teaching facilities in the southern hemisphere and teachers who are leaders in their fields.
Accreditation
The Bachelor of Oral Health is recognised in all Australian states and territories and in New Zealand and is accredited by the Australian Dental Council (ADC). Students will register as dental practitioners with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) upon graduation.
Please note: the Bachelor of Oral Health is not a pathway to the Doctor of Dental Surgery. This is a vocational entry-to-practice qualification. Applicants over qualified for the Bachelor of Oral Health may not receive an offer for the program.
Charles Sturt University developed the Bachelor of Oral Health (Therapy and Hygiene) in cooperation with the Australian Dental Council, the Australian Dental Association, local dentists, oral health practitioners and senior consultants to ensure you graduate with the skills and knowledge for successful practice.
Exceptional employment outcomes
Our dental science and oral health graduates have excellent overall employment rates – 91.3 per cent of graduates find jobs within four months of graduating (Good Universities Guide 2020/21).
Outstanding facilities
Develop your practical skills in our state-of-the-art simulation clinic, dental technology/clinical support laboratory, biodental science learning suite and anatomy teaching facilities. If you’re studying at the Holmesglen Institute’s Chadstone campus, you’ll have access to a world-class oral health simulation facility.
Authentic experience
Charles Sturt University has five dental and oral health clinics across our Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga campuses. These clinics are open to patients from the local community and will provide some of your first professional training. You could undertake placements at any Charles Sturt University clinic during your course, working under the supervision of qualified practitioners.
Leading academics
Our academic team is committed to providing high-quality teaching and service to students and to rural and regional communities. You’ll benefit from small class sizes and learn from dedicated and experienced academics and guest lecturers.
Study options
Charles Sturt University offers this degree full-time over three years at our Wagga Wagga campus, or you can study the first two years of your course at the Holmesglen Institute’s Chadstone campus in Melbourne. If you are enrolled at the Holmesglen Institute, you’ll undertake lectures and pre-clinical training in Years 1 and 2 at Holmesglen, with some clinical training at Wagga Wagga. Towards the end of your degree, you may be able to apply to embark on a short study tour to Cambodia.
Outline
Outline
Promote oral health in the community and provide a range of clinical services, including dental examinations, preventative treatments, scaling and cleaning, the management of gum disease, fillings, simple extractions for children, dental radiography, taking dental impressions and a range of orthodontic duties.
This course starts with a study of preventive dentistry and oral health therapy techniques, together with relevant health, research and communication units that form part of your interprofessional first year.
In your second and third years your studies will combine theory, practical sessions and clinical practice.
You will undertake more than 750 hours of clinical training during the course in a variety of settings such as the Oral Health Centre of Western Australia, community clinics, private dental practices and the Dental Health Services’ clinic.
When you graduate you will have the practical industry skills and experience you need to start your career in oral health therapy with confidence.
Please refer to the handbook for additional course overview information.
What jobs can the Bachelor of Science (Oral Health Therapy) lead to?
Careers
- Oral health therapist
Industries
- General and specialist private dental practices
- Government school dental clinics
What you’ll learn
- provide appropriate patient care and dental health education by applying sound clinical principles and behaviour management techniques conducive to good oral health
- use problem-solving, critical thinking and decision-making skills in the management of oral disease in individuals and the community
- identify oral disease, gather and interpret data and synthesise information to develop appropriate preventive and treatment approaches as part of the overall needs of individuals
- communicate effectively with other health professionals, patients and various target groups
- use new and existing technologies relevant to dental practice in a responsible and effective manner
- utilise lifelong learning skills to help foster ongoing personal and professional development
- promote the oral health and general health of individuals and the community by working collaboratively, sharing knowledge and considering different perspectives
- demonstrate cultural awareness and understanding in the provision of patient care
- practice in a professional and ethical manner as part of the dental team and critically reflect on care provided.
Advocate for oral health
Oral health is an essential component of a healthy life. Complex dental work contributes to this, but proper care and prevention are just as important.
While dentists perform specialised treatments, oral health therapists have broad expertise in general oral health care and education.
What will you do?
Our Bachelor of Oral Health is an evidence-based degree that prepares you for providing general oral health care and health promotion. You will:
- learn in Australia’s newest dental teaching hospital, in the state-of-the-art Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences building
- study within a close-knit oral health learning community
- benefit from early clinical exposure and extensive placements
- practise using equipment in our Dental Simulation Clinic
- tackle real-life case scenarios in teams
- improve lives through community outreach programs.
Where could it take you?
You will be part of providing high quality clinical care for all ages. You might develop hygiene maintenance programs for people managing chronic gum pain. You could advise on public health policy or design and implement educational campaigns. Perhaps you’ll open an oral health clinic with a team of oral health therapists and dentists you’re yet to meet at the University of Adelaide.
Note:
This degree is only available in blended mode and on-campus attendance is required. if you are a continuing student in the degree and are unable to attend campus, please contact your program coordinator for program advice.
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
The COVID-19 vaccination is mandatory to be eligible to attend a WIL placement for this course. Students will be required to provide evidence of having completed a COVID-19 vaccination schedule by the closing date prior to a WIL placement. The vaccine received must be a vaccine approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia.
The COVID-19 vaccination is mandatory to be eligible to attend a WIL placement for this course. Students will be required to provide evidence of having completed a COVID-19 vaccination schedule by the closing date prior to a WIL placement. The vaccine received must be a vaccine approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia.
Dental Board of Australia Requirements
Student health care workers who will be performing exposure prone procedures (EPP) must be tested for blood-borne viruses (BBV) in accordance with the Dental Board of Australia’s Guidelines for Registered health practitioners and students in relation to blood-borne viruses (6 July 2020). These guidelines require students to be aware of their BBV status and undertake testing at or before entry to the course.
Students who are successfully admitted to the course will be emailed explaining the national guidelines, their responsibilities as healthcare workers, the mandatory BBV screening and steps to complete their EPP Student Declaration.
Entry Requirements
English (Units 3 & 4, C) or equivalent; one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics (Units 3 & 4, C) or equivalent
English Language Proficiency Requirements
If you were not born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa or United States of America, you are required to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements set by the University.
Applicants are required to provide evidence of completion with the last 5 years of:
- A secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent), or
- Bachelor level qualification study for a period of at least 2 years fulltime with a minimum overall GPA 4.0
completed within Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, or United States of America, which will meet the English proficiency.
If you do not satisfy any of the above, you will need to undertake an English language proficiency test and achieve the following scores:
- An International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) overall band score of at least 7.0 with a minimum 7.0 in each subset; or
- An Occupational English Test with Grades A or B only in each of the four components.
English test results remain valid for no more than two years between final examination date and the date of commencement of study, and must appear on a single result certificate.
International Students should visit http://www.cqu.edu.au/international for further information.
Each student will be assessed individually.
Security Requirements
Students must comply with and meet the Inherent Requirements for the Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH) course.
Students are required to provide evidence to complete the following:
1. Pre-clinical health and training requirements such as the Blue Card, a National Police Check, blood-borne disease status, vaccinations and immunisations as specified by BOH staff.
2. Provide evidence of individual health and safety compliance for placement providers, including compliance with ‘Queensland Health’s pre-employment requirements’.
Students will also be required to comply with Queensland Health’s vaccination, prescreening and immunization requirements for undertaking clinical placements in Queensland.
3. Comply with the requirements for student registration with the Dental Board of Australia via the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
4. Students are required to attend clinical placements as directed by academic staff.
Inability to meet any of the following requirements listed above will result in students being ineligible to enrol or continue in this course.
Health Requirements
Students must comply with and meet the Inherent Requirements for the Bachelor of Oral Health course.
Assumed Knowledge
Students must comply with and meet the Inherent Requirements for the Bachelor of Oral Health course.
English, Science, Mathematics or equivalent.
