How to become an oral health therapist
Official title: Oral health therapist
Also called: Dental hygienist, Dental therapist, Oral hygienist, Special Care Oral Health Therapist, Senior Special Care Oral Health Therapist, Dental hygienist, Dental therapist, Oral hygienist
Oral health therapist provides basic dental care services for the prevention and treatment of diseases and disorders of the teeth and mouth, as per care plans and procedures established by a dentist or other oral health professional. He/she provides oral health assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management and preventive services. He/she collects data and administers comprehensive advice on oral hygiene and the care of the mouth, according to patients’ needs under the supervision of dental practitioners.
Main tasks
- Advising communities and individuals on dental hygiene, diet and other preventive measures to reduce potential risks to oral health
- Conducting visual and physical examinations of patients’ mouths, teeth and related structures to assess oral health status
- Identifying cases of patients with poor oral health or oral disease requiring referral to a dentist or other health professional
- Assisting dentists during complex dental procedures
- Providing fluoride treatments, cleaning and removing deposits from teeth, preparing cavities and placing fillings, administering local anaesthesia and performing other types of basic or routine clinical dental procedures
- Preparing, cleaning and sterilising dental instruments, equipment and materials used in the examination and treatment of patients
- Getting patients ready for examination or treatment including explaining procedures and correct positioning taking impressions of the mouth and dental radiographs to support diagnosis and fitting of dental prosthetics
How to become one
Oral health therapist is required to register with the Singapore Dental Council (SDC) or its equivalent in order to practise in Singapore.
Ways in
- Polytechnic or ITE: Polytechnic diploma. Related diplomas: Diploma in Oral Health Therapy (Nanyang Polytechnic). Peernovo matched these from course names; polytechnics do not publish which jobs each course leads to.
- Licence or registration: Dentists and oral health therapists must be registered with the Singapore Dental Council and hold a practising certificate, which is renewed with continuing professional education. Law: Dental Registration Act 1999. Regulator: Singapore Dental Council (SDC) (https://www.sdc.gov.sg).
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
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Questions people ask
How do I become an oral health therapist?
Oral health therapist is required to register with the Singapore Dental Council (SDC) or its equivalent in order to practise in Singapore.
Will AI change the work of an oral health therapist?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Singapore Department of Statistics (Ministry of Health data): Registered Health Personnel (End Of Period), Annual (M870011) (SingStat Table Builder M870011), Singapore Open Data Licence, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat): Singapore Standard Occupational Classification (SSOC) 2024 (SSOC 2024 (definitions and index updated 2026-06-24)), Singapore Open Data Licence, retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026