Trends in the Australian Dental Labour Force, 2000 to 2009

This report presents findings from the 2009 national dental labour force data collection, which includes all dentists (general dental practitioners and specialists), dental hygienists, dental therapists, oral health therapists and dental prosthetists across Australia. There has been an overall increase in the number of dental professionals, with Dental therapists as the only group to decrease in number because of the move towards dual qualified oral health therapists.  There were around 3,800 allied dental practitioners in Australia in 2009. Almost all dental hygienists, dental therapists and oral health therapists were women, while nearly 90% of the 1,000 or more practising dental prosthetists were men.