Alternative Career Paths
Where can I work as a Dental Therapist?
Military Services (Royal Navy)
Private Dental Practice
Specialist centres, general dental practice, dental care professional owned dental practice, cooperate dental practice
Requirements and Options
CPD 75 hours over a 5 year cycle and this will begin the 1st August after you qualify – not optional!!! Dentist CPD cycle starts 1st Jan.
So if you were to qualify as our diploma students used to in December any CPD they did couldn’t be counted until 1st August following qualification.
There are extended duties courses that may enhance your job role or suitability for a job role
Longer postgraduate courses some 1 year some 2 or 3 may lead to quailifcations, these will not allow you to undertake any additional skills but they will enhance your CV, give you more knowledge and understanding, could aid in job applications and deomstatre a specific interest in a particular area.
Where you can learn new skills would be to train as an orthodontic therapist or a dentist.
Now some of you may already have decided where you want your careers to take you, some may not and that is absolutely fine but do keep an open mind. Sometimes where you think your career will take you will very often change due to circumstances and opportunities – I am a firm believer things happen for a reason.
For extended duties tooth whitening is very common now and many DTs undertake training in this quite soon after qualification
If you find yourself working with children maybe in the hospital or in community undertaking IHS training may benefit you again as an extended duty
I don’t know of many if any DTs that have undertaken a suture removal course but as an extended duty it is possible
Remember you always have options and you can change your mind, what you enjoy now you may not enjoy so much in the future as you develop your skills another area may interest you more
Paediatrics – it can be challenging treating children as I am sure you have realised already but also very rewarding. I have colleagues working in fully private paediatric clinics in London and they honestly look like they are working in DisneyLand!!!
Periodontology – you may look at this image think ewwww or like me you may think oooohhh look at the calculus, looking at the erythema and oedema and I can’t wait to get stuck in improve the patients oral hygiene, remove those deposts and see the improvements!!!! Trust me there will be a time when you get excited about calculus!!!
More advanced restorative work, there is a lot of cosmetic dentistry being undertaken these days and there is no reason why as a dental therapist you can’t be doing this!! Some DTs also find that alongside this they undertake training to deliver other cosmetic treatments to patients – botox and fillers.
Do you have an interest in law and ethics?
Sports dentistry is an option
Public health or more specifically dental public health
Could you see yourself teaching? You may say I could never teach but overtime and with gained experience it maybe an area that interests you – never say never!!!
As a dental therapist it does allow you to apply to train to become an orthodontic therapist – again opening up your scope of practice
Carry out certain parts of orthodontic treatment under prescription from a dentist
You may decide that actually you might want to become a dentist – and dental school for a few more years might be a consideration for you.
We know about the graduate entry course here at Liverpool, but there is no reason why in the future you may decide you still want something more and that something is to become a dentist.
Research Pathways
Academic Career Pathways
Academic Pathways for Teaching
You are all different and what interests you may not interest others – think about what you would like to do!
You may also be happy in a clinical environment undertaking your CPD as required and set out in your PDP – personal development plan, it is for you to consider. You do not have to undertake postgraduate qualifications. But you do need to undertake your CPD.
Find out more on the AA Canvas page!
Top Tips
