What Is a Dental Therapist?

By the team at Bollington Dental Practice, under the clinical direction of Dr Ellie Burrows, Principal Dentist. Updated October 2026.

You book a filling, or bring your child in for a check, and the person who greets you introduces themselves as the dental therapist rather than the dentist. Plenty of people have never heard the title, and it is fair to want to know who they are, what training they have had and whether they are allowed to do the treatment in front of them. The short version is reassuring, and the detail is worth knowing too, because dental therapists are now a familiar part of many UK dental teams.

The short answer

A dental therapist is a registered dental professional who is trained to carry out a defined range of treatments, including gum care, preventive treatment, fillings and much of the routine care that children need. They must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC), the body that regulates every dental professional in the UK, and they work within the GDC’s published scope of practice. They do not carry out the more complex work reserved for dentists, such as root canal treatment on adult teeth, removing adult teeth, or making crowns, bridges and dentures, and they refer anything outside their training to a dentist.

What a dental therapist can do

The GDC’s guidance on scope of practice describes what each member of the dental team is trained to do. For dental therapists, that covers a broad range of everyday dentistry. In general terms, a dental therapist who is trained and competent may:

• Examine and assess. Take a dental and medical history, check the teeth, gums and soft tissues of the mouth, and chart gum health in detail.
• Take and interpret X-rays. Decide when X-rays are justified within their scope, take them and read them.
• Treat the gums. Carry out scaling and polishing, and deeper cleaning of the roots below the gumline for people with gum disease. This overlaps entirely with the work of a dental hygienist.
• Prevent decay. Apply fluoride varnish and fissure sealants, and give tailored advice on diet, brushing and cleaning between the teeth.
• Give local anaesthetic. Numb teeth and gums for the treatments they provide.
• Place fillings. Fill both adult and baby teeth with white composite or other materials where decay or damage does not involve the nerve of an adult tooth.
• Treat children’s teeth. Provide many treatments for baby teeth, including fillings, preformed crowns and taking out baby teeth when needed.

Some dental therapists also develop additional skills with further training, such as tooth whitening, which can only be provided on a dentist’s prescription. Not every therapist offers every item, because each one must only do what they are trained, competent and insured to do.

What a dental therapist does not do

The GDC is clear that some treatments are reserved for dentists. A dental therapist does not carry out root canal treatment or other treatment involving the nerve of an adult tooth, does not remove adult teeth, and does not make crowns, bridges, veneers or dentures for adult teeth. Placing dental implants is also outside their role. Treatments such as tooth straightening are planned by a dentist, with some tasks carried out by an orthodontic therapist, a separate role with its own training.

If a dental therapist starts a filling and finds the decay is deeper than expected, or spots something that needs a dentist’s opinion, they stop and refer you back. That is not a failure of the system, it is the system working as intended.

How they train and how they are regulated

Training. Dental therapists usually qualify through a university degree, often lasting around three years, and many train as both a dental hygienist and a dental therapist on the same course. Training includes clinical work on patients under close supervision, and students must pass assessments before they can register.

Registration. Nobody can work as a dental therapist in the UK without being on the GDC register. You can search the register yourself on the GDC website to check any dental professional’s name, registration number and role.

Ongoing standards. Like dentists, dental therapists must follow the GDC’s Standards for the Dental Team, keep their knowledge up to date through continuing professional development, hold indemnity, and can be investigated by the GDC if concerns are raised about their practice.

How a dental therapist works with your dentist

Since 2013, the GDC has allowed dental hygienists and dental therapists to see patients without a referral from a dentist for their full scope of practice, with the exception of tooth whitening. In practice, how this works varies between practices. Many practices, including ours, ask patients to have an examination with a dentist first. The dentist looks at the whole picture, writes a treatment plan and decides which parts are suited to the therapist.

A typical example: your examination shows a small area of decay and some tartar with bleeding gums. Your dentist may plan the filling and a gum clean, and both could be carried out by a dental therapist, while any crown or root canal work stays with the dentist. Your dentist remains responsible for your overall care and reviews you at your next examination. If something changes in between, the therapist passes it back.

For many families, a therapist becomes a familiar face for children’s check-ups and preventive care such as fluoride varnish and fissure sealants, which our guide to fissure sealants and fluoride varnish explains. For adults, a therapist may provide fillings and gum care, which our page on hygiene treatments describes.

Dental therapist, hygienist, nurse: who is who?

Dentist. Carries out the full range of dental treatment, writes treatment plans, and takes responsibility for diagnosis and complex care.

Dental therapist. Carries out the hygienist’s role plus fillings, children’s treatment and some extractions of baby teeth, as described above.

Dental hygienist. Focuses on gum health and prevention: scaling, deeper gum treatment, fluoride, sealants and advice. Hygienists do not place fillings.

Dental nurse. Supports the clinician throughout your treatment, prepares instruments, keeps the area clear and looks after infection control. Dental nurses are also registered with the GDC.

You can see who is who at our practice on our meet the team page. Our team includes a dental therapist, who works alongside our dentists and the rest of the clinical team.

Is treatment from a dental therapist as safe?

Dental therapists are trained and assessed in every treatment within their scope, and the GDC expects them to work only within their training and competence. The fillings they place use the same materials and techniques that a dentist would use for the same filling. What keeps the system safe is the boundary: a therapist treats what they are trained for and refers what they are not.

You are always entitled to ask who will be treating you and what their role is. If you would prefer to see a dentist for a particular treatment, tell us when you book, and we will explain any difference it makes to appointment times.

What it costs

Our prices are listed by treatment, and every one is published on our fees page. As examples, fillings start from £95 for amalgam and £125 for white composite, and hygienist appointments are £60 for 20 minutes or £89 for 30 minutes. Everything starts with an examination, which is £89 for new patients including X-rays. How often you need to come back depends on your own risk, which our guide on how often to see the dentist explains. If you ever have questions about who will carry out your treatment, or what it will cost, ask us before you book.

If you have toothache, swelling or a broken tooth, do not wait for a routine appointment with anyone. Call us for a same-day appointment where possible, and if facial swelling affects your breathing, swallowing or eye, call 999 or go to A&E. When we are closed, NHS 111 can advise.

Frequently asked questions

Is a dental therapist the same as a dentist?

No. A dental therapist is a separate registered role with a narrower scope of practice. They carry out gum care, preventive treatment, fillings and much of children’s routine care. Dentists carry out the full range of treatment, including root canal treatment on adult teeth, extractions of adult teeth, crowns, bridges and dentures.

Can a dental therapist do fillings?

Yes. Fillings on adult and baby teeth are part of a dental therapist’s scope of practice, provided the decay does not involve the nerve of an adult tooth. If a therapist finds the decay is deeper than expected, they refer you to a dentist for the next step, such as root canal treatment.

Do dental therapists need to be registered?

Yes. Every dental therapist working in the UK must be registered with the General Dental Council, follow its standards, keep up continuing professional development and hold indemnity. You can check any dental professional’s registration by searching the public register on the GDC website.

Can I see a dental therapist without seeing a dentist?

The GDC allows dental therapists to see patients without a dentist’s referral for everything in their scope except tooth whitening, but practices decide how they organise care. At Bollington Dental Practice you have an examination with a dentist first, who plans your treatment and decides which parts are suited to our dental therapist.

Want to know who will look after you?

Our dentists, dental therapist, hygiene team and nurses work together on every treatment plan, and we are happy to explain who does what before you book. Call us on 01625 574609. New patient examinations are £89 including X-rays, with every price on our fees page.

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