I qualified as an Oral Health Therapist New Zealand. My scope of practice includes dental hygiene, dental therapy and orthodontic therapist. My experience of dentistry started when I was only 15 years old as my local orthodontist was offering an after-school role to help support the sterilisation and administration support in his practice. Quite an unconventional start in a sector which was not on my radar as a career, but one which unequivocally led to a real passion for oral hygiene. After qualifying as Oral Health Therapist I carried on working in the practice, this time in a professional role, and strove to build closer relationships with patients to educate them about the importance of oral hygiene as this was often underrated or forgotten after our country's free dental services ended at 18 years old!
Challenges in New Zealand are numerous: In 2022, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) reported that 40% of New Zealanders simply can't afford dental care. This is compounded by the fact that more than 1 in 8 New Zealand (NZ) adults are dentally anxious.
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