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How many dental practices in Australia?

There are 8000 dental practices in Australia as of 26 October 2020. Compared to other healthcare services, the dental services industry in Australia is largely privately funded. These include dentists, dental hygienists and other dental specialists, as well as dentists and dental assistants.
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Below is the table showing the number of Practitioners from Different Dental Practices

Dental clinics are operated in all states and territories and are usually located in large centers and offer access to a limited range of dental treatments. Subsidised dental care is provided by the Australian Dental Health Service (ADHD), a network of public and private dental clinics spread across Australia. Successive Australian governments “strong social-policy positions since World War II have given people in poverty access not only to subsidized health care, but also to dental care. 

Reporting period: 01 April 2020 to 30 June 2020

Division

ACT

NSW

NT

QLD

SA

TAS

VIC

WA

No PPP

Total
Dental Hygienist

40

396

10

157

312

21

238

270

20

1,464
Dental Hygienist and Dental Prosthetist

2

1

3
Dental Hygienist and Dental Prosthetist and Dental Therapist

1

1
Dental Hygienist and Dental Therapist

7

65

5

129

57

3

118

55

3

442
Dental Hygienist and Dental Therapist and Dentist

1

1
Dental Hygienist and Dental Therapist and Oral Health Therapist

7

7

5

11

1

31
Dental Hygienist and Dentist

1

3

1

1

6
Dental Hygienist and Oral Health Therapist

1

17

5

2

3

5

33
Dental Prosthetist

14

403

3

291

67

44

356

82

4

1,264
Dental Prosthetist and Dental Therapist

1

1
Dental Prosthetist and Dentist

3

3
Dental Prosthetist and Oral Health Therapist

1

1
Dental Therapist

13

167

10

152

70

37

133

245

5

832
Dental Therapist and Dentist

1

1
Dental Therapist and Oral Health Therapist

6

6
Dentist

333

5,624

114

3,776

1,266

271

4,365

1,909

544

18,202
Dentist and Oral Health Therapist

2

2

1

5
Oral Health Therapist

33

588

19

456

244

19

509

218

24

2,110
Total

441

7,272

162

4,980

2,024

395

5,741

2,791

600

24,406

Faced with the rise in coronavirus cases, many businesses have begun to temporarily close offices and businesses and send their employees home to slow the spread. The impact of COVID-19 on the dental industry will be related to the number of dentists and hygienists and dental assistants, all of whom will be unemployed in the meantime. Several dental appointments have been cancelled to prevent the spread of the virus.

Dentists makeup 74 percent of the dental workforce, with the exception of dental assistants, dental technicians and the marketing side like Dental SEO and Dental Website design. There are also 15,381 dental practitioners who assist dentists in preparing patients for dental examinations and in providing care and treatment, and 2,558 dental technicians who design and repair dental equipment on the instructions of dentists. 

 

Dental practitioners – registration type by age group

dental practices - practitioners group by age
dental practices – practitioners group by age
Age group

General

General and Specialist

Specialist

Limited

Non-practising

Total

Postgraduate training or supervised practice

Public interest

Teaching or research
U – 25

759

1

760
25 – 29

3,220

11

1

5

49

3,286
30 – 34

3,733

113

3

7

1

99

3,956
35 – 39

3,245

253

13

3

6

90

3,610
40 – 44

2,451

295

17

1

9

57

2,830
45 – 49

2,126

209

4

1

7

52

2,399
50 – 54

1,739

183

8

1

8

67

2,006
55 – 59

1,664

214

2

1

3

72

1,956
60 – 64

1,541

219

1

97

1,858
65 – 69

777

135

1

84

997
70 – 74

392

73

2

47

514
75 – 79

112

32

1

29

174
80+

29

14

17

60
Total

21,787

1,751

51

18

1

36

761

24,406*

Dental practitioners has five main divisions

Despite the wide range of dentistry’s definition, your scope of practice may be narrowed by your practitioner division. Dentistry has five main divisions and you must practise within the one that applies to you. Read more about Guidelines for scope of practice.

Division Scope of practice
Dentists Focus: general, and can include any activities within the definition of dentistry.
Services: assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management, prevention.
Patients: all ages.
Dental hygienists Focus: general, and can include any activities within the definition of dentistry.
Services: assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management, prevention.
Patients: all ages.
Dental prosthetists Focus: patient-removable prostheses, including implant-retained overdentures, and flexible mouthguards for sport.
May include: taking impressions and records for manufacturing splints, stents, sleep apnoea or anti-snoring devices, and immediate dentures.
Patients: all ages.
Dental therapists Focus: oral health.
Services: assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management, prevention.
May include: restorative treatment, fillings, tooth removal, promotion of oral health, other oral care.
Patients: mainly children and adolescents, but some adults.
Oral health therapists Focus: oral health, with qualifications in dental therapy and dental hygiene.
Services: assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management, prevention.
May include: restorative treatment, fillings, tooth removal, periodontal treatment, other oral care to promote healthy oral behaviours.
Patients: all ages.