Trends in the 
Australian dental labour force, 
2000 to 2009
Dental labour force collection, 2009
S Chrisopoulos
T Nguyen
Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health
The University of Adelaide

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare is a major national agency
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© Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2012
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ISSN 1321-0254
ISBN 978-1-74249-299-5
Suggested citation
Chrisopoulos S & Nguyen T 2012. Trends in the Australian dental labour force, 2000 to 2009: Dental labour force collection, 2009. Dental Statistics and Research Series no. 61. Cat. no. DEN 218. Canberra: AIHW.
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Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Summary
1	Introduction
1.1	Scope and data preparation
1.2	Report structure
2	Dentists
2.1	Methods
2.2	Overall numbers
2.3	Demographic characteristics
2.4	Practice characteristics
2.5	Geographic distribution
3	Dental specialists
3.1	Methods
3.2	Overall numbers
3.3	General characteristics
3.4	Geographic distribution
4	Other dental practitioners
4.1	Methods
4.2	Dental hygienists
4.3	Dental therapists
4.4	Oral health therapists
4.5	Dental prosthetists
5	Discussion
Appendix A: Data tables
Appendix B: Estimation procedures
Appendix C: Questionnaires
References
List of tables
List of figures
List of boxes
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge state and territory health departments and dental boards for their participation in conducting the data collection. The authors also wish to thank Dana Teusner and Beverly Ellis for their substantial contribution in data preparation and collection. Most importantly, we wish to acknowledge the support of the dentists and allied dental practitioners who participated in the annual data collection.
Abbreviations
ABS	Australian Bureau of Statistics	
ADA	Australian Dental Association	
ADC	Australian Dental Council	
ADPA	Australian Dental Prosthetists Association	
ADTA	Australian Dental Therapists Association	
AHMAC	Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council	
AIHW	Australian Institute of Health and Welfare	
AIHW DSRU	Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Dental Statistics and Research Unit	
ARCPOH	Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health	
ARIA	Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia	
ASGC	Australian Standard Geographical Classification	
DHAA	Dental Hygienists’ Association of Australia	
ERP	estimated resident population	
FTE	full-time equivalent	
OHT	oral health therapist	
OMFS	oral and maxillofacial surgery	
SD	statistical division	
Symbols
—	nil or rounded to zero	
. .	not applicable	
n.a.	not available	
n.p.	not published (data cannot be released due to quality issues or confidentiality)	
Throughout this publication, data from the AIHW DSRU Dental Labour Force Collections may not add to the totals shown due to the estimation process used for non-responses. 
Summary
The dental labour force comprises dentists, dental specialists and allied practitioners, including dental hygienists, dental therapists, oral health therapists (dual-qualified hygienists and therapists) and dental prosthetists.
In 2009, the Australian dental labour force was dominated by general dental practitioners (67%). Specialists made up about 9% of the dental labour force. The remaining labour force was made up of dental therapists (8%), prosthetists (7%), hygienists (6%) and oral health therapists (4%).
There was an increase in the supply of dentists (including dental specialists) in the decade to 2009, from 46.9 to 54.1 practising dentists per 100,000 population. Supply was highest in the Australian Capital Territory and lowest in Tasmania and the Northern Territory, with all other states around the national average.
Around 11,900 dentists were practising in Australia in 2009, with four out of every five working in the private sector. The average age of dentists has increased from 44.3 to 45.2 years between 2000 and 2009. The number of female dentists increased by 89.5% from 2,042 in 2000 to 3,869 in 2009.
Dentists are tending to work slightly fewer hours per week (down from 39.3 hours in 2000 to 37.4 in 2009). This is most likely the result of an increasing proportion of female dentists in the labour force—female dentists are more likely to work part time and have career breaks than male dentists. In 2009, about 33% of practising dentists were women.
There were around 1,440 dental specialists in Australia in 2009. Orthodontists were the largest speciality group (39%), followed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons (13%), prosthodontists (12%), periodontists (12%), endodontists (10%) and paediatric dentists (6%).
Capital cities continue to have more dentists per capita than other areas. The number of dentists per 100,000 in Major cities was double that in Outer regional areas, and almost triple that in Remote/Very remote areas. Between 2000 and 2009, increases occurred in all remoteness areas, ranging from 9% in Outer regional areas to 40% in Remote/Very remote areas.
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. 
1	Introduction
The health workforce is a high priority of the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC). This report presents the national dental labour force statistics for Australia based on questionnaire data collected in 2009 from the registered dental labour force (dentists, dental specialists, hygienists, therapists, oral health therapists and prosthetists). It provides valuable information to facilitate appropriate oral health service planning and administration. 
The report:
•	identifies the total numbers of registered and practising dentists and allied dental practitioners
•	describes the demographic and practice characteristics of the dental labour force
•	describes the geographic distribution of the dental labour force across jurisdictions and across remoteness areas
•	describes trends that have occurred between 2000 and 2009. 
Box 1: Composition of the dental labour force
Dentists are responsible for the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment (non‑surgical, surgical or related procedures) of diseases, disorders and/or conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and/or the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body (see Chapter 2).
Dental specialists are trained as general practitioners in dentistry but have additional qualifications and experience that enables them to provide specialist dental services such as orthodontics (see Chapter 3). 
Dental hygienists provide a limited range of dental services (such as scaling and polishing teeth, health education and training, radiography) in accordance with restrictions put in place by the dental boards (see Section 4.2). 
Dental therapists provide a restricted range of clinical services predominantly to school‑aged children. However, since 2006 restrictions on which ages can be treated by dental therapists have been extended to include young adults in some states and territories (see Section 4.3).
Oral health therapists are qualified in both dental therapy and hygiene and are commonly referred to as oral health therapists (OHTs). They are eligible to register both as dental therapists and dental hygienists but may not necessarily maintain dual registration (see Section 4.4).
Dental prosthetists are responsible for the construction and fitting of dentures and sporting mouthguards. Dental prosthetists maintain, repair and reline dentures either by direct consultation with a patient or by referral from a dentist (see Section 4.5).

1.1	Scope and data preparation
In most states and territories, data were collected in conjunction with the registration renewal process. In other states and territories, data were collected by direct mailing conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Dental Statistics and Research Unit (AIHW DSRU). In most cases, the timing of direct mailings approximated the registration renewal period. The scope of the collection was all registered dental practitioners (dentists, therapists, hygienists, oral health therapists and prosthetists). Some dental boards excluded practitioners registering for the first time. 
The data collection included demographic characteristics, practice status, practice characteristics and information about activity at up to three locations. Practice activity items were based on the last week of practice. The dentist collection also covered eight specialist categories. Specialists not listed in these categories were usually classified as ‘other’ and were asked to specify their specialisation. 
Population data, remoteness and geographic classification were based on information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2008). Data were imputed and weighted as described in Appendix B.
1.2	Report structure
This report is structured to present the findings from the dentist collection, findings on dental specialists and findings from the allied dental labour force (therapists, hygienists, oral health therapists and prosthetists). Descriptions of the methods used are incorporated within the respective chapters.
2	Dentists
In Australia, dentists comprise the majority of the dental labour force. They are registered with state or territory dental boards, either as a general practitioner and/or a specialist. They are trained through any one of the six dental schools in Australia or meet the Australian Dental Council (ADC) requirements for practice. The ADC is responsible for the accreditation of education programs and the assessment of overseas qualifications 
(ADC 2009). Since 2006, three new dental schools at La Trobe University (Victoria), James Cook University (Queensland) and Charles Sturt University (New South Wales) have been established, and their first students graduated in 2011. Dentists practise in both the private and public sectors and are responsible for the supervision of hygienists, therapists and oral health therapists.
This chapter presents the findings of the 2009 National Dental Labour Force Collection for dentists. Estimates reported in this section include both general practitioner dentists and dental specialists. Findings on the geographic distribution of dentists are based on jurisdictions, remoteness category and statistical divisions. Where possible, estimates from previous collections have been used to highlight changes over time.
2.1	Methods
Data were collected on work status, hours worked, area and type of practice and specialist classification. An example of the questionnaire used in South Australia is in Appendix C. 
The questionnaire was completed in conjunction with registration renewal in New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory. The state/territory dental boards or health departments assisted in administering the survey. In the remaining jurisdictions, the data were collected by the AIHW DSRU. In Queensland, changes in the registration process meant that only a quarter of dentists received a questionnaire. For this reason 2008 data were used and weighted to 2009 registration figures. All figures in this chapter relating to Queensland should therefore be interpreted with caution. Table 2.1 lists the timing of this data collection by state/territory together with response rates. The overall response rate was 72.5%. Response rates are estimates, as some practitioners might maintain registrations in more than one state or territory, but have completed the questionnaire in only one state/territory. The response rates ranged from 56.4% in the Northern Territory to 86.8% in Victoria. 
Questionnaire data were weighted to full enumeration of all registered dentists based on available registration information. Weighting varied for each state/territory depending on availability of age, sex and specialist registration data. Rounding of estimates may result in rows or columns not adding up to totals in some tables.
Table 2.1: Dentist data collection details by state/territory, 2009
State/
territory	Timing	Mail-out type	Reminder mail-out	Response rate (%)	
NSW	July–Sept	Surveyed with registration renewal	No	75.1	
Vic	Nov–Dec	Surveyed with registration renewal	No	86.8	
Qld(a)	June–July	Surveyed with registration renewal	No	62.3	
SA	July–Sept	Direct mailed by AIHW DSRU 	Yes(b)	71.6	
WA	Nov–Dec 	Direct mailed by AIHW DSRU	Yes(b)	58.2	
Tas	Nov–Dec	Direct mailed by AIHW DSRU 	Yes(b)	59.3	
ACT 	Nov–Dec	Direct mailed by AIHW DSRU	No	59.2	
NT	June–July	Surveyed with registration renewal	Yes(b)	56.4	
(a)	Data for Queensland relates to the 2008 collection, weighted to 2009 registration figures. 
(b)	Follow-up mail-out consisted of one reminder mailing of the questionnaire approximately 4 weeks after initial mail-out.
2.2	Overall numbers
From 2000 to 2009, the total number of dentist registrations increased from 10,609 in 2000 to 13,611 in 2009, an overall increase of 28.3%. Allowing for multiple registrations, those working overseas and those not employed in the dental labour force, the estimated number of practising dentists increased from 8,992 in 2000 to 11,882 in 2009, a 32.1% increase (Table A.1).
Box 2: Registered/practising dentists rate
This is the number of registered or practising dentists per 100,000 population. It provides an estimate of the number of dentists relative to the population size. Comparing estimates across regions and across time is more meaningful as differences in the size of population are also taken into account. 
The number of dentist registrations per 100,000 population increased from 55.4 to 62.0 between 2000 and 2009. The rate of practising dentists increased from 46.9 to 54.1 dentists per 100,000 population (Figure 2.1).
Figure 2.1: Number of registered and practising dentists per 100,000 population, 
2000 to 2009
Stacked line chart showing, for practising, registered and FTE, on the y-axis rate and on the x-axis year.
Note:	FTE based on a full-time equivalent week of 35 hours.
Source: Table A.1.
The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) dentists per 100,000 population (based on a 35‑hour week) increased from 52.7 in 2000 to 57.8 in 2009 (Figure 2.1). 
Box 3: Full-time equivalent (FTE) rate
The FTE rate (number of FTE workers per 100,000 population) is a measure of supply. The use of FTE rates allows for comparisons of supply to be made across geographic areas and over time. 
The number of full-time equivalent workers equals the number of dentists multiplied by the average weekly hours worked, and divided by the standard working week hours (usually 35 hours per week). 
In 2009, 418 registered dentists were working overseas, 670 were registered in more than one jurisdiction, and 482 were no longer in the dental labour force (Figure 2.2).
Of the 12,041 dentists in the dental labour force in 2009, 11,882 were practising in dentistry, 100 were on extended leave and 59 were looking for work in dentistry (Figure 2.2). 
The majority of employed dentists were working in clinical practice, comprising 10,043 general practitioners and 1,412 registered dental specialist/restricted practice practitioners in 2009 (Figure 2.2).
Figure 2.2: All registered dentists in Australia, 2009
Flow chart showing all registered dentists in Australia, 2009.
Note:	Estimates may not sum to totals due to rounding.
2.3	Demographic characteristics
This section presents demographic characteristics of practising dentists from 2000 to 2009. These characteristics include number, age and sex.
The number of practising dentists increased from 8,992 in 2000 to 11,882 in 2009, a 32.1% increase (Table A.1). The number of female dentists increased by 89.5% from 2,042 in 2000 to 3,869 in 2009, compared to a 16.3% increase in the number of male dentists over the same period (from 6,891 to 8,013) (Figure 2.3).
Figure 2.3: Practising dentists by sex, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis number and on the x-axis sex.
Note:	Sex was not collected for the Northern Territory in 2000; therefore they have been omitted from totals by sex but included in the person total.	
The average age of practising dentists marginally increased from 44.3 years in 2000 to 45.2 years in 2009. The small increase in the overall average age compared to that for males (from 46.1 to 48.1 years) corresponds with the considerable increase in the proportion of female dentists. Female dentists were, on average, nearly 9 years younger than their male counterparts (Table 2.2).
Table 2.2: Average age of practising dentists by sex, 2000 to 2009
 
Age (years)	
Year	Male	Female	Persons	
2000(a)	46.1	38.0	44.3	
2003	46.9	38.1	44.6	
2006	47.6	38.9	45.1	
2009	48.1	39.2	45.2	
(a)	Excludes the Northern Territory in 2000.
The proportion of practising dentists over 50 years of age increased from 31.8% in 2000 to 38.8% in 2009 (Figure 2.4). In contrast, the proportion of dentists aged 40 to 49 decreased from 31.7% to 23.4% (Figure 2.4).
Figure 2.4: Proportion of practising dentists by age group, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis per cent and on the x-axis age (years).

2.4	Practice characteristics
This section presents data on the practice types and sectors of practising dentists, and practice characteristics, including hours usually worked by age and sex.
Hours worked per week
In 2009, practising dentists worked on average 37.4 hours per week. Dentists aged 50–54 worked the longest average week (39.7 hours) and those aged 70 and over worked the least (26.2 hours). Males worked on average almost 6 hours longer than females (39.3 and 33.5 hours, respectively) (Figure 2.5). 
Figure 2.5: Practising dentists by average hours worked per week, age group and sex, 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for male, female and persons, on the y-axis hours and on the x-axis age (years).
Between 2000 and 2009, the total average hours worked per week decreased from 39.3 to 37.4. The decrease in average hours worked was reflected across nearly all age groups, with the greatest decrease in the 40–44 age group (3.2 hours). Dentists in the 60–64 and 70 and older age groups had an overall increase in hours worked per week (0.2 and 2.1 hours, respectively) (Figure 2.6, Table A.7).
Figure 2.6: Average hours worked per week by age group, practising dentists, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis hours and on the x-axis age (years).
Area of practice
In 2009, 84.5% of dentists (around 10,000) were in general practice, while 11.4% (around 1,400) were practising specialists (Table A.4). 
Between 2000 and 2009, the proportion of dentists practising in general dentistry has remained stable, fluctuating slightly between a high of 85.2% in 2000 to a low of 84.1% in 2006 (Table A.5). 
There has been a slight increase in the average age of dentists in general practice, from 43.7 in 2000 to 44.4 in 2009. In comparison, the average age of practising specialists has increased from 47.5 to 49.8 over the same period (Table A.5). 
In 2009, female dentists working in general practice and as registered specialists were more likely to work part time than their male colleagues (45.7% compared to 23.1%, and 42.9% compared to 27.4%, respectively) (Table A.6). 
Type of practice
In 2009, 74.3% of all practising dentists reported working in a single work location, 20.0% reported working in two locations, and 5.6% reported working in three locations. Dentists in New South Wales and South Australia were more likely to work in more than one location (37.0% and 33.2%, respectively), while those in Victoria were more likely to work in a single location (88.9%) (Table 2.3). 
Table 2.3: Practising dentists by state/territory and number of work locations(a), 2009
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas 	ACT 	NT 	Australia	
One location	
Male	1,781	1,570	1,254	648	420	125	128	42	5,969	
Female	788	930	521	302	215	35	54	19	2,865	
Persons	2,569	2,501	1,776	950	634	161	182	61	8,834	
Two locations	
Male	809	143	254	125	145	30	34	11	1,551	
Female	383	109	165	65	78	5	21	—	827	
Persons	1,192	252	419	190	223	34	55	11	2,378	
Three locations	
Male	237	40	82	43	74	7	5	6	493	
Female	78	20	42	17	18	2	2	—	178	
Persons	315	60	124	60	92	8	7	6	671	
All locations	
Male	2,828	1,753	1,590	816	639	161	167	59	8,013	
Female	1,248	1,060	729	383	311	42	77	19	3,869	
Persons	4,076	2,813	2,319	1,199	949	203	244	78	11,882	
Only up to three work locations could be reported on the questionnaire. 

Main practice setting
In 2009, the majority of practising dentists (84.1%) worked in a private practice setting in their main practice. This proportion has remained stable between 2000 and 2009 (Table A.8).
The proportion of dentists who reported working in solo practices declined from 36.8% in 2000 to 24.2% in 2009. Over the same period, there was an increase in the proportion working in a solo practice with an assistant, increasing from 7.3% to 13.4% (Figure 2.7).
In 2009, practising male dentists predominantly worked in solo practice or solo practice with assistant (44.3%), followed by working in an associateship (15.9%). A lower percentage of female dentists worked in solo practice or solo practice with assistant (23.8%), with nearly a quarter (23.1%) working as an assistant (Table A.9). 
Female dentists were more likely to work in public settings (22.0%) than their male colleagues (13.0%) (Table A.9). 
Dentists working in tertiary institutions (50.6 years) and in solo practice (50.5 years) tended to be older than their colleagues, while those working as assistants (37.6 years) or in private industry (e.g. health funds) were younger (38.1 years) (Table A.9). 
Dentists working in public settings tended to work, on average, more hours per week (37.7) than those in private settings (35.9). Despite this, those working in private solo practices and solo practices with an assistant reported working the most hours per week (41.0 and 40.4, respectively). Private locums reported working the fewest hours (31.4) (Table A.10). 
Figure 2.7: Percentage of practising dentists by practice type at main location, 2000–2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis per cent and on the x-axis practice type.
All practice settings
Between 2000 and 2009, the majority of dentists (between 79.1% in 2003 and 79.8% in 2009) only practised in private settings, while between 6.8% and 7.7% worked in both public and private settings (Figure 2.8). 
Figure 2.8: Practising dentists by sector of all work settings, 2000 to 2009 (per cent) 
Horizontal bar chart showing, for private, public and both, on the y-axis year and on the x-axis per cent.
In 2009, 45.6% of all practising dentists working solely in the public sector were female, a 9.3 percentage point increase from 2000. In comparison, in 2009, 29.8% of dentists working solely in the private sector were female, up from 19.9% in 2000 (Table 2.4, Table A.12). 
In 2009, dentists working solely in the public sector tended to be older than those working in both public and private sectors (45.6 and 42.7 years, respectively), and worked fewer hours per week (34.8 and 39.8 hours, respectively) (Table 2.4).
Between 2000 and 2009, the average age of dentists working solely in the public sector increased from 43.4 to 45.6 years, while that of dentists working solely in the private sector remained stable, fluctuating between 44.8 and 45.4 years (Table A.12).
The proportion of dentists working part time also increased across all sectors. Between 2000 and 2009, the proportion working part time increased from 23.0% to 31.4%. The greatest increase was for those working solely in the public sector (from 23.7% to 35.0%), while there was only a modest increase for those working in both sectors (from 23.4% to 27.6%) 
(Table A.12). 
Table 2.4: Practising dentists by sector, age, sex and hours worked, 2009
Sector(a)	
	Public	Private	Both	Total	
Number practising	
Persons	1,546	9,453	884	11,882	
Percentage	
% Female	45.6	29.8	39.9	32.6	
Average age (years)	
Male	50.1	48.1	45.7	48.1	
Female	40.2	39.1	38.1	39.2	
Persons	45.6	45.4	42.7	45.2	
Average total hours worked per week	
Male	35.8	39.5	41.0	39.3	
Female	33.5	33.0	37.9	33.5	
Persons	34.8	37.6	39.8	37.4	
Average direct patient care hours worked per week	
Male	28.9	35.2	33.9	34.5	
Female	28.7	29.7	32.3	29.8	
Persons	28.8	33.6	33.3	33.0	
Percentage part time	
Male	30.0	24.1	22.4	24.6	
Female	41.0	47.9	35.5	45.5	
Persons	35.0	31.2	27.6	31.4	
(a)	Sector was determined by the practitioner’s reported type of practice for their main, second and third practice locations. 
2.5	Geographic distribution
Distribution across jurisdictions
Between 2000 and 2009, the number of practising dentists increased by 32.1% from 8,992 to 11,882. Increases were seen in all jurisdictions, ranging from 15.5% in South Australia to 70.6% in Tasmania (Table 2.5).
Table 2.5: Practising dentists by state/territory, 2000 to 2009
Year 	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
2000	3,127	2,204	1,564	913	822	119	184	59	8,992	
2003	3,346	2,284	1,821	957	832	157	216	65	9,678	
2006	3,561	2,449	2,028	1,071	826	172	218	78	10,404	
2009	4,076	2,813	2,319	1,199	949	203	244	78	11,882	
% change 
(2000–09)	30.3	27.6	48.3	31.3	15.5	70.6	32.6	32.2	32.1	

Between 2000 and 2009, the practising number of dentists per 100,000 population increased from 46.9 to 54.1, a 15.4% increase. In contrast, the Australian population increased by 14.6% over the same period. Across jurisdictions, South Australia had the smallest increase in the practising rate (7.1%) while Tasmania had the greatest increase (60.3%) (Figure 2.9).
In 2009, the number of practising dentists per 100,000 population ranged from 34.6 in the Northern Territory to 69.3 in the Australian Capital Territory (Figure 2.9). 
Figure 2.9: Practising dentists per 100,000 population by state/territory, 
2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis rate and on the x-axis state/territory.
In 2009, the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) dentists per 100,000 population ranged from 37.8 in the Northern Territory to 77.8 in the Australian Capital Territory (Table 2.6).
Between 2000 and 2009, the overall FTE rate increased from 52.7 to 57.8 FTE dentists per 100,000 population (Table 2.6).
Table 2.6: Full-time equivalent dentists by state/territory, 2000 to 2009 (per 100,000 population)
Year 	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
2000	55.6 	50.7	49.8 	55.1 	58.3 	27.8 	64.3 	32.9 	52.7 	
2003	57.5 	49.6	53.0 	52.8 	57.5 	37.3 	71.2 	36.6 	53.8 	
2006	60.5 	50.5	54.1 	55.4 	54.4 	37.6 	75.6 	44.1 	55.3 	
2009	63.3 	52.9	57.0 	54.9 	59.3 	40.4 	77.8 	37.8 	57.8 	
Note:	FTE is calculated by multiplying the number of practising dentists by the average hours worked and dividing by 35 hours.
In 2009, 32.6% of all practising dentists were female, ranging from 20.6% in Tasmania to 37.7% in Victoria (Table 2.7).
Almost half of all female dentists worked part time, ranging from almost one-third in the Australian Capital Territory to almost two-thirds the Northern Territory.
The proportion of dentists working in the public sector in their main practice ranged from 12.5% in the Australian Capital Territory to 33.7% in the Northern Territory (Table 2.7).

Table 2.7: Practising dentists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2009
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Number	4,076	2,813	2,319	1,199	949	203	244	78	11,882	
% Female	30.6	37.7	31.4	31.9	32.7	20.6	31.5	24.6	32.6	
Average age	
Male	48.7	46.3	49.0	48.1	48.2	49.1	48.6	48.9	48.1	
Female	39.9	37.7	40.5	39.0	38.7	41.3	39.9	39.7	39.2	
Persons	46.0	43.0	46.5	45.2	45.1	47.5	45.8	46.6	45.2	
Average total hours worked per week	
Male	40.7	38.1	39.7	37.9	37.1	35.3	41.6	39.4	39.3	
Female	34.7	32.2	34.7	31.9	32.1	34.0	34.4	31.8	33.5	
Persons	38.8	35.8	38.1	36.0	35.5	35.0	39.3	38.2	37.4	
Proportion working part time (<35 hours per week) (per cent)	
Male	24.1	27.5	21.6	25.2	27.0	33.7	16.5	10.6	24.6	
Female	44.5	47.9	40.2	47.2	53.9	44.2	31.8	64.4	45.5	
Persons	30.3	35.2	27.5	32.2	35.8	35.9	21.3	23.9	31.4	
Proportion working in public sector in their main practice (per cent)	
Male	10.3	11.3	17.5	12.6	16.8	16.2	10.4	31.4	13.0	
Female	17.8	22.7	27.5	22.3	23.4	23.3	16.9	40.5	22.0	
Persons	12.6	15.6	20.6	15.7	19.0	17.6	12.5	33.7	15.9	
Distribution across remoteness areas
Box 4: Remoteness areas 
The Remoteness Structure is defined in Census years, beginning with 2001, then 2006. It comprises three levels: Census collection district (CD), remoteness area (RA) and state/territory. Within a jurisdiction, each RA represents an aggregation of non-contiguous geographical areas sharing common characteristics of remoteness. 
This is based on the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA), where the remoteness index value of a point is based on the physical road distance to the nearest town or service. These categories are: Major cities, Inner regional, Outer regional, Remote and Very remote. This report combines Remote and Very remote areas into one category ‘Remote/Very remote’. 
Between 2000 and 2009, the number of practising dentists increased across all remoteness areas despite a slight drop in 2006 in areas outside Major cities. Increases ranged from 12.5% in Outer regional areas to 38.6% in Remote/Very remote areas (Table 2.8).
Table 2.8: Practising dentists by remoteness area of main practice, 2000 to 2009
Remoteness area	
Year 	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/
Very remote	Australia	
2000	7,097	1,254	558	83	8,992	
2003	7,590	1,434	562	91	9,678	
2006	8,428	1,349	540	87	10,404	
2009	9,409	1,731	628	115	11,882	
The rate of practising dentists also increased in each remoteness area, although in different proportions. Between 2000 and 2009, there was a 9.1% increase in the number of dentists per 100,000 population in Outer regional areas, an 11.6% increase in Major cities, a 26.5% increase in Inner regional and a 39.5% increase in Remote/Very remote areas (Figure 2.10). 
Across remoteness areas, there was considerable variation in the rate of practising dentists. In 2009, there were 62.4 practising dentists per 100,000 population in Major cities, decreasing to 23.1 in Remote/Very remote areas, a pattern that has remained consistent since 2000 
(Figure 2.10).
Figure 2.10: Number of practising dentists per 100,000 population by remoteness area of main practice, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis rate and on the x-axis remoteness.
In 2009, the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) dentists per 100,000 population ranged from 25.9 in Remote/Very remote areas to 66.9 in Major cities (Table 2.9). 
Between 2000 and 2009, the FTE rate fluctuated across each remoteness area. In Major cities, it dropped slightly from 2000 to 2003 and then increased to 2009. In contrast, the FTE rate in Inner regional and Outer regional areas dropped in 2006 and then increased in 2009 (Table 2.9).

Table 2.9: Full-time equivalent dentists by Remoteness Area of main practice, 2000 to 2009 
(FTE per 100,000 population)
Remoteness area	
Year 	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/
Very remote	Australia	
2000	62.7	35.9	31.5	18.7	52.7	
2003	61.7	40.8	33.0	20.6	53.8	
2006	65.3	36.1	30.3	20.6	55.3	
2009	66.9	42.2	33.0	25.9	57.8	
In 2009, the proportion of practising dentists that were female was higher in Remote/Very remote areas (34.2%) and Major cities (33.9%) and lower in Outer regional areas (22.1%) (Table 2.10).
There was little difference in the average age of male dentists across remoteness areas, ranging from 48.0 in Major cities to 49.0 in Outer regional areas. Female dentists were approximately 9 years younger across all areas, with average ages ranging from 37.7 in Inner regional areas to 39.5 in Major cities (Table 2.10). 
Male dentists working in Major cities (39.6 hours) and Remote/Very remote (39.3 hours) areas worked, on average, slightly longer hours than their colleagues in Inner regional and Outer regional areas (38.0 and 38.4 hours, respectively). By contrast, female dentists in Major cities worked fewer hours per week (33.3 hours) than their female colleagues in Remote/Very remote areas (39.1 hours) (Table 2.10).
Overall, dentists in Major cities were more likely to work part time (31.8%) and less likely to work in public practice (15.3%) than their colleagues in Remote/Very remote areas (25.6% and 31.4%, respectively). 
Between 2000 and 2009, the change in the proportion of dentists that were female varied by remoteness areas. The greatest increase occurred in Remote/Very Remote areas (from 20.5% to 34.2%) compared to Outer regional areas (19.4% to 22.1%) (Table A.14).
The average age of dentists in Remote/Very remote areas increased from 37.9 to 45.1 years between 2000 and 2009, compared to 44.3 to 45.1 in Major cities (Table A.14). 
Average hours worked per week decreased across all remoteness areas between 2000 and 2009. Decreases were between 0.3 hours in Remote/Very remote areas and 2.8 hours in Inner regional areas (Table A.14).

Table 2.10: Practising dentists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2009
Remoteness area	
Year 	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/Very remote	Australia	
Number	9,409 	1,731 	628 	115 	11,882 	
% Female	33.9	28.9	22.1	34.2	32.6	
Average age	
Male	48.0	48.2	49.0	48.6	48.1	
Female	39.5	37.7	38.9	38.5	39.2	
Persons	45.1	45.2	46.8	45.1	45.2	
Average total hours worked per week	
Male	39.6	38.0	38.4	39.3	39.3	
Female	33.3	34.2	36.1	39.1	33.5	
Persons	37.5	36.9	37.9	39.2	37.4	
Proportion working part time (<35 hours per week) (per cent)	
Male	24.2	26.1	27.2	19.8	24.6	
Female	46.6	42.3	34.0	36.7	45.5	
Persons	31.8	30.8	28.7	25.6	31.4	
Proportion working in public sector in their main practice (per cent)	
Male	12.3	13.9	16.6	33.0	13.0	
Female	21.3	23.7	30.3	28.5	22.0	
Persons	15.3	16.8	19.6	31.4	15.9	
3	Dental specialists
This chapter presents estimates on dental specialists as a subset of dentists presented in the previous chapter. 
Dental specialists are trained as general practitioners in dentistry but have additional qualifications and experience. In Australia, specialist education and training is offered in 12 specialities, which have Australian Dental Council (ADC) accreditation. These include:
•	orthodontics 
•	oral and maxillofacial surgery 
•	prosthodontics 
•	periodontics
•	endodontics
•	paediatric dentistry
•	oral pathology and oral medicine
•	public health dentistry
•	dento-maxillofacial radiology
•	special needs dentistry (Box 5). 
Specialist training is offered by six dental schools throughout Australia, but not all these schools offer training programs for all specialities (DEST 2007). The training generally involves an additional 3 years of postgraduate education leading to specialist registration. Oral and maxillofacial surgery training is offered as a fellowship through the Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons and requires completion of a medical degree 
(ADC 2009). Qualifications from the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand must meet the relevant state or territory dental board’s guidelines for specialist registration. Other overseas qualifications must meet the ADC requirements for general practice, followed by an application for specialist registration to the relevant state or territory dental boards (ADC 2009).
Specialists play a key role in maintaining clinical excellence and in providing leadership in dentistry. Monitoring and surveillance of dental specialists is important as it can inform decisions related to specialist training and improving the geographic reach of specialists, especially in supporting primary care (Gallagher & Wilson 2009; Maupome et al. 2001).
3.1	Methods
Dental specialist data were collected as part of the dentist labour force questionnaire. Section 7 of the questionnaire classified specialists into eight categories: orthodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, dento-maxillofacial radiology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, paediatric dentistry and oral pathology (see Box 5). Specialists not classified within these eight specialities were classified as ‘other’ (see Questionnaire in Appendix B). 
In previous dental labour force reports, specialists were defined by area of practice and registered specialty status (AIHW DSRU 2006; Teusner et al. 2008; Teusner & Spencer 2003). Those who indicated that they were practising as a clinical specialist, as opposed to other areas of practice, were classified as specialists. This report includes all registered specialists regardless of their area of practice, such as clinical, administration, research. Where possible, earlier data have been revised according to the criteria used in this report and hence some estimates may differ from previously published reports.
Box 5: Specialities in dentistry
In Australia, 12 specialities are recognised for registration, and are provided as accredited training programs in six dental schools. 
Oral and maxillofacial surgery 
Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) is concerned primarily with the diagnosis, surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries and defects involving both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissue of the oral and maxillofacial region. Specialists train for OMFS in Australia only through the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgery. Training is offered in the form of a fellowship, and after registration a specialist can practice in a wide variety of hospital and clinical settings. 
Prosthodontics 
Prosthodontics is the part of dentistry pertaining to the restoration and maintenance of oral function, comfort, appearance and health of the patient by the replacement of missing teeth and contiguous tissues with artificial substitutes (Boucher 1982). It could best be described as restoring a patient’s oral functioning and rebuilding their smile through the use of dental implants, bridgework, dentures and/or crowns. It has three main branches: removable prosthodontics, fixed prosthodontics and maxillofacial prosthodontics. Prosthodontics is offered as a three-year training program in five of the six dental schools. 
Endodontics 
Endodontics is concerned with the morphology, physiology, and pathology of the human tooth, in particular the dental pulp, crown, root and peri-radicular tissues. The study and practice of endodontics includes the biology of these tissues and the aetiology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries that affect them (ADA 2009). 
Orthodontics 
Orthodontics gained importance in the early 20th century, and was added as a speciality in its own right. Major responsibilities include diagnosis, prevention, interception and treatment of all forms of malocclusion (improper bites) of the teeth and associated alterations in their surrounding areas (Boucher 1982). 
Periodontics
Periodontics is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the gums and supporting structures of the teeth (periodontium). It was recognised as a speciality in the middle of the 20th century (Newman & Carranza 2006).
Paediatric dentistry
Paediatric dentistry is concerned with the provision of oral health-care services to children aged 1–17. It includes both restorative and preventive components, and involves training a child to accept dentistry, and restoring and maintaining primary, mixed and permanent dentitions. 
Public health dentistry
Dental public health is the prevention and control of dental diseases and the promotion of dental health through organised community efforts. It serves the community as the patient rather than the individual. It is concerned with dental health education of the public, applied dental research and administration of group dental care programs, as well as the prevention and control of dental diseases on a community basis (ABDPH 2009).
Oral pathology
Oral pathology deals with the nature, identification and management of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions. It involves research; diagnosis of diseases using clinical, radiographic, microscopic, biochemical or other examinations; and management of patients.
Oral medicine
Oral medicine deals with the significance and relationship of oral and systemic diseases. Registration as an oral medicine specialist is only available in Victoria and New South Wales.
Special needs dentistry
Special needs dentistry is concerned with providing and enabling the delivery of oral care for people with an impairment or disability. It is a relatively new speciality that is recognised for registration and practice only in South Australia.
In addition, oral medicine and oral pathology training and registration are offered together as one speciality. Participants in the 2009 collection also indicated forensic odontology and geriatric dentistry as dental specialities. They are not currently considered as specialist qualifications by the state/territory dental boards in Australia.

3.2	Overall numbers
In 2009:
•	 Of the 1,641 specialist registrations, 1,459 were specialists in Australia (excluding 155 multi-state registrations and 27 specialists working overseas) of whom 98.9% were in the dental labour force (Figure 3.1).
•	The majority (98.0%) of practising specialists worked mainly in clinical practice, and the remaining specialists mainly worked as teachers/educators (1.5%) and researchers (0.2%) (Figure 3.1). 
•	Orthodontists were the largest group of specialists (38.8%), followed by oral and maxillofacial specialists (13.0%) and prosthodontists (12.4%) (Figure 3.1).
Figure 3.1: All dental specialists in Australia, 2009
Flow chart showing all dental specialists in Australia, 2009.
(a)	Oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Note:	Estimates may not sum to totals due to rounding.
Between 2000 and 2009:
•	The number of specialist registrations increased from 1,209 to 1,641, a 35.7% increase.
•	The number of practising specialists increased from 1,089 to 1,441, a 32.3% increase 
(Table A.16).
•	The number of orthodontists increased from 473 to 559 over the period, but declined as a proportion of the specialist labour force, from 43.5% in 2000 to 38.8% in 2009. Oral maxillofacial surgery also saw a decline as a percentage of the specialist labour force (from 17.0% in 2000 to 13.0% in 2009) despite numbers remaining relatively stable (185 in 2000 and 187 in 2009) (Table A.16).
•	Increases as a proportion of the specialist labour force were seen in periodontics (from 10.4% to 12.0%), paediatric dentistry (from 5.1% to 6.3%) and endodontics (from 8.6% to 9.7%) (Figure 3.2).
Figure 3.2: Practising dental specialists by specialty of practice, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis per cent and on the x-axis specialty group.
(a)	OMFS = Oral and maxillofacial surgery.
(b)	Other specialty included oral pathology, public health dentistry, oral medicine and special needs dentistry.
3.3	General characteristics 
The number of practising female specialists almost doubled from 155 in 2000 to 302 in 2009. As a proportion of the specialist workforce they increased from 14.2% to 21.0% over the period (Table 3.1).
Table 3.1: The number and percentage of dental specialists by sex, 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009
Number of practising specialists	
Year	Male	Female	Persons	
2000(a)	928	155	1,089	
2003	1,021	217	1,238	
2006	1,095	233	1,328	
2009	1,139	302	1,441	
(a)	In 2000, sex was not collected in the Northern Territory (NT), therefore NT has been excluded from the male and female totals but included in the person total. 
Between 2000 and 2009, the average age of specialists increased from 47.6 to 49.5 years. Male specialists, on average, were older than their female colleagues, the age difference increasing from 6.6 years in 2000 to 9.1 years in 2009 (Table A.16).
The increase in average age was reflected in the changing age profile. The proportion of specialists aged 40–49 decreased from 38.9% in 2000 to 27.0% in 2009. There were increases in the proportion of specialists in the 50–59 and 60 and over age groups (from 25.2% to 29.3%, and from 13.8% to 19.6%, respectively) (Figure 3.3).
Figure 3.3: Practising specialists by age group, 2000 to 2009 (per cent)
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis per cent and on the x-axis age group (years).
Specialists tended to work on average, 2 hours longer per week than practising dentists overall for the whole period between 2000 and 2009 (41.9 hours compared to 39.3 hours in 2000, and 39.4 hours compared to 37.4 hours in 2009) (tables A.7 and A.16).
The average hours worked per week by male specialists decreased from 43.1 to 40.4 between 2000 and 2009. By contrast, female specialists increased their average hours worked from 35.1 to 35.8 (Table A.16).
In 2009, the average hours worked per week ranged from 37.3 for the less than 30 age group to 42.3 for those aged 50–54. Female specialists worked fewer hours than males across all age groups except those aged 30–34 and 60 and over (Figure 3.4).
Figure 3.4: Practising specialists by sex, age group and average hours worked per week, 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for male, female and persons, on the y-axis hours and on the x-axis age group (years).
In 2009, the majority of specialists (71.5%) worked solely in the private sector, 15.2% worked across sectors and the remaining 13.3% worked solely in the public sector (Table 3.2).
Private sector specialists worked, on average, a shorter week (39.2 hours) and were more likely to work part time (32.0%) than their colleagues working in both sectors (43.4 hours and 24.6%, respectively) (Table 3.2).
Table 3.2: Practising dental specialists by sector, age, sex and hours worked, 2009
Sector	
	Public	Private	Both 	Total	
Number practising	
Persons	192 	1,030	219	1,441 	
Percentage	
% Female	29.2	18.6	25.1	21.0	
Average age (years)	
Male	52.6	51.7	48.3	51.3	
Female	43.0	42.5	40.5	42.2	
Persons	49.8	50.0	46.3	49.5	
Average total hours worked per week	
Male	35.0	40.4	44.0	40.4	
Female	34.5	34.2	41.8	35.8	
Persons	34.8	39.2	43.4	39.4	
Average direct patient care hours worked per week	
Male	26.6	34.0	31.7	32.9	
Female	24.5	28.8	32.1	28.8	
Persons	26.1	33.1	31.8	32.1	
Percentage part time	
Male	34.7	28.5	21.5	28.3	
Female	46.9	47.2	33.9	44.7	
Persons	38.3	32.0	24.6	31.7	
Note:	Sector was determined by the practitioner’s reported type of practice for their main, second and third practice locations. 

3.4	Geographic distribution
Between 2000 and 2009, there was an overall increase in the number of practising specialists per 100,000 population, from 5.7 to 6.6. This increase was reflected in all jurisdictions except for Western Australia and the Northern Territory where the practising rate fell slightly from 6.2 to 6.0 and 3.2 to 2.4, respectively (Figure 3.5).
In 2009, the practising rate ranged from 2.4 specialists per 100,000 population in the Northern Territory to 11.9 in the Australian Capital Territory (Figure 3.5).
In 2009, Victoria and South Australia had higher proportions of female specialists (23.1% in both states) than their colleagues in other jurisdictions (Table A.19). 
Specialists in South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory were more likely to be younger (47.2 years) than their colleagues in other jurisdictions. Specialists in Victoria worked a shorter average week (36.2 hours per week) and were more likely to work part time (39.0%) than their colleagues in other jurisdictions (Table A.19).
Figure 3.5: Practising dental specialists per 100,000 population by state/territory, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis number per 100,000 population and on the x-axis state/territory.
In 2009, dental specialists predominantly practised in Major cities (88.8%) and a further 8.4% practised in Inner regional areas (Table A.20). 
Between 2000 and 2009, there was an overall increase in the practising rates of specialists across remoteness areas, with the exception of Outer regional. Rates increased from 7.6 specialists per 100,000 population to 8.5 in Major cities, 2.3 to 2.8 in Inner regional and from 0.0 to 1.5 in Remote/Very remote areas (Figure 3.6).
Specialists in Major cities tended to be younger (49.1 years), work a longer average week (39.7 hours), and be less likely to work part time (31.1%) than their colleagues in Remote/Very remote areas (58.4 years, 33.9 hours and 65.2%, respectively) (Table A.20). 
Figure 3.6: Practising dental specialists per 100,000 population by remoteness area of main practice, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis number per 100,000 population and on the x-axis remoteness.
4	Other dental practitioners
This section presents the findings of the 2009 allied dental practitioner collection. This includes four groups: dental hygienists, dental therapists, oral health therapists (OHTs) and dental prosthetists. Each of these four groups are individually discussed. 
As of 2006, the estimated numbers of practising dual-registered hygienists and therapists are reported as a separate labour force group (OHTs). This leads to some interpretation issues when comparing 2006 and 2009 estimates with earlier data collections. 
4.1	Methods
The allied dental practitioner collections included two types of questionnaires: one for dental hygienists, dental therapists and OHTs, and another for dental prosthetists. Data were collected on age, sex, work status, hours worked, and practice characteristics (see Appendix C). All dental practitioners registered with the dental board in each state/territory were surveyed. The questionnaire was administered in conjunction with registration renewal, and with assistance from the state/territory dental boards and/or health departments. 
Dental hygienists, therapists and OHTs were differentiated on the basis of their registration type. Data were individually analysed on the basis of these three categories. The national response rates were 53.3% for hygienists to 58.1% for therapists and 50.2% for OHTs. Data collection methods and resulting response rates varied by state/territory (Table 4.1). 
Table 4.1: Hygienists, therapists and OHTs data collection details by state/territory, 2009
State/
territory	Data collection period	Mail-out type	Reminder 
mail-out	Dental hygienist response rate (%)	Dental therapist response rate (%)	OHTs response rate (%)	
NSW	July–Sept	Registration renewal	No	68.5	74.1	80.8	
Vic	Nov–Dec	Registration renewal	No	88.6	95.8	81.0	
Qld	June–July	Registration renewal	No	34.2	34.2	34.2	
WA	Dec–Jan	AIHW DSRU 	Yes(a)	50.9	59.0	94.1	
SA	Aug–Sept	Registration renewal	No	69.9	83.7	69.0	
Tas	Dec–Nov	AIHW DSRU 	Yes(a)	57.1	78.3	. .	
ACT	Dec–Jan	Dental Board/
AIHW DSRU(b)	Yes(a)	52.5	59.1	100.0	
NT	June–July	Registration renewal	No	55.6	46.9	70.0	
(a)	Follow-up consisted of one reminder mailing of the questionnaire about 4 weeks after initial mail-out. 
(b)	In ACT, the Dental Board surveyed hygienists in conjunction with registration renewal and AIHW DSRU conducted direct mail-out to all therapists.
Dental prosthetist registration data were supplied by the state/territory dental boards. The national response rate for the prosthetist collection was 64.0%. The collection was conducted in all states and territories except the New South Wales and Queensland. Data from these jurisdictions were taken from the 2007 collection for New South Wales and the 2008 collection for Queensland. These data sets were then weighted to 2009 registration figures, therefore estimates for these jurisdictions need to be interpreted with caution. Data collection methods and resulting response rates varied by state/territory (Table 4.2).
Table 4.2: Dental prosthetist data collection details by state/territory, 2009
State/
territory	Data collection period	Mail-out type	Reminder mail-out	Response rate (%)	
NSW(a)	Jul–Sep	Surveyed with registration renewal	Yes	60.9	
Vic	Nov–Dec	Surveyed with registration renewal	No	80.1	
Qld(b)	Jun–Jul	Surveyed with registration renewal	No	53.5	
WA	Dec–Jan	Direct mailed by AIHW DSRU	Yes	35.7	
SA	Aug–Sept	Surveyed with registration renewal	No	59.1	
Tas	Nov–Dec	Direct mailed by AIHW DSRU	Yes	100.0	
ACT	Dec–Jan	Surveyed with registration renewal	No	68.4	
NT	Jun–Jul	Surveyed with registration renewal	No	60.0	
(a)	2007 data.
(b)	2008 data.
Weighting of data varied between state/territory depending on available registration information. For the purposes of generating estimates, it was assumed that non-respondents had the same characteristics as respondents; hence, data were weighted up to the number registered in each state/territory. Rounding of estimates may result in rows or columns not summing to totals in some tables. As a result of weighting, greater attention will be required when reading data from states/territories that have lower response rates and estimates based on small groups. 
Oral health therapists
Comparisons of 2009 estimates with previous data collections have been complicated by the emergence of the new OHT group. In earlier reports (2000, 2003 and 2005) OHTs were either included in the total for therapists or were reported in both the hygienist and therapist reports. The separate reporting of OHTs has resulted in a decrease in the number of dental therapists in some states and territories.
Recategorisation of previous data collections based on this new classification was not possible due to collection process differences. For example, the 2003 allied dental labour force collection used different sources for listing hygienists/therapists, namely state/territory dental board registers, Australian Dental Therapist Association register and Dental Hygiene Association of Australia register. 

4.2	Dental hygienists
Dental hygienists are trained in an accredited school and registered by the state/territory board to provide a limited range of dental services (such as scaling and polishing teeth, health education and training, radiography) in accordance with restrictions put in place by the dental boards. 
The profession of dental hygiene began in 1976, when dental hygienists became recognised as dental auxiliaries in South Australia. Dental hygienists are allowed to register and practice in all states and territories. Dental hygienists can work in both the public and private sectors under the supervision of a dentist (see Box 6).
Box 6: Services performed by dental hygienists(a): 
•	oral examination and the assessment and recording of oral conditions 
•	taking impressions of teeth (other than for prosthodontic or prosthetic dental treatment)
•	the application of preventive and therapeutic solutions to the teeth
•	preventive dental procedures, including the application of fissure sealants
•	the non-surgical management of gingival and periodontal conditions, including root debridement
•	orthodontic procedures that do not initiate tooth movement
•	the placement and removal of metallic and non-metallic separators
•	splinting to stabilise mobile teeth
•	the polishing and recontouring of restorations
•	the application of professional available bleaching agents
•	the removal of sutures
•	the application and removal of periodontal packs
•	diagnostic dental radiography
•	administration of local anaesthetic solutions for dental procedures
•	placement of temporary restorations not involving the removal of tooth structures.
Source: SA Dental Practice Act 2001.
(a)	There were some variations in scope of practice by state and territory.
This section presents the findings of the dental hygienist labour force collection. First, the overall numbers are presented, followed by demographic and practice characteristics. Second, the findings on the geographic classification of hygienists, based on jurisdictions and remoteness category, are presented. When possible, comparisons are made with data available from previous collections. However, such comparisons should be made with caution due to the addition of the OHT category.
Overall numbers 
In 2009, there were 1,067 dental hygiene registrations in Australia. Multi-state registrations were 3.4% of the total, and 1.3% were working overseas. Of all registered hygienists registered in Australia, 987 were classified as being in the dental hygienist labour force. Of these, 3.9% were on extended leave for 3 months of more, and a further 1.6% were not working in dental hygiene but were looking for work in the field. The remaining 933 dental hygienists were practising in dental hygiene (Figure 4.1). 
Figure 4.1: All registered dental hygienists in Australia, 2009
Flow chart showing all registered dental hygienists in Australia, 2009.
Due to changes in the questionnaire, information on type of practice was not available for Victoria in 2009. Therefore estimates exclude Victoria.
Note:	Estimates may not sum to totals due to rounding.
Between 2000 and 2009, the number of practising dental hygienists more than doubled, from 415 to 933. The number of practising hygienists per 100,000 population also increased, from 2.2 in 2000 to 4.2 in 2009, as did the FTE rate, based on a 35-hour working week, from 1.8 to 3.5 (Table 4.3).
Table 4.3: Number of practising dental hygienists and practising rate, 2000 to 2009
	2000	2003	2006	2009	
Number	415	577	674	933	
Practising rate (number per 100,000 population)	2.2	2.9	3.3	4.2	
FTE rate(a) (FTE number per 100,000 population)	1.8	2.4	2.7	3.5	
(a)	Full-time equivalent (FTE) based on a 35-hour week.
Demographic characteristics
Between 2000 and 2009, the dental hygiene labour force predominantly comprised females, representing around 98% of practising hygienists. The average age of practising dental hygienists increased by 3 years to 37.9 in 2009 (Table A.31). The proportion of hygienists aged less than 25 decreased from 11.7% in 2000 to 6.9% in 2009, and the proportion aged 45 and over increased from 15.8% to 27.8% (Figure 4.2).
Figure 4.2: Practising dental hygienists by age group, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis per cent and on the x-axis age group (years).
Practice characteristics
In 2009, the majority (71.7%) of dental hygiene practitioners were employed in general dental practice, 20.6% worked in specialist practice, 6.6% worked in public sector settings and 1.1% worked in other private settings (Figure 4.3). Over two-thirds (70.2%) of hygienists reported working in one practice location, almost a quarter (24.0%) worked in two locations, and the remaining 5.8% reported working in three locations. Between 2000 and 2009, the proportion working in more than one practice location has declined from 37.7% to 29.8% (Table 4.4). 
Figure 4.3: Practising hygienists by type of main practice, 2009 (per cent)
Horizontal bar chart showing on the y-axis practice type and on the x-axis per cent.
Note:	Information on type of practice was not available for Victoria in 2009, therefore estimates exclude Victoria.
Table 4.4: Practising dental hygienists by number of locations worked(a), 2000 to 2009 (per cent)
Number of practice locations	
	One location	Two locations	Three locations	Total	
2000	62.4	26.9	10.8	100.0	
2003	62.7	28.9	8.3	100.0	
2006	65.2	26.9	7.8	100.0	
2009	70.2	24.0	5.8	100.0	
Only up to three work locations could be reported on the questionnaire. 
Between 2000 and 2009, the average hours worked per week by hygienists decreased slightly from 29.6 to 28.7 hours. Hygienists in the younger age groups tended to work more hours per week than those in the older age groups. Those aged less than 30 worked on average 33.8 hours per week, compared to 26.8 hours for those aged 30–39 and 28.1 hours for those aged 40–49 (Figure 4.4, Table A.27). 
Figure 4.4: Practising hygienists by average hours worked per week and age group, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis hours and on the x-axis age group (years).
In 2009, around two-thirds (65.4%) of dental hygienists worked part time, a 4.9 percentage point increase from 2000 (Table A.31). The most common reasons given for working part time were personal preference (40.9%), child rearing duties (36.9%) and household duties (22.9%) (Figure 4.5).
Hours dedicated to various areas of practice were totalled for all practice locations reported. The majority of hours worked (92.3%) were dedicated to clinical practice. Small proportions of time were dedicated to oral health promotion (2.3%), teaching/educating (1.8%), administration (1.0%), chairside assistance (0.8%), research (0.5%) and other activities (0.6%). 
Figure 4.5: Percentage dental hygienists, reasons for working part time, 2009
Horizontal bar chart showing on the y-axis reason and on the x-axis per cent.
Notes
1.	In 2009 there was no information about reasons for working part time in NSW.
2.	Respondents can select more than one reason therefore totals will add to more than 100%.

Geographic distribution
Between 2000 and 2009, the number of practising hygienists more than doubled to 933. Increases occurred in all jurisdictions (Table 4.5). Practising rates of dental hygiene practitioners also increased across all jurisdictions. In 2009, the number of practising hygienists per 100,000 population ranged from 2.4 in the Northern Territory and Queensland to 10.1 in South Australia (Figure 4.6).
Table 4.5: Practising dental hygienists by state/territory, 2000 to 2009
Year	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
2000	58	97	45	82	110	. .	22	2	415	
2003	104	123	81	93 	134	6	30	6	577	
2006	149	120	74	135	154	5	38	—	674	
2009	277	146	105	187	164	14	34	5	933	
In 2009, the average age of practising dental hygienists varied across jurisdictions, ranging from 34.5 in Western Australia to 40.7 in Queensland. Between 2000 and 2009, the average age of hygienists increased within all jurisdictions, with the exception of New South Wales, where the average age decreased from 37.6 to 36.9 (Table A.31).
In 2009, hygienists working in South Australia worked on average fewer hours per week (25.5) than in other jurisdictions, while those in the Northern Territory worked the most hours per week (38.0). Hygienists in South Australia were the most likely to work part time (79.1%), while their colleagues in Tasmania (37.5%) were least likely (Table A.31). 
Figure 4.6: Practising hygienists per 100,000 population by state/territory, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis number per 100,000 population and on the x-axis state/territory.
In 2009, the practising rates of dental hygienists were higher in Major cities (5.2 per 100,000 population) and lowest in Remote/Very remote areas (1.5 per 100,000 population) (Figure 4.7). Hygienists working in Outer regional areas were on average, younger (36.3 years), worked on average more hours per week (32.8 hours) and were less likely to work part time (45.9%) than their colleagues in Remote/Very remote areas (41.7 years, 18.2 hours and 100.0%, respectively) (Table A.32). 
Figure 4.7: Practising hygienists per 100,000 population by remoteness area of main practice location, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis number per 100,000 population and on the x-axis remoteness.

4.3	Dental therapists
Dental therapists provide a restricted range of clinical services predominantly to school‑aged children. However, since 2006 restrictions on the age of children who can be treated by dental therapists have been extended to include young adults in some states and territories. In Australia, training of dental therapists began in 1967, first in Tasmania, followed by South Australia (Dunning 1972). Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria began training in the early 1970s (Satur 2009). 
Historically, therapists were only employed in the public sector. Western Australia allowed private sector practice in the late 1990s and following the National Competition Policy in 1998–2004, all states and territories have allowed therapists to practice in both the public and private sectors. Dental therapists provide a prescribed list of services (based on the discretion of the state/territory dental boards (see Box 7). 
Box 7: Services performed by dental therapists(a): 
•	oral examination
•	the taking of impressions of teeth (other than for the purposes of prosthodontic or prosthetic dental treatment
•	the application of preventive and therapeutic solutions to teeth
•	preventive dental procedures, including the application of fissure sealants
•	the administration of local anaesthetic solutions for dental procedures
•	dental prophylaxis, including the removal of dental calculus
•	splinting to stabilise mobile teeth
•	restoration of coronal tooth structure, including pulp capping and pulpotomy
•	extraction of deciduous teeth
•	diagnostic dental radiography.
A therapist might also be involved in non-clinical roles, such as oral health promotion, education and preventive dentistry.
Source: SA Dental Practice Act 2001.
(a)	There were some variations in scope of practice by state and territory.
This section presents the findings of the dental therapist labour force collection. First, the overall numbers are presented, followed by demographic and practice characteristics. Second, the findings on the geographic classification of therapists, based on jurisdictions and remoteness category, are presented. When possible, comparisons are made with data available from previous collections. However, such comparisons should be made with caution due to the addition of the OHT category. 
Overall numbers 
In 2009 there were 1,412 dental therapist registrations in Australia. Multi-state registrations comprised 1.2%, 0.4% were working overseas, and 1,288 therapists were classified as being in the dental therapist labour force. Of those in the labour force, 3.2% were on extended leave for 3 months or more, and a further 1.0% were not working in dental therapy but were looking for work in the field. The remaining 1,234 dental therapists were practising in dental therapy (Figure 4.8). 
Figure 4.8: All registered dental therapists in Australia, 2009
Flowchart showing all registered dental therapists in Australia, 2009.
(a)	Due to changes in the questionnaire, information on type of practice was not available for Victoria in 2009. Therefore estimates exclude Victoria.
Note:	Estimates may not sum to totals due to rounding.
Between 2000 and 2009, the number of practising dental therapists declined from 1,317 in 2000 to 1,234 in 2009. The number of practising therapists per 100,000 population also decreased from 6.9 in 2000 to 5.6 in 2009, as did the FTE rate, based on a 35-hour working week, decreasing from 5.7 to 4.5 (Table 4.6).
Table 4.6: Number of practising dental therapists and practising rate, 2000 to 2009
	2000	2003	2006	2009	
Number	1,317	1,242	1,171	1,234	
Practising rate (number per 100,000 population)	6.9	6.2	5.7	5.6	
FTE rate(a) (FTE number per 100,000 population)	5.7	5.2	4.5	4.5	
(a)	Full-time equivalent (FTE) based on a 35-hour week.
Demographic characteristics
Between 2000 and 2009, the dental therapist labour force was predominantly female, representing 97.9% of practising hygienists. The average age of practising dental therapists increased by 7.8 years, from 37.4 years in 2000 to 45.2 years in 2009 (Table A.42). The proportion of therapists aged less than 30 decreased from 18.2% in 2000 to 5.7% in 2009, and the proportion aged 45 and over increased from 12.7% to 60.1% (Figure 4.9).
Figure 4.9: Practising dental therapists by age group, 2000 to 2009 (per cent)
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis per cent and on the x-axis age group (years).
Practice characteristics
In 2009, the majority (57.7%) of dental therapists were employed in school dental services, 19.5% worked in community dental services, and 12.0% worked in private general practices (Figure 4.10). Over four-fifths (81.2%) of therapists reported working in one practice location, 12.8% worked in two locations, and the remaining 5.9% reported working in three locations. Between 2000 and 2009, the proportion working in more than one practice location has remained steady at around 19.0%, the exception being in 2003 where the proportion working in more than one location was 26.5% (Table 4.7).
Figure 4.10: Practising therapists by type of main practice, 2009 (per cent)
Horizontal bar chart showing on the y-axis practice type and on the x-axis per cent.
Note:	Information on type of practice was not available for Victoria in 2009, therefore estimates exclude Victoria.
Table 4.7: Practising dental therapists by number of locations worked(a), 2000 to 2009 (per cent)
Number of practice locations	
	One location	Two locations	Three locations	Total	
2000	81.3	14.7	4.0	100.0	
2003	73.5	18.7	7.8	100.0	
2006	80.8	15.9	3.3	100.0	
2009	81.2	12.8	5.9	100.0	
Only up to three work locations could be reported on the questionnaire. 
Between 2000 and 2009, the average hours worked per week by therapists decreased slightly from 29.1 to 27.9 hours. Therapists in the younger age groups tended to work longer hours than those in the older age groups, with those aged less than 30 working 33.4 hours per week, compared to 24.8 hours for those aged 30–39 and 29.3 hours for those aged 50+ 
(Figure 4.11, Table A.38). 
In 2009, around two-thirds (63.9%) of dental therapists worked part time, a 10.0 percentage point increase from 2000 (Table A.42). The most common reasons given for working part time were personal preference (43.7%), child rearing duties (31.3%) and household duties (20.8%) (Figure 4.12).
Hours dedicated to various areas of practice were totalled for all practice locations reported. The majority of hours worked (79.8%) were dedicated to clinical practice. Small proportions of time were dedicated to administration (11.2%), teaching/educating (4.6%), oral health promotion (2.1%), chairside assistance (0.8%), research (0.7%) and other activities (0.8%). 
Figure 4.11: Practising therapists by average hours worked per week and age group, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis hours and on the x-axis age group (years).
Figure 4.12: Practising therapists, reasons for working part time, 2009 (per cent) 
Horizontal bar chart showing on the y-axis reason and on the x-axis per cent.
Notes
1.	In 2009 there was no information about reasons for working part time in NSW.
2.	Respondents can select more than one reason therefore totals will add to more than 100%.
Geographic distribution
Between 2000 and 2009, the number of practising dental therapists decreased from 1,317 to 1,234 (6.3%). This decrease should be viewed in conjunction with the increase in numbers of practicing oral health therapists. Despite the overall decrease in number, increases occurred in most jurisdictions (Table 4.8). Practising rates of dental therapists decreased in some jurisdictions. In 2009, the number of practising therapists per 100,000 population ranged from 3.1 in Victoria to 13.7 in Western Australia (Figure 4.13).
Table 4.8: Practising dental therapists by state/territory, 2000 to 2009
Year	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
2000	216	153	405	331	128	50	19	16	1,317	
2003	195	153	354	314	128	61	22	16	1,242	
2006	225	196	245	286	121	56	19	23	1,171	
2009	265	169	280	309	112	60	22	17	1,234	
In 2009, the average age of practising dental therapists varied across jurisdictions, ranging from 42.6 years in Victoria to 49.4 years in the Northern Territory. Between 2000 and 2009, the average age of therapists increased in all jurisdictions, ranging from an increase of 6.3 years in Victoria to 9.3 years in Queensland (Table A.42).
In 2009, therapists working in Victoria worked on average the fewest hours per week (22.6) and their colleagues in the Northern Territory worked the most (35.9). Therapists in Victoria were the most likely to work part time (86.4%), and their colleagues in the Northern Territory were least likely (12.5%) (Table A.42). 
Figure 4.13: Practising therapists per 100,000 population by state/territory, 
2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis number per 100,000 population and on the x-axis state/territory.
In 2009, the practising rates of dental therapists were higher in Outer regional areas (8.0 per 100,000 population) and lowest in Major cities (5.0 per 100,000 population) (Figure 4.14). Therapists working in Remote/Very remote areas were on average, younger (43.3 years), worked more hours per week (32.6 hours), were less likely to work part time (32.6%) and more likely to work in public settings (95.0) than their colleagues in Major cities (45.1 years, 27.4 hours, 65.9% part time, and 79.2% in public settings, respectively) 
(Table A.43). 
Figure 4.14: Practising therapists per 100,000 population by remoteness area of main practice location, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis number per 100,000 population and on the x-axis remoteness.
4.4	Oral health therapists
Practitioners who are qualified in both dental therapy and hygiene are commonly referred to as oral health therapists (OHTs). They are eligible to register both as dental therapists and dental hygienists, but may not necessarily maintain dual registration. 
The emergence of the OHT labour force has followed substantial change in the structure of educational programs. Historically, hygiene and therapy programs were single qualification Advanced Diplomas. Since the early 2000s, these programs have been replaced by Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH) courses, training dual-qualified hygienists and therapists. 
In 2006, information on OHT registrations was available for the five largest states. Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory did not have dual practitioners. In 2009, information was available for all jurisdictions except Tasmania. 
Overall numbers 
In 2009 there were 663 oral health therapist registrations in Australia, of whom 16 were multi-state registrations, 4 were working overseas and 21 were no longer in the labour force. A total of 625 therapists were classified as being in the oral health therapist labour force, comprising 27 who were on extended leave for 3 months of more, 10 who were not working in oral health therapy but looking for work in the field and 590 therapists who were practising as oral health therapists (Figure 4.15). 
Between 2006 and 2009, the number of practising OHTs increased from 371 to 590. The number of practising OHTs per 100,000 population also increased, from 1.8 to 2.7. The FTE rate, based on a 35 hour working week, increased from 1.7 to 2.5 
(Table 4.9).
Table 4.9: Number of practising OHTs and practising rate, 2006 and 2009
	2006	2009	
Number	371	590	
Practising rate (number per 100,000 population)	1.8	2.7	
FTE rate(a) (FTE number per 100,000 population)	1.7	2.5	
(a)	Full-time equivalent (FTE) based on a 35-hour week.
Figure 4.15: All registered oral health therapists in Australia, 2009
Flowchart showing all registered oral health therapists in Australia, 2009.
(a)	Due to changes in the questionnaire, information on type of practice was not available for Victoria in 2009. Therefore estimates exclude Victoria.
Note:	Estimates may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Demographic characteristics
Between 2006 and 2009, the OHT labour force was predominantly female, comprising 91.3% of practising OHTs. The average age of practising therapists decreased by almost 2 years, from 36.4 in 2006 to 34.5 in 2009 (Table A.53). The proportion aged less than 25 increased from 11.2% in 2006 to 21.5% in 2009, reflecting the increasing numbers of graduates from Bachelor of Oral Health courses. The proportion aged 45 and over decreased from 26.2% to 22.8%(Figure 4.16).
Figure 4.16: Practising OHTs by age group, 2006 and 2009 (per cent)
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis per cent and on the x-axis age group (years).
Practice characteristics
In 2009, the OHTs predominantly worked in either general dental practices (48.6%) or in school dental services (37.3%) (Figure 4.17). Approximately two-thirds (66.4%) of OHTs reported working in one practice location, about a quarter (26.2%) worked in two locations, and the remaining 7.4% reported working in three locations. Between 2006 and 2009, the proportion working in more than one practice location decreased from 43.6% to 33.6% 
(Table 4.10). 
Figure 4.17: Practising OHTs by type of main practice, 2009 (per cent)
Horizontal bar chart showing on the y-axis practice type and on the x-axis per cent.
Note:	Information on type of practice was not available for Victoria in 2009, therefore estimates exclude Victoria.
Table 4.10: Practising OHTs by number of locations worked(a), 2006 and 2009 (per cent)
Number of practice locations	
	One location	Two locations	Three or more locations	Total	
2006	56.3	33.9	9.7	100.0	
2009	66.4	26.2	7.4	100.0	
Only up to three work locations could be reported on the questionnaire. 
Between 2006 and 2009, the average hours worked per week by OHTs decreased slightly from 33.4 to 32.3 hours. In 2009, therapists in the younger age groups tended to work longer hours than those in the older age groups, with those aged less than 30 working 33.7 hours per week, compared to 29.7 hours for those aged 30–39 and 31.8 hours for those aged 40–49 (Figure 4.18, Table A.49). 
In 2009, just under half (48.3%) of OHTs worked part time, a 5.9 percentage point increase from 2006 (Table A.53). The most common reasons given for working part time were child rearing duties (30.4%), personal preference (29.7%), work not available (11.4%) and household duties (10.8%) (Figure 4.19).
Hours dedicated to various areas of practice were totalled for all practice locations reported. The majority of hours worked (91.3%) were dedicated to clinical practice (44.7% in dental hygiene, 30.6% in dental therapy and 16.1% in oral health therapy). Small proportions of time were dedicated to administration (1.9%), teaching/educating (2.0%), oral health promotion (3.4%), chairside assistance (0.3%), research (0.7%) and other activities (0.8%). 
Figure 4.18: Practising OHTs by average hours worked per week and age group, 2006 and 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis hours and on the x-axis age group (years).
Figure 4.19: Practising OHTs, reasons for working part time, 2009 (per cent) 
Horizontal bar chart showing on the y-axis reason and on the x-axis per cent.
Notes
1.	In 2009 there was no information about reasons for working part time in NSW.
2.	Respondents can select more than one reason therefore totals will add to more than 100%.
Geographic distribution
Between 2006 and 2009, the number of practising OHTs doubled from 371 to 590. The bulk of the increase occurred in Victoria, where the number of OHTs increased from 41 to 153 across the three year period. Increases occurred in all jurisdictions (Table 4.11). Practising rates of dental hygiene practitioners also increased across all jurisdictions. In 2009, the number of practising hygienists per 100,000 population ranged from 0.7 in New South Wales to 5.8 in Queensland (Figure 4.20).
Table 4.11: Practising OHTs by state/territory, 2006 and 2009
Year	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
2006	39	41	228	38	26	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	371	
2009	50	153	257	39	74	n.a.	10	7	590	
Note:	Information on oral health therapists/dual-registered therapists/hygienists was not available for the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania in 2006, and in Tasmania in 2009. 
In 2009, the average age of practising oral health therapists varied across jurisdictions, ranging from 24.6 years in the Northern Territory to 43.6 years in Western Australia. Between 2006 and 2009, the average age of OHTs decreased in New South Wales and Victoria, by 4.6 and 2.9 years respectively. The average age increased in the remaining jurisdictions (Table A.53).
In 2009, OHTs working in Western Australia worked on average the fewest hours per week (28.1), and a higher proportion worked part time (59.5%) than in any other jurisdiction. In contrast, OHTs working in the Northern Territory worked on average the most hours per week (39.9) and were the least likely to work part time (20.0%) (Table A.53). 
Figure 4.20: Practising OHTs per 100,000 population by state/territory, 2006 and 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis number per 100,000 population and on the x-axis state/territory.
In 2009, the practising rates of OHTs were higher in Major cities (2.9 per 100,000 population) and lowest in Remote/Very remote areas (1.5 per 100,000 population) (Figure 4.21). The average age of OHTs ranged from 30.4 in Remote/Very remote areas to 38.0 in Outer regional areas. On average, OHTs in Remote/Very remote areas had the longest working week (37.7 hours) and those working in Inner regional areas had the shortest (31.4 hours). 
(Table A.54). 
Figure 4.21: Practising OHTs per 100,000 population by remoteness area of 
main practice location, 2006 and 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis number per 100,000 population and on the x-axis remoteness.

4.5	Dental prosthetists
This section presents the findings of the 2009 national dental prosthetist collection. Dental prosthetists are part of the allied dental labour force responsible for the construction and fitting of dentures and sporting mouthguards (see Box 8). Registration of dental prosthetists is with the respective state/territory dental boards. 
Box 8: Services provided by dental prosthetists
Dental prosthetists are responsible for the construction and fitting of dentures and sporting mouthguards. Dental prosthetists maintain, repair and reline dentures either by direct consultation with a patient or by referral from a dentist. A dental prosthetist can provide the following treatment: 
•	the manufacture of dental prostheses, and corrective dental appliances prescribed by a registered dentist or a registered specialist
•	the fitting of, and taking impressions or measurements for the purposes of fitting, a denture to the jaw.
Overall numbers 
In 2009 there were 1,220 dental prosthetist registrations in Australia, of which 63 were multi‑state registrations, 2 were working overseas and 115 were no longer in the labour force. An estimated 1,040 prosthetists were classified as being in the dental prosthetist therapist labour force, comprising 2 who were on extended leave for 3 months of more, 25 who were not working, but looking for work in the field, and 1,013 who were practising as dental prosthetists (Figure 4.22). 
Between 2000 and 2009, the number of practising dental prosthetists increased from 872 to 1,013. The number of practising prosthetists per 100,000 population remained stable at 4.6, and the FTE rate, based on a 35-hour working week, decreased slightly from 5.5 to 5.3 
(Table 4.12).
Table 4.12: Number of practising dental prosthetists and practising rate, 2000 to 2009
	2000	2003	2006	2009	
Number	872	878	921	1,013	
Practising rate (number per 100,000 population)	4.6	4.4	4.4	4.6	
FTE rate(a) (FTE number per 100,000 population)	5.5	5.4	5.5	5.3	
(a)	Full-time equivalent (FTE) based on a 35-hour week.
Figure 4.22: All registered dental prosthetists in Australia, 2009
Flowchart showing all registered dental prosthetists in Australia, 2009.
Note:	Estimates may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Demographic characteristics
Between 2000 and 2009, the dental prosthetist labour force was predominantly male, representing 88.5% of practising prosthetists. From 2000 to 2009, the average age of practising prosthetists increased by 3.8 years, from 47.8 to 51.6 years (Table A.65). The proportion of prosthetists aged less than 40 decreased from 23.1% in 2000 to 12.8% in 2009, and the proportion aged 50 and over increased from 38.2% to 55.9% for the same period (Figure 4.23).
Figure 4.23: Practising dental prosthetists by age group, 2000 to 2009 (per cent)
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis per cent and on the x-axis age group (years).
Practice characteristics
In 2009, the majority (85.4%) of dental prosthetists were self-employed, 7.2% worked in government clinics/laboratories and 4.6% worked as employees within a private practice (Figure 4.24). Around three-quarters (76.0%) of prosthetists reported working in one practice location, 17.7% worked in two locations, and the remaining 6.3% reported working in three locations. Between 2000 and 2009, the proportion working in more than one practice location has remained steady at around 25.0% (Table 4.13). 
Figure 4.24: Practising prosthetists by type of main practice, 2009 (per cent)
Horizontal bar chart showing on the y-axis practice type and on the x-axis per cent.
Note:	Information on type of practice was not available for Victoria in 2009, therefore estimates exclude Victoria.
Table 4.13: Practising dental prosthetists by number of locations worked(a), 2000 to 2009 (per cent)
Number of practice locations	
	One location	Two locations	Three locations	Total	
2000	74.7	15.8	9.4	100.0	
2003	74.2	19.7	6.1	100.0	
2006	76.8	18.7	4.6	100.0	
2009	76.0	17.7	6.3	100.0	
(a)	Only up to three work locations could be reported on the questionnaire. 
Between 2000 and 2009, the average hours worked per week by prosthetists decreased from 42.6 to 40.4 hours. Prosthetists in the younger age groups tended to work longer hours than those in the older age groups, with those aged less than 40 working on average 43.5 hours per week, compared to 41.7 hours for those aged 50–59 and 35.7 hours for those aged 60 and older (Figure 4.25, Table A.60 and Table A.65). 
Figure 4.25: Practising prosthetists by average hours worked per week and age group, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis hours and on the x-axis age group (years).
In 2009, around a quarter (25.8%) of dental prosthetists worked part time, a 5.8 percentage point increase from 2000 (Table A.65). The most common reasons given for working part time were personal preference (19.0%), insufficient work in dental prosthetics (10.1%) and household duties (8.3%) (Figure 4.26).

Prosthetists were asked to estimate the number of dentures completed or repaired in the past week by type of denture (full/partial). Dentures completed or repaired were totalled for all practice locations worked. It was estimated that, on average, dental prosthetists completed 4.2 full dentures, 3.2 partial dentures, and repaired 2.1 full dentures and 2.0 partial dentures (Table A.64). 
Figure 4.26: Practising prosthetists, reasons for working part time, 2009 (per cent) 
Horizontal bar chart showing on the y-axis reason and on the x-axis per cent.
Notes
1.	In 2009 there was no information about reasons for working part time in NSW.
2.	Respondents can select more than one reason therefore totals will add to more than 100%.
Geographic distribution
Between 2000 and 2009, the number of practising prosthetists increased from 872 to 1,013. Increases occurred in all jurisdictions except for Tasmania, which decreased from 52 to 46, and the Australian Capital Territory, remaining stable at 16 (Table 4.14). Despite the increase in the number of practitioners, increases in the practising rate only occurred in Queensland (from 3.3 to 4.4 per 100,000 population), South Australia (from 1.8 to 2.5) and the Northern Territory (from 0.0 to 1.5). With the exception of New South Wales and Western Australia, the practising rate decreased within the remaining three jurisdictions 
(Figure 4.27).
Table 4.14: Practising dental prosthetists by state/territory, 2000 to 2009
Year	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
2000	305	297	117	60	27	52	16	. .	872	
2003	308	268	125	84	29	50	15	. .	878	
2006	343	258	145	86	31	44	14	. .	921	
2009	335	307	193	73	41	46	16	3	1,013	
In 2009, the average age of practising dental prosthetists varied across jurisdictions, ranging from 41.5 years in the Northern Territory to 59.5 in the Australian Capital Territory. Between 2000 and 2009, the average age of prosthetists increased within all jurisdictions, ranging from an increase of 0.7 years in Victoria and Western Australia to 12.3 years in the Australian Capital Territory (Table A.65).
In 2009, prosthetists working in Victoria worked on average the most hours per week (42.7). Practitioners in Queensland were more likely to work part time (48.5%) and those working in the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria were least likely (18.2% and 18.3% respectively) (Table A.65).
Figure 4.27: Practising prosthetists per 100,000 population by state/territory, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis number per 100,000 population and on the x-axis state/territory.

In 2009, the practising rates of dental prosthetists were highest in Inner regional areas (5.7 per 100,000 population) and lowest in Remote/Very remote areas (0.4 per 100,000 population) (Figure 4.28). Prosthetists working in Outer regional areas were on average, younger (51.2 years) than their colleagues in Remote/Very remote areas (58.0 years). Practitioners in Inner regional areas worked on average more hours per week (43.3 hours), and were less likely to work part time (16.4%) than their colleagues in Remote/Very remote areas (25.0 hours and 100.0% part time respectively) (Table A.66). 
Figure 4.28: Practising prosthetists per 100,000 population by remoteness area of main practice location, 2000 to 2009
Vertical bar chart showing, for 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, on the y-axis number per 100,000 population and on the x-axis remoteness.
5	Discussion
The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overall picture of the Australian dental labour force and, where relevant, to describe changes over time. It presents comparisons between general dental practitioners, specialists, hygienists, therapists, dual practitioners (OHTs) and prosthetists. 
Composition of the dental labour force 
In 2009, the dental labour force was predominantly composed of general dental practitioners (66.7%) and specialists (9.2%). Dental therapists comprised 7.9% of the labour force, prosthetists 6.5%, hygienists 6.0%, and OHTs 3.8% (Table 5.1). 
Table 5.1: Growth of the dental labour force, 2000 to 2009
 
Type of practitioner	
 	Dentists(a)	Specialists	Hygienists(b)	Therapists(b)	OHTs(b)	Prosthetists	
Number of practitioners	
2000	7,903	1,089	415	1,317	. .	872	
2003	8,440	1,238	577	1,242	. .	878	
2006	9,076	1,328	674	1,171	371	921	
2009	10,441	1,441	933	1,234	590	1,013	
Practising rate(c)	
2000	41.3	5.7	2.2	6.9	. .	4.6	
2003	42.4	6.2	2.9	6.2	. .	4.4	
2006	43.9	6.4	3.3	5.7	1.8	4.5	
2009	47.6	6.6	4.2	5.6	2.7	4.6	
(a)	Excludes specialists.
(b)	OHT data were first collected in 2006. In 2003 OHTs were categorised as either hygienists or therapists. Caution is advised when interpreting the change in numbers in these groups.
(c)	The number of practising practitioners per 100,000 population.
Between 2000 and 2009, there was a 59.2% increase in the number of oral health practitioners (hygienists, therapists and OHTs) compared to 32.1% for dentists (including specialists) (Table 5.1). Although supplying only a minority of dental visits, oral health practitioners provide services to a variety of defined population groups in a range of settings (such as children in school dental clinics, and residents in residential care facilities). 

Practice setting and activity
The Australian dental labour force is predominantly based in the private sector. In 2009, four‑fifths of general practitioner dentists worked only in the private sector. This trend was similar among dental specialists, hygienists and prosthetists. The only group that was predominantly public was therapists (79.8% in the public sector). OHTs were more varied: 44.3% worked only in private practices, 32.9% worked only in public practices and 22.8% worked in both sectors (Figure 5.1). However, this is a rapidly emerging group, and future distribution across sectors may shift over the next decade. 
Figure 5.1: Practising dental labour force by sector of practice, 2009(a)
Vertical bar chart showing, for public, private and both, on the y-axis per cent and on the x-axis type of practitioner.
(a)	Sector of practice was determined by the practitioner’s reported type of practice at main, second and third practice locations.
Geographic distribution
With the exception of therapists, the geographic distribution of the dental labour force varies. Practising rates are highest in the most populous areas and lowest in the least populous areas. There are more dental therapists per 100,000 population in Inner regional and Outer regional areas than in Major cities. Remote/Very remote areas have more therapists than other allied practitioners per 100,000 population. The geographic distribution of OHTs is relatively even (with the exception of Remote/Very remote areas) (Figure 5.2). 
Figure 5.2: Practising dental labour force by remoteness area of main practice, 2009 (per 100,000 population) 
Vertical bar chart showing, for dentists, specialists, hygienists, therapists, OHTs and prosthetists, on the y-axis practising rate and on the x-axis remoteness area.
Appendix A: Data tables
Table A.1: Number and rates of registered and practising dentists, 2000 to 2009
 	2000	2003	2006	2009	
Number	
Registered dentists	10,609	11,404	12,212	13,611	
Practising dentists	8,992	9,678	10,404	11,882	
Number per 100,000 population	
Registered dentists	55.4	57.3	59.0	62.0	
Practising dentists	46.9	48.6	50.3	54.1	
FTE(a)rate	52.7	53.8	55.3	57.8	
FTE based on a full-time equivalent working week of 35 hours.
Table A.2: Registered dentists by work status, states and territories, 2009
Work status	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Only/mainly in this state	4,076	2,813	2,319	1,199	949	203	244	78	11,882	
Mainly in another state	164	44	48	7	14	8	15	35	335	
Only in another state	124	37	82	34	39	—	5	14	335	
On leave	23	24	29	11	12	—	n.p.	—	100	
Overseas	180	117	103	5	10	—	—	n.p.	418	
Not working	86	47	64	23	13	n.p.	n.p.	—	235	
Not working in dentistry	40	33	24	19	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	—	124	
Retired	60	29	—	69	16 	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	181	
Total	4,754	3,143	2,669	1,367	1,057	216	272	133	13,611	
Practising in state/territory(a) (%)	85.7	89.5	86.9	87.7	89.8	94.1	89.7	58.8	87.3	
Proportion female (%)	31.1	37.6	30.9	31.6	33.5	20.5	29.6	30.1	32.6	
Practising rate(b)	57.1	51.7	52.4	53.4	58.5	40.4	69.3	34.6	54.1	
FTE rate (35 hours per week)(c) 	63.4	52.9	57.0	54.9	59.2	40.5	77.9	37.8	57.9	
FTE rate (37.5 hours per week)(c) 	59.2	49.4	53.2	51.3	55.3	37.8	72.7	35.3	54.0	
FTE rate (40 hours per week)(c) 	55.5	46.3	49.9	48.1	51.8	35.4	68.2	33.1	50.6	
(a)	Employed solely or mainly in state/territory of registration. 
(b)	Practising rate: the number of practising dentists per 100,000 population.
(c)	Full-time equivalent dentists per 100,000 population. Calculated by multiplying the number of employed dentists by the average weekly hours worked and then dividing by a reference week (35, 37.5 and 40 hours/week have been provided). This value is then population standardised to allow comparisons with other states/territories.

Table A.3: Practising dentists by sex and age, 2000 to 2009
Age (years)	
Sex	<30 	30–39	40–49	50–59	60+	Total	
2000(a)	
Males	628	1,423	2,237	1,653	949	6,891	
Females	449	760	598	187	48	2,042	
Persons	1,077	2,183	2,836	1,840	997	8,992	
2003	
Males	626	1,472	2,030	1,934	1,070	7,132	
Females	595	896	703	285	67	2,546	
Persons	1,221	2,368	2,733	2,219	1,137	9,678	
2006	
Males	643	1,432	1,983	2,062	1,270	7,390	
Females	636	1,029	827	443	78	3,014	
Persons	1,279	2,461	2,810	2,505	1,348	10,404	
2009	
Males	762	1,607	1,772	2,210	1,662	8,013	
Females	851	1,276	1,009	593	141	3,869	
Persons	1,614	2,883	2,780	2,803	1,803	11,882	
(a)	Excludes the Northern Territory in 2000.

Table A.4: Practising dentists by area of main practice, sex and age, 2009
	Age (years)	Average age	
Area of main practice	<30	30–39	40–49	50–59	60+	Total		
Male	
General practice	739	1,361	1,451	1,778	1,308	6,637	47.4	
Registered specialist	7	184	274	349	261	1,075	51.6	
Restricted practice	n.p.	13	10	9	7	42	46.2	
Administration	n.p.	7	15	31	28	83	55.1	
Teaching/education	5	13	13	24	28	83	52.6	
Research	—	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	10	45.8	
Other	7	24	7	17	28	83	50.7	
Total	762	1,607	1,772	2,210	1,662	8,013	48.1	
Female	
General practice	815	1,128	860	490	113	3,406	38.7	
Registered specialist	13	103	101	57	10	285	42.8	
Restricted practice	n.p.	7	—	—	—	10	33.3	
Administration	—	12	15	15	5	47	47.4	
Teaching/education	n.p.	14	14	16	13	59	47.8	
Research	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	—	11	42.0	
Other	15	8	16	13	—	52	38.5	
Total	851	1,276	1,009	593	141	3,869	39.2	
Persons	
General practice	1,555	2,489	2,310	2,268	1,421	10,043	44.4	
Registered specialist	20	287	376	406	271	1,360	49.8	
Restricted practice	7	20	10	9	7	52	43.6	
Administration	n.p.	19	30	46	33	130	52.4	
Teaching/education	7	26	28	40	41	141	50.5	
Research	n.p.	8	5	5	n.p.	21	43.8	
Other	22	33	22	30	28	135	46.5	
Total	1,614	2,883	2,780	2,803	1,803	11,882	45.2	

Table A.5: Practising dentists by area of main practice, number and average age, 2000 to 2009
Area of main practice	2000	2003	2006	2009	
Number	
General practice	7,658	8,200	8,747	10,043	
Registered specialist	974	1,058	1,161	1,360	
Restricted practice	59	70	93	52	
Administration	97	87	77	130	
Teaching/education	118	145	191	141	
Research	24	29	31	21	
Other	62	90	102	135	
Total	8,992	9,678	10,404	11,882	
Average age (years)	
General practice	43.7	44.0	44.4	44.4	
Registered specialist	47.5	48.5	48.8	49.8	
Restricted practice	45.8	46.1	50.3	43.6	
Administration	48.4	52.5	50.0	52.4	
Teaching/education	48.5	45.9	47.8	50.5	
Research	46.4	53.3	46.5	43.8	
Other	45.7	39.4	46.6	46.5	
Total	44.3	44.6	45.1	45.2	

Table A.6: Practising dentists by area of main practice, sex and total hours worked per week, 2009
	Total hours worked per week	Per cent 
part time	
Area of main practice	<10	10–19	20–29	30–39	40–49	50–59	60+	Total		
Male	
General practice	133	238	522	2,101	2,682	648	313	6,637	23.1	
Registered specialist	32	42	87	306	339	166	103	1,075	27.4	
Restricted practice	n.p.	5	7	17	6	4	n.p.	42	48.5	
Administration	7	n.p.	n.p.	21	22	16	10	83	20.5	
Teaching/education	11	10	9	12	19	6	14	83	42.5	
Research	—	—	—	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	7	10	—	
Other	n.p.	13	9	19	18	8	16	83	34.6	
Total	185	310	639	2,477	3,088	849	464	8,013	24.0	
Female	
General practice	93	393	578	1,178	929	166	69	3,406	45.7	
Registered specialist	7	22	56	91	67	23	19	285	42.9	
Restricted practice	—	n.p.	—	8	—	—	—	10	80.0	
Administration	n.p.	n.p.	9	12	13	n.p.	4	47	34.3	
Teaching/education	4	13	15	11	10	5	n.p.	59	54.0	
Research	n.p.	—	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	—	n.p.	11	33.3	
Other	—	6	9	22	9	n.p.	n.p.	52	23.0	
Total	107	439	670	1,325	1,031	201	97	3,869	45.3	
Persons	
General practice	226	631	1,100	3,278	3,611	814	382	10,043	30.8	
Registered specialist	39	64	143	397	406	188	123	1,360	30.6	
Restricted practice	n.p.	7	7	26	6	n.p.	n.p.	52	52.6	
Administration	9	5	13	34	35	20	14	130	25.5	
Teaching/education	15	23	24	23	29	11	16	141	46.9	
Research	n.p.	—	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	8	21	14.6	
Other	n.p.	19	19	41	27	11	17	135	30.0	
Total	292	749	1,309	3,802	4,118	1,050	562	11,882	30.9	

Table A.7: Average hours worked per week by sex and area of main practice, practising dentists, 2000 to 2009
Area of main practice	2000	2003	2006	2009	
Male	
General practice	40.7	40.4	40.1	39.1	
Registered specialist	43.9	42.5	42.6	40.7	
Restricted practice	29.7	33.7	33.8	32.3	
Administration	42.0	38.4	41.6	41.4	
Teaching/education	38.9	35.9	34.8	34.0	
Research	35.6	34.1	40.2	55.3	
Other 	38.8	35.4	34.8	37.9	
Total	41.0	40.5	40.2	39.3	
Female	
General practice	33.6	33.8	33.8	33.3	
Registered specialist	36.8	35.8	37.7	36.1	
Restricted practice	25.3	23.9	28.5	26.3	
Administration	41.6	36.4	37.3	38.8	
Teaching/education	31.4	27.0	33.3	31.3	
Research	40.2	34.3	34.0	38.8	
Other 	23.0	35.3	36.1	38.6	
Total	33.7	33.8	34.1	33.5	
Persons	
General practice	39.0	38.6	38.2	37.1	
Registered specialist	42.9	41.4	41.8	39.7	
Restricted practice	28.5	31.8	32.6	31.5	
Administration	42.2	37.9	40.6	40.5	
Teaching/education	36.4	32.9	34.3	33.0	
Research	37.8	34.2	38.1	48.1	
Other 	35.3	35.3	35.3	38.1	
Total	39.3	38.7	38.5	37.4	

Table A.8: Practising dentists by type of main practice, 2000 to 2009
	Year	
Type of main practice	2000	2003	2006	2009	
Private	
Solo	3,313	2,962	2,892	2,874	
Solo with assistant	653	1,323	1,563	1,597	
Partnership	844	865	891	1,043	
Associateship	1,393	1,286	1,463	1,852	
Assistant	1,128	1,326	1,566	1,715	
Locum	99	132	147	191	
Industry	14	46	118	72	
Other practice type	96	148	118	646	
Total private	7,540	8,088	8,757	9,989	
Public	
Dental hospital	420	464	534	509	
Mainly school dental	142	119	130	117	
Mainly general dental	379	534	502	644	
Defence forces	126	98	94	117	
Other public	262	204	214	304	
Tertiary education institution	124	172	175	201	
Total public	1,452	1,590	1,648	1,893	
Total	8,992	9,678	10,404	11,882	

Table A.9: Practising dentists by type of main practice, sex and age, 2009
	Age (years)	Average 
age	
Type of main practice	<30	30–39	40–49	50–59	60+	Total		
Male	
Private	
Solo	62	315	584	780	601	2,343	51.8	
Solo with assistant	49	235	357	376	190	1,208	48.2	
Partnership	39	164	189	264	85	741	47.4	
Associateship	150	267	298	341	218	1,274	46.6	
Assistant	242	249	121	101	110	823	39.9	
Locum	22	27	10	26	41	126	48.8	
Industry	8	13	8	n.p.	n.p.	36	38.8	
Other practice type	62	102	55	89	113	421	47.9	
Total private	634	1,372	1,623	1,981	1,363	6,972	49.1	
Public	
Dental hospital	44	86	32	56	78	296	46.8	
Mainly school dental	n.p.	7	14	26	23	73	53.4	
Mainly general dental	39	66	44	68	87	303	49.2	
Defence forces	20	23	12	10	6	72	40.0	
Other public	14	35	22	37	64	172	51.9	
Tertiary education institution	8	17	25	33	41	124	53.3	
Total public	128	235	149	230	299	1,041	48.0	
Total	762	1,607	1,772	2,210	1,662	8,013	48.1	
Female	
Private	
Solo	43	130	195	140	23	531	44.4	
Solo with assistant	61	129	124	65	8	389	40.2	
Partnership	24	97	101	68	12	302	43.0	
Associateship	134	240	133	58	12	577	37.3	
Assistant	309	328	163	79	13	892	35.3	
Locum	14	18	26	6	n.p.	65	37.5	
Industry	10	12	11	n.p.	n.p.	37	37.5	
Other practice type	47	84	52	33	8	224	38.5	
Total private	644	1,038	805	452	78	3,017	40.1	
Public	
Dental hospital	72	61	40	29	11	213	38.0	
Mainly school dental	n.p.	15	14	11	—	44	41.4	
Mainly general dental	90	106	73	54	18	341	38.7	
Defence forces	13	8	13	9	n.p.	46	39.8	
Other public	23	28	43	20	18	132	43.4	
Tertiary education institution	6	20	21	16	14	77	46.2	
Total public	208	238	203	141	63	852	39.0	
Total	851	1,276	1,009	593	141	3,869	39.2	
(continued)
Table A.9 (continued): Practising dentists by type of main practice, sex and age, 2009
	Age (years)	Average 
age	
Type of main practice	<30	30–39	40–49	50–59	60+	Total		
Persons	
Private	
Solo	106	446	779	920	623	2,874	50.5	
Solo with assistant	110	364	482	442	199	1,597	46.2	
Partnership	63	261	290	332	97	1,043	46.2	
Associateship	284	507	431	400	231	1,851	43.7	
Assistant	551	577	284	180	123	1,715	37.6	
Locum	36	44	36	32	43	191	44.8	
Industry	18	25	19	6	5	72	38.1	
Other practice type	109	187	107	122	121	646	44.6	
Total private	1,278	2,410	2,428	2,433	1,441	9,989	45.0	
Public	
Dental hospital	116	147	72	85	89	509	43.0	
Mainly school dental	8	22	28	37	23	117	48.9	
Mainly general dental	129	172	117	122	105	644	43.7	
Defence forces	32	32	25	20	8	117	39.9	
Other public	37	63	65	57	82	304	48.2	
Tertiary education institution	14	37	46	49	55	201	50.6	
Total public	336	473	352	370	362	1,893	45.3	
Total	1,614	2,883	2,780	2,803	1,803	11,882	45.2	

Table A.10: Practising dentists by type of main practice, sex and total hours worked per week, 2009
	Total hours worked per week	Average hours	
Type of main practice	<10	10–19	20–29	30–39	40–49	50–59	60+	Total		
Male	
Private	
Solo	18	46	144	667	971	338	159	2,343	41.7	
Solo with assistant	6	22	58	344	515	171	93	1,208	42.2	
Partnership	10	18	49	224	340	65	35	741	39.7	
Associateship	17	49	94	431	510	124	49	1,274	38.9	
Assistant	35	58	115	283	276	31	24	823	34.6	
Locum	26	9	15	31	35	5	6	126	31.3	
Industry	n.p.	—	6	13	14	n.p.	—	36	34.8	
Other practice type	24	43	48	99	156	42	9	421	35.0	
Total private	137	244	528	2,093	2,818	777	374	6,972	37.1	
Public	
Dental hospital	17	19	24	116	80	13	29	296	37.7	
Mainly school dental	n.p.	—	13	38	15	n.p.	n.p.	73	35.1	
Mainly general dental	n.p.	26	38	132	69	14	21	303	36.5	
Defence forces	—	n.p.	9	31	21	n.p.	n.p.	72	35.3	
Other public	11	10	17	49	48	20	17	172	38.0	
Tertiary education institution	15	6	12	19	38	18	16	124	37.9	
Total public	48	66	111	384	270	71	90	1,041	39.6	
Total	185	310	639	2,477	3,088	849	464	8,013	39.3	
Female	
Private	
Solo	10	29	56	168	190	58	20	531	38.0	
Solo with assistant	9	39	64	120	106	40	11	389	34.9	
Partnership	6	37	58	109	71	12	9	302	32.8	
Associateship	12	75	111	202	142	24	12	577	32.3	
Assistant	29	126	179	307	218	25	8	892	31.2	
Locum	5	11	12	16	14	n.p.	n.p.	65	31.5	
Industry	—	5	10	18	n.p.	—	—	37	30.8	
Other practice type	9	30	46	81	46	10	n.p.	224	31.7	
Total private	79	350	536	1,022	791	172	67	3,017	34.5	
Public	
Dental hospital	n.p.	12	22	88	67	13	9	213	37.3	
Mainly school dental	n.p.	11	10	12	9	—	—	44	27.4	
Mainly general dental	14	37	54	137	85	6	8	341	33.2	
Defence forces	—	7	14	14	9	n.p.	—	46	30.6	
Other public	n.p.	8	15	33	59	n.p.	10	132	37.6	
Tertiary education institution	n.p.	13	20	20	11	5	n.p.	77	32.6	
Total public	27	89	134	303	240	30	30	852	33.3	
Total	107	439	670	1,325	1,031	201	97	3,869	33.5	
(continued)
Table A.10 (continued): Practising dentists by type of main practice, sex and total hours worked per week, 2009
	Total hours worked per week	Average hours	
Type of main practice	<10	10–19	20–29	30–39	40–49	50–59	60+	Total		
Persons	
Private	
Solo	28	75	200	835	1,161	396	179	2,874	41.0	
Solo with assistant	15	60	122	464	621	211	104	1,597	40.4	
Partnership	16	54	107	333	411	77	43	1,043	37.8	
Associateship	29	124	205	633	652	148	60	1,851	36.8	
Assistant	64	184	294	591	494	56	33	1,715	32.8	
Locum	31	20	27	47	49	7	10	191	31.4	
Industry	n.p.	5	16	32	18	n.p.	—	72	32.8	
Other practice type	33	72	93	180	202	52	12	646	33.9	
Total private	217	595	1,064	3,115	3,609	949	441	9,989	35.9	
Public	
Dental hospital	20	31	45	203	147	26	37	509	37.5	
Mainly school dental	n.p.	11	22	50	23	n.p.	n.p.	117	32.0	
Mainly general dental	18	64	91	268	153	21	29	644	34.7	
Defence forces	—	11	23	45	30	5	n.p.	117	33.6	
Other public	15	19	32	82	107	23	27	304	37.9	
Tertiary education institution	18	20	31	39	49	24	20	201	36.2	
Total public	75	155	245	687	510	101	120	1,893	37.7	
Total	292	749	1,309	3,802	4,118	1,050	562	11,882	37.4	

Table A.11: Practising dentists by type of main practice, sex and state/territory, 2009
Type of main practice	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Male	
Private	
Solo	1,036	385	431	245	163	48	29	6	2,343	
Solo with assistant	298	341	270	148	83	26	38	5	1,208	
Partnership	230	165	162	84	69	9	21	n.p.	741	
Associateship	374	318	226	147	127	30	36	18	1,274	
Assistant	175	279	184	67	69	18	23	8	823	
Locum	37	27	29	19	8	5	—	n.p.	126	
Industry	5	20	n.p.	—	9	—	—	—	36	
Other practice type	380	20	10	n.p.	n.p.	—	n.p.	n.p.	421	
Total private	2,536	1,555	1,312	713	531	135	150	40	6,972	
Public	
Dental hospital	82	59	86	19	35	11	n.p.	n.p.	296	
Mainly school dental	10	n.p.	18	27	17	—	—	—	73	
Mainly general dental	57	77	85	32	26	13	7	7	303	
Defence forces	22	10	16	7	n.p.	n.p.	5	8	72	
Other public	97	21	41	n.p.	5	—	n.p.	n.p.	172	
Tertiary education institution	24	28	32	16	23	—	—	—	124	
Total public	292	198	278	103	107	26	17	19	1,041	
Total	2,828	1,753	1,590	816	639	161	167	59	8,013	
Female	
Private	
Solo	219	102	97	46	47	11	7	n.p.	531	
Solo with assistant	75	127	80	51	43	n.p.	10	—	389	
Partnership	101	90	59	28	11	n.p.	10	—	302	
Associateship	246	115	87	68	38	8	10	n.p.	577	
Assistant	163	345	190	88	70	7	26	n.p.	892	
Locum	20	24	13	9	—	—	—	—	65	
Industry	n.p.	10	—	—	25	—	—	—	37	
Other practice type	200	7	n.p.	7	n.p.	—	n.p.	n.p.	224	
Total private	1,026	820	529	297	238	32	64	11	3,017	
Public	
Dental hospital	82	34	60	17	21	—	—	—	213	
Mainly school dental	6	5	16	9	7	—	—	—	44	
Mainly general dental	36	159	65	42	17	10	10	n.p.	341	
Defence forces	17	7	7	n.p.	n.p.	—	n.p.	7	46	
Other public	68	19	34	5	6	—	—	—	132	
Tertiary education institution	14	17	19	9	19	—	—	—	77	
Total public	223	241	200	86	73	10	13	8	852	
Total	1,248	1,060	729	383	311	42	77	19	3,869	
(continued)
Table A.11 (continued): Practising dentists by type of main practice, sex and state/territory, 2009
Type of main practice	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Persons	
Private	
Solo	1,255	487	528	292	211	59	36	8	2,874	
Solo with assistant	373	468	350	199	126	29	47	5	1,597	
Partnership	331	255	221	112	80	12	30	n.p.	1,043	
Associateship	621	433	312	215	165	38	45	22	1,851	
Assistant	338	624	373	155	139	24	50	11	1,715	
Locum	57	51	42	28	8	5	—	n.p.	191	
Industry	7	30	n.p.	—	34	—	—	—	72	
Other practice type	579	27	13	11	8	—	5	n.p.	646	
Total private	3,562	2,375	1,841	1,010	769	168	214	52	9,989	
Public	
Dental hospital	164	93	146	36	55	11	n.p.	n.p.	509	
Mainly school dental	17	7	34	36	24	—	—	—	117	
Mainly general dental	93	237	150	74	43	23	16	8	644	
Defence forces	38	17	23	11	n.p.	n.p.	9	14	117	
Other public	165	40	75	7	11	—	n.p.	n.p.	304	
Tertiary education institution	37	45	51	25	43	—	—	—	201	
Total public	515	439	478	189	180	36	30	26	1,893	
Total	4,076	2,813	2,319	1,199	949	203	244	78	11,882	

Table A.12: Practising dentists by sector, sex, age and hours worked, 2000 to 2009
Sector	
	Public 	Private 	Both  	Total 	
Number practising	
2000	1,207	7,178	607	8,992	
2003	1,278	7,651	749	9,678	
2006	1,389	8,269	746	10,404	
2009	1,546	9,453	884	11,882	
Per cent female	
2000	36.3	19.9	31.1	22.9	
2003	42.5	22.9	33.5	26.3	
2006	44.3	25.7	36.9	29.0	
2009	45.6	29.8	39.9	32.6	
Average age (years)	
2000	43.4	44.8	40.2	44.3	
2003	43.9	45.1	40.8	44.6	
2006	44.3	45.5	42.3	45.1	
2009	45.6	45.4	42.7	45.2	
Average total hours worked per week	
2000	36.3	39.6	41.6	39.3	
2003	35.5	39.0	40.7	38.7	
2006	35.0	38.8	41.2	38.5	
2009	34.8	37.6	39.8	37.4	
Per cent working part time	
2000	23.7	22.8	23.4	23.0	
2003	28.6	25.1	22.8	25.4	
2006	33.4	26.6	23.0	27.2	
2009	35.0	31.2	27.6	31.4	

Table A.13: Practising dentists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas 	ACT	NT	Australia	
Proportion female	
2000(a)	22.7	25.3	20.6	21.6	22.8	16.8	25.5	. .	22.9	
2003	25.5	29.4	25.0	23.9	25.9	25.9	31.3	21.6	26.3	
2006	27.6	32.3	27.9	27.7	28.5	24.1	30.2	45.3	29.0	
2009	30.6	37.7	31.4	31.9	32.7	20.6	31.5	24.6	32.6	
Average age	
2000(a)	44.4	44.3	43.8	44.3	44.4	46.1	44.5	. .	44.3	
2003	44.4	44.4	44.3	44.8	45.7	46.9	44.3	45.3	44.6	
2006	45.4	44.4	44.7	44.8	46.3	47.6	47.5	47.6	45.1	
2009	46.0	43.0	46.5	45.2	45.1	47.5	45.8	46.6	45.2	
Average total hours worked per week	
2000	40.4	38.2	39.7	39.6	37.4	38.6	38.5	38.2	39.3	
2003	40.1	37.4	38.8	37.7	37.0	39.6	37.6	39.5	38.7	
2006	40.5	37.0	38.2	37.3	36.1	37.5	40.5	41.4	38.5	
2009	38.8	35.8	38.1	36.0	35.5	35.0	39.3	38.2	37.4	
Proportion working part time (<35 hours per week) (per cent)	
2000	21.0	27.2	19.2	20.7	27.8	23.8	24.8	26.3	23.0	
2003	24.1	28.0	23.1	25.0	29.1	19.0	30.7	13.5	25.4	
2006	24.8	30.0	25.1	28.6	34.2	29.5	21.4	23.6	27.2	
2009	30.3	35.2	27.5	32.2	35.8	35.9	21.3	23.9	31.4	
Proportion working in public sector in their main practice (per cent)	
2000	13.6	13.7	22.4	14.5	22.3	18.8	10.3	28.9	16.1	
2003	13.6	15.3	20.2	14.3	26.0	13.8	11.4	27.0	16.4	
2006	14.1	14.5	19.8	15.5	19.9	10.1	3.0	45.3	15.8	
2009	12.6	15.6	20.6	15.7	19.0	17.6	12.5	33.7	15.9	
(a)	The variables sex and age were not collected in the 2000 collection for the Northern Territory.

Table A.14: Practising dentists by remoteness area, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
Remoteness area	
 	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/
Very remote	Australia	
Proportion female
 	
2000	23.6	20.3	19.4	20.5	22.9	
2003	27.3	23.7	20.1	24.8	26.3	
2006	29.7	25.1	24.4	42.6	29.0	
2009	33.9	28.9	22.1	34.2	32.6	
Average age	
2000	44.3	44.4	44.4	37.9	44.3	
2003	44.4	45.1	45.9	41.8	44.6	
2006	44.9	45.8	46.1	43.3	45.1	
2009	45.1	45.2	46.8	45.1	45.2	
Average total hours worked per week	
2000	39.2	39.7	39.5	39.5	39.3	
2003	38.7	38.8	39.2	38.0	38.7	
2006	38.4	38.3	38.6	39.7	38.5	
2009	37.5	36.9	37.9	39.2	37.4	
Proportion working part time (<35 hours per week) (per cent)	
2000	23.8	19.7	21.1	12.7	23.0	
2003	26.0	23.6	20.8	26.2	25.4	
2006	27.6	26.7	24.4	17.3	27.2	
2009	31.8	30.8	28.7	25.6	31.4	
Proportion working in public sector in their main practice (per cent)	
2000	15.4	17.6	19.5	32.2	16.1	
2003	16.0	16.9	20.7	20.0	16.4	
2006	15.3	16.4	20.3	33.9	15.8	
2009	15.3	16.8	19.6	31.4	15.9	

Table A.15: Practising dentists by statistical division, selected characteristics, 2009
	Dentists per 100,000 population	FTE dentists per 100,000 population	
Statistical division	Number of dentists	Population		35 hour week	37.5 hour week	40 hour week	
NSW	
Sydney 	3,009	4,499,888	66.9	75.1	70.1	65.7	
Hunter 	259	643,623	40.2	42.1	39.3	36.8	
Illawarra	199	430,721	46.1	52.1	48.6	45.5	
Richmond-Tweed	138	241,708	57.0	55.7	52.0	48.7	
Mid-North Coast	121	309,274	39.1	42.2	39.4	36.9	
Northern	70	184,635	38.0	44.0	41.0	38.5	
North Western	39	118,415	32.8	36.7	34.2	32.1	
Central West 	62	182,972	34.0	38.1	35.6	33.4	
South Eastern	66	216,372	30.4	32.1	30.0	28.1	
Murrumbidgee 	65	158,433	41.1	45.7	42.7	40.0	
Murray 	39	118,418	33.2	35.2	32.9	30.8	
Far West	9	22,709	39.7	43.5	40.6	38.0	
Total	4,076	7,127,168	57.2	63.4	59.2	55.5	
Vic	
Melbourne	2,280	3,998,022	57.0	58.2	54.3	50.9	
Barwon	128	285,273	44.8	47.4	44.2	41.5	
Western District	31	106,334	29.2	31.4	29.3	27.5	
Central Highlands	78	155,681	50.2	48.6	45.4	42.5	
Wimmera	10	50,909	19.9	18.3	17.1	16.1	
Mallee 	26	94,795	27.4	28.9	27.0	25.3	
Loddon	60	183,775	32.6	32.5	30.3	28.4	
Goulburn	74	210,242	35.4	38.4	35.8	33.6	
Ovens-Murray	28	99,933	28.0	27.5	25.7	24.1	
East Gippsland	37	86,868	42.5	45.3	42.2	39.6	
Gippsland	60	174,780	34.6	37.1	34.7	32.5	
Total	2,813	5,446,612	51.7	52.8	49.3	46.2	
Qld	
Brisbane	1,251	2,004,225	62.4	68.7	64.1	60.1	
Gold Coast	281	514,885	54.5	56.9	53.1	49.8	
Sunshine Coast	191	323,419	59.2	60.0	56.0	52.5	
West Moreton	19	94,659	20.5	23.9	22.3	20.9	
Wide Bay-Burnett	105	287,422	36.4	39.5	36.9	34.6	
Darling Downs	104	237,209	43.8	47.3	44.1	41.4	
South West	10	26,276	37.3	54.8	51.2	48.0	
Fitzroy 	78	220,711	35.1	38.9	36.3	34.1	
Central West	n.p.	12,270	13.3	19.0	17.7	16.6	
Mackay 	55	172,732	31.7	32.1	30.0	28.1	
Northern 	98	227,336	43.1	46.5	43.4	40.7	
Far North 	113	269,645	42.0	49.6	46.3	43.4	
North West	13	33,978	37.8	42.7	39.9	37.4	
Total	2,319	4,424,767	52.4	57.0	53.2	49.9	
(continued)
Table A.15 (continued): Practising dentists by statistical division, selected characteristics, 2009
	Dentists per 100,000 population	FTE dentists per 100,000 population	
Statistical division	Number of dentists	Population		35 hour week	37.5 hour week	40 hour week	
SA	
Adelaide	831	1,188,139	69.9	70.7	66.0	61.9	
Outer Adelaide	43	136,702	31.7	33.3	31.1	29.1	
Yorke and Lower North	8	47,077	17.4	15.8	14.8	13.8	
Murray Lands	19	70,466	26.8	27.5	25.6	24.0	
South East	15	66,016	22.7	20.8	19.4	18.2	
Eyre	15	35,577	43.2	43.9	41.0	38.4	
Northern	18	80,535	22.2	23.4	21.8	20.5	
Total	949	1,624,512	58.4	59.3	55.3	51.9	
WA	
Perth	980	1,658,520	59.1	60.3	56.3	52.7	
South West	113	246,133	46.0	48.3	45.1	42.3	
Lower Great Southern	28	58,836	47.8	50.7	47.3	44.3	
Upper Great Southern	5	19,167	27.5	15.7	14.7	13.7	
Midlands	14	55,720	25.3	24.0	22.4	21.0	
South Eastern	20	58,712	33.5	36.8	34.4	32.2	
Central	18	64,834	27.1	32.2	30.0	28.1	
Pilbara	16	47,515	33.3	41.5	38.7	36.3	
Kimberley	5	34,999	15.1	18.8	17.5	16.5	
Total	1,199	2,244,436	53.4	55.0	51.3	48.1	
Tas	
Greater Hobart	121	212,019	56.9	55.8	52.0	48.8	
Southern	n.p.	37,456	4.4	5.0	4.6	4.4	
Northern	50	141,434	35.4	36.0	33.6	31.5	
Mersey-Lyell	31	112,383	27.5	28.7	26.8	25.1	
Total	203	503,292	40.4	40.4	37.7	35.4	
NT	
Darwin	58	124,909	46.8	51.1	47.7	44.7	
NT Bal	20	101,298	19.5	21.4	20.0	18.8	
Total	78	226,207	34.6	37.7	35.2	33.0	
ACT	
Canberra	244	352,285	69.3	77.8	72.6	68.1	
Total	244	352,285	69.3	77.8	72.6	68.1	
Australia(a)	11,882	21,949,279	54.1	57.8	54.0	50.6	
(a)	Excludes external territories.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.

Table A.16: Practising dental specialists by sex, age, hours worked and specialty group, 2000 to 2009
 
Year	
 	2000	2003	2006	2009	
Number practising	
Male	928	1,021	1,095	1,139	
Female	155	217	233	302	
Persons(a)	1,089	1,238	1,328	1,441	
Average age (years)	
Male	48.5	49.6	50.6	51.3	
Female	41.9	41.7	42.5	42.2	
Persons	47.6	48.2	49.2	49.5	
Average total hours worked per week	
Male	43.1	41.7	41.9	40.4	
Female	35.1	35.3	37.1	35.8	
Persons	41.9	40.6	41.1	39.4	
Per cent working part time	
Male	17.2	22.4	23.0	28.3	
Female	42.6	39.0	37.5	44.7	
Persons	20.8	25.3	25.5	31.7	
Specialty group (number)	
Orthodontics	473	532	517	559	
Periodontics	114	138	146	173	
Prosthodontics	139	149	170	178	
Oral pathology	21	26	11	17	
Oral and maxillofacial surgery	185	184	206	187	
Endodontics	94	99	116	140	
Paediatric Dentistry	55	64	100	91	
Dento-maxillofacial radiology	n.p.	5	8	11	
Other speciality	5	41	55	86	
Total	1,089	1,238	1,328	1,441	
(a)	In 2000, sex was not collected in the Northern Territory, therefore they have been excluded from the male and female totals but included in the person total. 

Table A.17: Practising dental specialists by sector, sex, age and hours worked, 2000 to 2009
Sector	
	Public 	Private 	Both  	Total 	
Number practising	
2000	126	783	180	1,089	
2003	159	851	228	1,238	
2006	162	948	218	1,328	
2009	192	1,030	219	1,441	
Per cent female	
2000	25.6	11.6	18.0	14.3	
2003	35.8	13.6	19.6	17.6	
2006	32.6	14.1	21.3	17.5	
2009	29.2	18.6	25.1	21.0	
Average age (years)	
2000	49.3	47.9	45.0	47.6	
2003	49.0	48.5	46.7	48.2	
2006	48.8	49.6	47.6	49.2	
2009	49.8	50.0	46.3	49.5	
Average total hours worked per week	
2000	35.6	42.0	45.9	41.9	
2003	36.4	41.0	41.8	40.6	
2006	37.8	41.3	42.3	41.1	
2009	34.8	39.2	43.4	39.4	
Per cent working part time	
2000	29.2	20.9	14.9	20.8	
2003	29.8	25.4	21.8	25.3	
2006	32.5	24.8	23.2	25.5	
2009	38.3	32.0	24.6	31.7	

Table A.18: Practising dental specialists by hours worked, sex and age group, 2009
Age group (years)	
	<30	30–39	40–49	50–59	60+	Total	
Male	
<10	—	5	n.p.	n.p.	23	33	
10–19	—	10	n.p.	16	21	50	
20–29	—	22	12	19	44	97	
30–39	5	62	81	93	86	327	
40–49	n.p.	59	101	133	54	351	
50–59	n.p.	22	58	64	28	173	
60+	n.p.	22	30	37	17	109	
Total	11	202	287	366	273	1,139	
Female	
<10	—	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	—	8	
10–19	n.p.	n.p.	11	7	—	24	
20–29	n.p.	25	21	6	—	56	
30–39	7	41	28	20	7	104	
40–49	5	27	23	13	—	67	
50–59	n.p.	9	6	5	n.p.	25	
60+	—	7	8	n.p.	n.p.	19	
Total	21	114	101	57	10	302	
Persons	
<10	—	7	6	6	23	41	
10–19	n.p.	14	14	24	21	74	
20–29	n.p.	47	33	25	44	153	
30–39	12	103	110	113	93	431	
40–49	8	86	125	146	54	418	
50–59	n.p.	31	64	69	29	197	
60+	n.p.	29	38	40	19	128	
Total	32	316	389	423	283	1,441	
Average total hours worked per week	
Male	44.3	39.5	44.0	42.6	33.7	40.4	
Female	32.7	37.1	34.8	34.7	45.2	35.8	
Persons	37.3	38.7	41.6	41.5	34.0	39.4	

Table A.19: Practising dental specialists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2009
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Percentage female	
% Female	19.8	23.1	21.6	21.7	23.1	18.6	4.8	—	21.0	
Average age (years)	
Male	52.3	51.1	51.4	52.1	49.2	48.9	48.0	61.0	51.3	
Female	43.0	42.6	41.2	41.8	40.8	52.0	32.0	—	42.2	
Persons	50.5	49.1	49.4	49.9	47.2	49.5	47.2	61.0	49.5	
Average total hours worked per week	
Male	41.7	37.9	41.7	40.2	37.5	40.8	42.4	42.0	40.4	
Female	37.3	30.9	44.0	27.3	33.1	37.0	36.0	—	35.8	
Persons	40.8	36.2	42.2	37.6	36.5	40.1	42.1	42.0	39.4	
Percentage part time (based on a 35 hour week)	
Male	30.2	33.7	21.9	24.7	32.3	11.5	20.0	—	28.3	
Female	37.8	56.6	25.0	58.0	59.7	50.0	—	—	44.7	
Persons	31.8	39.0	22.6	32.0	38.6	18.6	19.0	—	31.7	
Number practising	
Specialty group	
Orthodontics	172	128	122	53	56	16	10	n.p.	559	
Periodontics	51	50	30	20	12	n.p.	8	—	173	
Prosthodontics	55	53	34	12	14	—	8	n.p.	178	
Oral pathology	8	n.p.	7	—	—	—	—	—	17	
Oral and maxillofacial surgery	41	48	47	21	20	n.p.	6	—	187	
Endodontics	35	36	27	17	17	—	8	—	140	
Paediatric dentistry	29	23	19	7	14	—	—	—	91	
Dento-maxillofacial radiology	—	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	—	—	—	11	
Other speciality	41	21	n.p.	n.p.	15	n.p.	n.p.	—	86	
Total	432	363	292	135	148	24	42	5	1,441	

Table A.20: Practising dental specialists by remoteness area, selected characteristics, 2009
Remoteness area	
Specialty group	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/
Very remote	Australia	
Percentage female	
% Female	22.3	10.5	12.5	—	21.0	
	Average age (years)		
Male	51.1	51.9	55.5	58.4	51.3	
Female	42.2	45.6	32.7	—	42.2	
Persons	49.1	51.2	52.4	58.4	49.5	
Average total hours worked per week	
Male	40.8	37.9	34.6	33.9	40.4	
Female	35.8	30.6	48.0	—	35.8	
Persons	39.7	37.2	36.5	33.9	39.4	
Percentage part time (based on a 35 hour week)	
Male	27.2	32.4	39.7	65.2	28.3	
Female	44.5	65.0	—	—	44.7	
Persons	31.1	35.8	34.7	65.2	31.7	
Number practising	
Specialty group						
Orthodontics	456	79	23	n.p.	559	
Periodontics	165	7	n.p.	—	173	
Prosthodontics	168	5	n.p.	n.p.	178	
Oral pathology	14	n.p.	n.p.	—	17	
Oral and maxillofacial surgery	170	13	n.p.	n.p.	187	
Endodontics	132	7	—	n.p.	140	
Paediatric dentistry	89	n.p.	—	—	91	
Dento-maxillofacial radiology	11	—	—	—	11	
Other speciality	75	7	n.p.	—	86	
Total	1,279	121	34	8	1,441	

Table A.21: Practising dental specialists by specialty, selected characteristics, 2009
Speciality group	% Female	Average age (years)	Average hours per week	% Part time	% Public sector in main practice	
Orthodontics	18.3	50.2	38.2	36.5	9.5	
Periodontics	29.5	47.8	37.1	34.3	11.6	
Prosthodontics	10.9	52.1	42.3	29.8	21.3	
Oral pathology	30.1	47.3	44.0	14.6	69.4	
Oral and maxillofacial surgery	10.3	50.0	42.4	23.2	21.2	
Endodontics	19.0	45.9	41.6	20.5	16.2	
Paediatric dentistry	59.7	43.8	38.9	34.0	39.1	
Dento-maxillofacial radiology	13.2	52.4	39.6	43.4	63.2	
Other speciality	27.1	53.0	36.5	35.8	45.9	
Total	21.0	49.5	39.4	31.7	18.5	
Table A.22: Registered dental hygienists by work status and state/territory, 2009
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Only or mainly in state of registration	277	146	105	187	164	14	34	5	933	
Only or mainly in another state	9	5	n.p.	n.p.	10	—	n.p.	n.p.	36	
On extended leave/overseas	12	5	—	22	13	—	n.p.	—	53	
Not in paid work	7	10	6	12	n.p.	—	—	—	39	
Working but not as an allied practitioner	n.p.	n.p.	—	—	n.p.	—	—	—	7	
Total	308	167	114	222	193	14	40	9	1,067	
Practising(a) (%)	90.0	87.2	92.3	84.1	85.2	100.0	85.7	60.0	87.4	
Proportion female	96.3	96.9	100.0	97.9	100.0	100.0	94.4	100.0	97.8	
Practising rate(b)	3.9	2.7	2.4	8.3	10.1	2.8	9.7	2.4	4.2	
FTE rate (35 hours per week)(c)	3.3	2.0	2.1	7.1	7.4	2.6	9.0	2.6	3.5	
(a)	Practising solely or mainly in state/territory of registration.
(b)	Practising rate is the number of practising hygienists per 100,000 population.
(c)	Full-time equivalent hygienists per 100,000 population. Calculated by multiplying the number of practising hygienists by the average weekly hours worked and then dividing by a reference week (35 hours per week). This value is then population standardised to allow comparisons with other states/territories.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.

Table A.23: Practising dental hygienists by age and state/territory, 2009
Age (years)	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
<25	18	n.p.	6	28	7	n.p.	n.p.	—	64	
25–29	61	23	6	35	16	n.p.	8	—	150	
30–34	45	30	9	51	27	—	n.p.	n.p.	166	
35–39	54	28	32	26	24	n.p.	6	—	172	
40–44	25	20	12	12	33	7	10	n.p.	122	
45–49	45	20	23	20	24	n.p.	n.p.	—	137	
50–54	19	14	12	12	17	—	—	—	73	
55+	10	8	6	n.p.	16	—	6	—	49	
Total	277	146	105	187	164	14	34	5	933	
Average age (years)	36.9	38.9	40.7	34.5	40.5	36.6	39.1	37.7	37.9	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.24: Practising dental hygienists by total hours worked per week and state/territory, 2009
Hours worked per week	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
<10	23	6	9	8	n.p.	n.p.	—	—	52	
10–19	32	37	6	28	46	—	—	—	148	
20–29	77	49	26	39	56	—	13	n.p.	264	
30–39	93	37	44	75	47	11	13	n.p.	322	
40–49	39	16	20	33	11	n.p.	8	—	130	
50+	12	n.p.	—	—	n.p.	—	—	—	17	
Total	277	146	105	187	164	14	34	5	933	
Average hours worked per week	29.6	26.0	30.4	30.0	25.5	32.8	32.2	38.0	28.7	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.25: Practising dental hygienists by age and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Remoteness area	
Age (years)	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/Very remote	Australia	
<25	56	n.p.	7	—	64	
25–29	135	9	6	—	150	
30–34	138	15	12	n.p.	166	
35–39	136	24	8	n.p.	172	
40–44	92	20	8	n.p.	122	
45–49	121	10	6	—	137	
50–54	61	7	6	—	73	
55+	43	5	—	n.p.	49	
Total	782	91	52	8	33	
Average age (years)	37.8	39.3	36.3	41.7	37.9	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.

Table A.26: Practising dental hygienists by total hours worked per week and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Hours worked per week	Remoteness area	
	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/Very remote	Australia	
<10	40	9	n.p.	n.p.	52	
10–19	126	16	5	n.p.	148	
20–29	230	21	9	5	264	
30–39	263	35	24	—	322	
40–49	108	10	12	—	130	
50+	16	—	n.p.	—	17	
Total	782	91	52	8	933	
Average hours worked per week	28.8	27.2	32.8	18.2	28.7	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.27: Practising dental hygienists by total hours worked per week and age, 2009
Hours worked per week	Age group (years)	
	<30	30–39	40–49	50–59	60+	Total	
<10	6	29	14	n.p.	—	52	
10–19	15	68	40	21	n.p.	148	
20–29	38	90	93	40	n.p.	264	
30–39	103	104	73	41	n.p.	322	
40–49	45	43	34	8	—	130	
50+	8	n.p.	5	—	—	17	
Total	214	338	258	113	9	933	
Average hours worked per week	33.8	26.8	28.1	27.2	22.1	28.7	
Note: Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.

Table A.28: Practising dental hygienists by sector/type of main practice and state/territory, 2009
Hours worked per week	NSW	Vic(a)	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Public	
School dental service	n.p.	n.a.	—	—	n.p.	—	—	—	n.p.	
Community dental service	n.p.	n.a.	n.p.	n.p.	—	—	—	—	10	
Dental hospital	n.p.	n.a.	—	n.p.	n.p.	—	—	—	8	
Teaching institution	n.p.	n.a.	n.p.	6	7	—	—	—	17	
Other	6	n.a.	n.p.	—	n.p.	—	n.p.	n.p.	14	
Total public	13	n.a.	9	12	14	—	n.p.	n.p.	52	
Private	
General practice	200	n.a.	73	134	123	12	19	n.p.	564	
Specialist orthodontic practice	51	n.a.	12	29	16	n.p.	6	—	115	
Specialist periodontal practice	6	n.a.	12	n.p.	9	—	8	—	38	
Specialist other	—	n.a.	—	8	n.p.	—	—	—	9	
Other	7	n.a.	—	—	n.p.	—	—	—	9	
Total private	264	n.a.	96	175	150	14	32	n.p.	736	
Total	277	146	105	187	164	14	34	5	933	
(a)	Due to changes in the questionnaire, type of practice and sector were not available for Victoria. 
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.29: Practising dental hygienists by sector/type of main practice and remoteness area, 2009
Remoteness area	
Sector/type of main practice	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/Very remote	Australia	
Public	
School dental service	n.p.	—	—	—	n.p.	
Community dental service	5	n.p.	n.p.	—	10	
Dental hospital	8	—	—	—	8	
Teaching institution	17	—	—	—	17	
Other	12	—	n.p.	—	14	
Total public	46	n.p.	5	—	52	
Private	
General practice	454	67	36	8	564	
Specialist orthodontic practice	107	6	n.p.	—	115	
Specialist periodontal practice	32	—	6	—	38	
Specialist other	9	—	—	—	9	
Other	9	—	—	—	9	
Total private	612	73	43	8	736	
Total(a)	782	91	52	8	933	
(a)	Estimates for Victoria are included in the total but not in the subcategories.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.

Table A.30: Practising dental hygienists by state/territory and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Remoteness area	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Number	
Major cities	225	125	73	175	150	. .	34	. .	782	
Inner regional	45	17	6	n.p.	7	12	. .	. .	91	
Outer regional	6	n.p.	26	8	n.p.	n.p.	. .	n.p.	52	
Remote/Very remote	n.p.	—	—	—	4	—	. .	n.p.	8	
Total	277	146	105	187	164	14	34	5	933	
Practising rate (number per 100,000 population)	
Major cities	4.3 	3.1 	2.8 	10.9 	12.7 	. .	9.8 	. .	5.2 	
Inner regional	3.1 	1.6 	0.6 	1.3 	3.6 	3.8 	. .	. .	2.1 	
Outer regional	1.3 	1.3 	3.9 	3.9 	1.6 	1.0 	. .	2.9 	2.5 	
Remote/Very remote	3.9 	—	—	—	7.1 	—	. .	1.8 	1.5 	
Total	3.9 	2.7 	2.4 	8.3 	10.1 	2.8 	9.7 	2.4 	4.2 	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.

Table A.31: Practising hygienists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
	NSW	Vic 	Qld	WA	SA	Tas 	ACT	NT	Australia	
Proportion female	
2000	100.0	96.0	100.0	97.8	100.0	—	100.0	100.0	98.6	
2003	97.1	97.2	96.4	93.6	99.1	100.0	100.0	100.0	97.1	
2006	96.2	98.1	95.9	95.7	98.3	100.0	91.7	—	96.7	
2009	96.3	96.9	100.0	97.9	100.0	100.0	94.4	100.0	97.8	
Average age	
2000	37.6	35.8	35.7	27.4	37.3	—	37.7	31.0	34.9	
2003	38.3	36.0	35.8	30.4	39.7	38.3	38.2	40.0	36.5	
2006	39.1	37.1	39.7	32.6	40.4	39.0	38.2	—	37.7	
2009	36.9	38.9	40.7	34.5	40.5	36.6	39.1	37.7	37.9	
Average total hours worked per week	
2000	33.5	27.1	30.7	34.2	25.8	—	29.0	31.0	29.6	
2003	32.2	29.5	28.9	31.7	26.0	30.6	28.2	32.5	29.5	
2006	29.6	29.8	29.3	30.3	24.9	29.7	31.7	—	28.8	
2009	29.6	26.0	30.4	30.0	25.5	32.8	32.2	38.0	28.7	
Proportion working part time (<35 hours per week) (per cent)	
2000	52.1	71.6	48.7	40.0	74.7	—	60.0	100.0	60.5	
2003	62.3	64.8	58.2	45.8	74.2	50.0	81.0	50.0	63.0	
2006	56.4	59.0	69.4	59.8	79.0	40.0	66.7	—	64.6	
2009	63.7	76.7	52.8	57.9	79.1	37.5	55.6	66.7	65.4	
Proportion working in public sector in their main practice (per cent)	
2000	6.3	10.9	12.8	4.4	6.9	—	—	—	7.5	
2003	4.3	1.9	14.5	9.6	10.0	—	4.8	—	7.4	
2006	9.0	—	8.2	9.8	8.4	—	8.3	—	7.2	
2009(a)	4.7	n.a.	8.3	6.3	8.7	—	5.5	33.3	5.5	
(a)	Type of practice and sector of employment was not available for Victoria in 2009.

Table A.32: Practising hygienists by remoteness area, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
Remoteness area	
 	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/
Very remote	Australia	
Proportion female
 	
2000	98.9	96.3	100.0	100.0	98.6	
2003	96.7	100.0	100.0	—	97.1	
2006	96.2	100.0	100.0	100.0	96.7	
2009	97.6	98.4	100.0	100.0	97.8	
Average age	
2000	35.3	32.2	36.2	23.0	34.9	
2003	36.3	37.6	38.4	—	36.5	
2006	37.7	38.2	37.3	31.0	37.7	
2009	37.8	39.3	36.3	41.7	37.9	
Average total hours worked per week	
2000	30.0	27.3	28.8	7.0	29.6	
2003	29.8	27.1	27.1	—	29.5	
2006	28.8	29.6	26.7	32.0	28.8	
2009	28.8	27.2	32.8	18.2	28.7	
Proportion working part time (<35 hours per week) (per cent)	
2000	59.4	63.6	73.8	100.0	60.5	
2003	62.1	72.7	61.9	—	63.0	
2006	64.7	64.1	61.5	100.0	64.6	
2009	66.2	66.7	45.9	100.0	65.4	
Proportion working in public sector in their main practice (per cent)	
2000	7.1	8.5	15.4	—	7.5	
2003	7.6	5.0	6.4	—	7.4	
2006	7.6	3.7	6.3	—	7.2	
2009(a)	6.9	2.0	9.8	—	6.6	
(a)	Excludes Victoria.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.

Table A.33: Registered dental therapists by work status and state/territory, 2009
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Only or mainly in state of registration	265	169	280	309	112	60	22	17	1,234	
Only or mainly in another state	5	n.p.	6	—	n.p.	—	—	15	29	
On extended leave/overseas	16	6	6	12	5	—	—	—	45	
Not in paid work	16	6	n.p.	19	n.p.	—	—	—	45	
Working but not as an allied practitioner	18	8	—	29	n.p.	—	—	—	58	
Total	320	192	295	368	123	60	22	32	1,412	
Practising(a) (%)	82.7	88.0	95.1	83.9	91.3	100.0	100.0	53.3	87.4	
Proportion female	96.9	95.7	97.9	99.4	98.9	97.9	100.0	100.0	97.9	
Practising rate(b)	3.7	3.1	6.3	13.7	6.9	11.9	6.2	7.6	5.6	
FTE rate (35 hours per week)(c)	3.3	2.0	5.3	10.4	5.3	9.6	5.2	7.7	4.5	
(a)	Practising solely or mainly in state/territory of registration.
(b)	Practising rate is the number of practising therapists per 100,000 population.
(c)	Full-time equivalent therapists per 100,000 population. Calculated by multiplying the number of practising therapists by the average weekly hours worked and then dividing by a reference week (35 hours per week). This value is then population standardised to allow comparisons with other states/territories.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.34: Practising dental therapists by age and state/territory, 2009
Age (years)	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
<25	n.p.	5	—	14	n.p.	—	—	—	23	
25–29	9	13	6	10	5	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	48	
30–34	20	20	15	8	11	n.p.	—	—	78	
35–39	35	27	41	25	13	8	—	—	149	
40–44	32	21	47	63	16	11	5	—	195	
45–49	59	38	88	61	12	6	10	n.p.	278	
50–54	89	34	79	107	38	20	n.p.	6	378	
55+	16	11	6	20	17	9	n.p.	n.p.	85	
Total	265	169	280	309	112	60	22	17	1,234	
Average age (years)	45.3	42.6	45.1	45.5	46.1	46.6	46.1	49.4	45.2	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.35: Practising dental therapists by total hours worked per week and state/territory, 2009
Hours worked per week	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
<10	12	18	9	25	7	5	—	—	76	
10–19	30	45	53	53	24	n.p.	n.p.	—	208	
20–29	65	59	67	85	31	20	10	n.p.	340	
30–39	90	34	105	129	44	27	10	11	451	
40–49	61	13	44	15	n.p.	n.p.	—	n.p.	143	
50+	7	—	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	—	—	16	
Total	265	169	280	309	112	60	22	17	1,234	
Average hours worked per week	30.8	22.6	29.1	26.6	26.9	28.3	29.1	35.9	27.9	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.36: Practising dental therapists by age and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Remoteness area	
Age (years)	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/Very remote	Australia	
<25	16	5	n.p.	—	23	
25–29	30	8	n.p.	7	48	
30–34	50	13	13	n.p.	78	
35–39	79	41	28	n.p.	149	
40–44	122	46	24	n.p.	195	
45–49	182	65	30	n.p.	278	
50–54	219	101	53	5	378	
55+	51	15	12	7	85	
Total	749	293	164	27	1,234	
Average age (years)	45.1	45.4	45.2	43.3	45.2	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.37: Practising dental therapists by total hours worked per week and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Hours worked per week	Remoteness area	
	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/Very remote	Australia	
<10	48	14	12	n.p.	76	
10–19	135	54	18	n.p.	208	
20–29	219	69	47	5	340	
30–39	251	120	67	13	451 	
40–49	88	28	22	6	143	
50+	8	8	—	—	16	
Total	749	293	164	27	1,234	
Average hours worked per week	27.4	28.8	28.0	32.6	27.9	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.38: Practising dental therapists by total hours worked per week and age, 2009
Hours worked per week	Age group (years)	
	<30	30–39	40–49	50–59	60+	Total	
<10	n.p.	27	28	19	—	76	
10–19	n.p.	55	95	53	n.p.	208	
20–29	11	54	136	137	n.p.	340	
30–39	37	64	157	186	7	451	
40–49	15	25	51	52	—	143	
50+	n.p.	n.p.	7	5	—	16	
Total	71	227	473	453	11	1,234	
Average hours worked per week	33.4	24.8	27.2	29.3	28.8	27.9	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.

Table A.39: Practising dental therapists by sector/type of main practice and state/territory, 2009
Hours worked per week	NSW	Vic(a)	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Public	
School dental service	32	n.a.	254	175	100	40	5	9	615	
Community dental service	174	n.a.	—	n.p.	—	15	12	n.p.	207	
Dental hospital	15	n.a.	—	n.p.	—	—	—	—	17	
Teaching institution	9	n.a.	6	n.p.	7	n.p.	—	—	27	
Other	7	n.a.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	—	—	n.p.	21	
Total public	238	n.a.	263	185	111	56	17	17	887	
Private	
General practice	20	n.a.	18	83	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	—	128	
Specialist orthodontic practice	n.p.	n.a.	—	25	—	n.p.	n.p.	—	32	
Specialist periodontal practice	—	n.a.	—	5	—	—	—	—	5	
Specialist other	—	n.a.	—	10	—	—	—	—	10	
Other	n.p.	n.a.	—	—	—	—	—	—	n.p.	
Total private	27	n.a.	18	124	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	—	178	
Total	265	169	280	309	112	60	22	17	1,234	
(a)	Due to changes in the questionnaire, type of practice and sector were not available for Victoria. 
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.40: Practising dental therapists by sector/type of main practice and remoteness area, 2009
Remoteness area	
Sector/type of main practice	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/
Very remote	Australia	
Public	
School dental service	347	135	114	19	615	
Community dental service	92	93	18	5	207	
Dental hospital	14	n.p.	n.p.	—	17	
Teaching institution	23	n.p.	—	—	27	
Other	14	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	21	
Total public	490	236	136	26	887	
Private	
General practice	84	20	22	n.p.	128	
Specialist orthodontic practice	26	5	n.p.	—	32	
Specialist periodontal practice	5	—	—	—	5	
Specialist other	10	—	—	—	10	
Other	n.p.	—	—	—	3	
Total private	128	25	24	n.p.	178	
Total(a)	749	293	164	27	1,234	
(a)	Estimates for Victoria are included in the total but not in the subcategories.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.41: Practising dental therapists by state/territory and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Remoteness area	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Number	
Major cities	142	131	146	234	74	. .	22	. .	749	
Inner regional	97	32	79	37	17	31	. .	. .	293	
Outer regional	22	5	53	31	18	28	. .	9	164	
Remote/Very remote	n.p.	—	n.p.	7	n.p.	n.p.	. .	9	27	
Total	265	169	280	309	112	60	22	17	1,234	
Practising rate (number per 100,000 population)	
Major cities	2.7	3.2	5.5	14.6	6.3	. .	6.3	. .	5.0	
Inner regional	6.7	3.0	8.1	12.6	8.4	9.4	. .	. .	6.8	
Outer regional	4.8	2.0	7.8	15.0	9.7	16.8	. .	6.8	8.0	
Remote/Very remote	10.8	—	2.1	4.6	6.0	12.3	. .	8.5	5.4	
Total	3.7	3.1	6.3	13.7	6.9	11.9	6.2	7.6	5.6	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.42: Practising therapists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
	NSW	Vic 	Qld	WA	SA	Tas 	ACT	NT	Australia	
Proportion female	
2000	95.1	96.4	97.6	98.0	99.1	97.8	100.0	100.0	97.4	
2003	97.5	96.9	98.7	99.6	100.0	98.0	100.0	100.0	98.6	
2006	99.5	97.3	99.0	99.6	99.0	94.5	100.0	100.0	98.8	
2009	96.9	95.7	97.9	99.4	98.9	97.9	100.0	100.0	97.9	
Average age	
2000	38.1	36.3	35.8	38.4	38.9	39.1	39.2	40.5	37.4	
2003	39.4	38.4	40.2	41.3	40.2	41.9	42.2	41.6	40.3	
2006	43.3	40.2	42.7	43.6	44.6	44.5	44.9	41.8	42.9	
2009	45.3	42.6	45.1	45.5	46.1	46.6	46.1	49.4	45.2	
Average total hours worked per week	
2000	29.3	28.3	30.6	27.3	27.6	29.6	30.4	44.3	29.1	
2003	30.7	27.8	31.8	26.6	28.4	29.4	30.6	36.8	29.4	
2006	29.8	26.7	28.8	26.7	26.9	29.4	29.8	31.9	28.0	
2009	30.8	22.6	29.1	26.6	26.9	28.3	29.1	35.9	27.9	
Proportion working part time (<35 hours per week) (per cent)	
2000	56.8	51.4	46.2	57.0	74.1	51.1	53.8	20.0	53.9	
2003	53.2	66.4	45.2	64.8	63.8	62.8	55.6	—	56.4	
2006	56.3	66.2	62.5	63.3	66.7	64.8	44.4	33.3	61.8	
2009	56.1	86.4	56.2	65.9	71.3	61.7	61.5	12.5	63.9	
Proportion working in public sector in their main practice (per cent)	
2000	93.8	91.8	99.0	57.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	86.9	
2003	98.7	90.7	98.1	60.6	100.0	92.2	94.4	100.0	87.6	
2006	93.2	73.6	95.3	57.5	94.8	96.3	94.4	91.6	82.0	
2009(a)	89.8	n.a.	93.7	59.9	98.9	93.6	76.9	100.0	71.8	
(a)	Type of practice and sector of employment was not available for Victoria in 2009.
Table A.43: Practising therapists by remoteness area, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
Remoteness area	
 	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/
Very remote	Australia	
Proportion female
 	
2000	97.0	99.0	97.8	81.1	97.4	
2003	98.6	98.5	98.7	100.0	98.6	
2006	99.1	97.4	99.3	100.0	98.8	
2009	98.2	97.2	97.6	100.0	97.9	
Average age	
2000	37.8	37.1	37.4	32.7	37.4	
2003	40.6	40.1	40.5	31.3	40.3	
2006	43.3	42.3	42.3	39.9	42.9	
2009	45.1	45.4	45.2	43.3	45.2	
Average total hours worked per week	
2000	28.8	29.1	30.6	28.2	29.1	
2003	28.9	29.5	30.8	31.9	29.4	
2006	27.9	27.7	29.1	28.1	28.0	
2009	27.4	28.8	28.0	32.6	27.9	
Proportion working part time (<35 hours per week) (per cent)	
2000	54.5	55.3	50.8	41.1	53.9	
2003	57.7	59.1	49.7	32.2	56.4	
2006	61.3	66.5	59.4	35.4	61.8	
2009	65.9	65.0	57.8	32.6	63.9	
Proportion working in public sector in their main practice (per cent)	
2000	83.1	91.1	94.1	86.7	86.9	
2003	84.3	94.5	87.7	94.9	87.6	
2006	77.2	90.3	87.5	100.0	82.0	
2009(a)	79.2	90.4	85.1	95.0	83.2	
(a)	Excludes Victoria.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.

Table A.44: Registered OHTs by work status and state/territory, 2009
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas(a)	ACT	NT	Australia	
Only or mainly in state of registration	50	153	257	39	74	. .	10	7	590	
Only or mainly in another state	n.p.	n.p.	6	n.p.	—	. .	n.p.	n.p.	16	
On extended leave/overseas	—	n.p.	23	—	n.p.	. .	—	—	31	
Not in paid work	n.p.	n.p.	—	5	n.p.	. .	—	—	15	
Working but not as an allied practitioner	—	n.p.	6	n.p.	n.p.	. .	—	—	11	
Total	52	163	292	51	84	 . .	11	10	663	
Practising(b) (%)	95.2	93.9	88.0	77.1	87.9	. .	90.9	71.4	89.0	
Proportion female	77.5	87.9	94.3	97.3	92.2	. .	100.0	100.0	91.3	
Practising rate(c)	0.7	2.8	5.8	1.8	4.5	. .	2.8	3.2	2.7	
FTE rate (35 hours per week)(d)	0.6	2.5	5.5	1.4	4.3	 . .	3.2	3.6	2.5	
(a)	There were no dual-registered practitioners or oral health practitioners registered in Tasmania in 2009.
(b)	Practising solely or mainly in state/territory of registration.
 (c)	Practising rate is the number of practising therapists per 100,000 population.
(d)	Full-time equivalent therapists per 100,000 population. Calculated by multiplying the number of practising therapists by the average weekly hours worked and then dividing by a reference week (35 hours per week). This value is then population standardised to allow comparisons with other states/territories.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.45: Practising OHTs by age and state/territory, 2009
Age (years)	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
<25	16	58	23	—	25	. .	n.p.	n.p.	127	
25–29	11	42	50	6	20	. .	5	n.p.	139	
30–34	9	16	23	n.p.	9	. .	n.p.	—	59	
35–39	n.p.	10	47	6	n.p.	. .	—	—	68	
40–44	—	11	38	5	9	. .	—	—	63	
45–49	6	7	53	9	n.p.	. .	n.p.	—	81	
50–54	n.p.	5	15	n.p.	n.p.	. .	—	—	32	
55+	—	n.p.	9	7	n.p.	. .	—	—	21	
Total	50	53	257	39	74	. .	10	7	590	
Average age (years)	31.9	29.9	37.7	43.6	31.1	. .	30.6	24.6	34.5	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.46: Practising OHTs by total hours worked per week and state/territory, 2009
Hours worked per week	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
<10	7	6	6	n.p.	n.p.	. .	n.p.	—	28	
10–19	n.p.	15	15	11	n.p.	. .	n.p.	—	47	
20–29	15	35	41	n.p.	17	. .	n.p.	—	112	
30–39	10	68	129	19	35	. .	n.p.	n.p.	268	
40–49	7	28	67	n.p.	10	. .	n.p.	n.p.	121	
50+	9	n.p.	—	n.p.	—	. .	n.p.	n.p.	15	
Total	50	153	257	39	74	. .	10	7	590	
Average hours worked per week	31.6	30.8	33.3	28.1	32.7	. .	39.8	39.9	32.3	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.47: Practising OHTs by age and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Remoteness area	
Age (years)	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/Very remote	Australia	
<25	108	11	8	—	127	
25–29	115	14	6	n.p.	139	
30–34	38	15	6	—	59	
35–39	38	18	9	n.p.	68	
40–44	44	7	12	—	63	
45–49	61	10	10	—	81	
50–54	14	14	n.p.	—	32	
55+	17	n.p.	n.p.	—	21	
Total	436	91	56	7	590	
Average age (years)	33.4	37.6	38.0	30.4	34.5	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.48: Practising OHTs by total hours worked per week and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Hours worked per week	Remoteness area	
	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/Very remote	Australia	
<10	21	7	—	—	28	
10–19	41	5	—	—	47	
20–29	89	16	7	—	112	
30–39	184	39	37	7	268	
40–49	88	22	10	—	121	
50+	13	n.p.	n.p.	—	15	
Total	436	91	56	7	590	
Average hours worked per week	32.0	31.4	35.2	37.7	32.3	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.49: Practising OHTs by total hours worked per week and age, 2009
Hours worked per week	Age group (years)	
	<30	30–39	40–49	50–59	60+	Total	
<10	9	10	6	n.p.	—	28	
10–19	12	19	13	n.p.	n.p.	47	
20–29	43	25	30	14	—	112	
30–39	144	55	46	19	n.p.	268	
40–49	51	15	47	8	—	121	
50+	8	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	—	15	
Total	266	127	144	48	5	590	
Average hours worked per week	33.7	29.7	31.8	33.2	31.6	32.3	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.

Table A.50: Practising OHTs by sector/type of main practice and state/territory, 2009
Hours worked per week	NSW	Vic(a)	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Public	
School dental service	n.p.	n.a.	131	12	17	. .	—	n.p.	163	
Community dental service	6	n.a.	6	n.p.	n.p.	. .	—	—	15	
Dental hospital	n.p.	n.a.	9	—	—	. .	—	—	11	
Teaching institution	—	n.a.	6	n.p.	—	. .	—	—	7	
Other	n.p.	n.a.	—	—	—	. .	—	—	n.p.	
Total public	11	n.a.	152	14	19	. .	—	n.p.	197	
Private	
General practice	33	n.a.	96	20	49	. .	9	n.p.	213	
Specialist practice	n.p.	n.a.	6	5	6	. .	n.p.	n.p.	22	
Other	n.p.	n.a.	n.p.	—	—	. .	—	—	5	
Total private	38	n.a.	105	26	55	. .	10	6	240	
Total	50	153	257	39	74	. .	10	7	590	
Due to changes in the questionnaire, type of practice and sector were not available for Victoria. 
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.51: Practising OHTs by sector/type of main practice and remoteness area, 2009
Remoteness area	
Sector/type of main practice	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/
Very remote	Australia	
Public	
School dental service	87	44	28	n.p.	163	
Community dental service	10	n.p.	n.p.	—	15	
Dental hospital	8	n.p.	—	—	11	
Teaching institution	7	—	—	—	7	
Other	n.p.	—	—	—	n.p.	
Total public	114	48	31	n.p.	197	
Private	
General practice	168	23	18	n.p.	213	
Specialist practice	18	—	n.p.	—	22	
Other	n.p.	n.p.	—	—	5	
Total private	190	24	23	n.p.	240	
Total(a)	436	91	56	7	590	
(a)	Estimates for Victoria are included in the total but not in the subcategories.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.

Table A.52: Practising OHTs by state/territory and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Remoteness area	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Number	
Major cities	42	132	149	36	67	—	10	. .	436	
Inner regional	7	19	58	n.p.	n.p.	—	. .	. .	91	
Outer regional	—	n.p.	44	n.p.	n.p.	—	. .	6	56	
Remote/Very remote	—	—	6	—	—	—	. .	n.p.	7	
Total	50	153	257	39	74	—	10	7	590	
Practising rate (number per 100,000 population)	
Major cities	0.8	3.2	5.6	2.3	5.6	—	2.8	. .	2.9	
Inner regional	0.5	1.7	6.0	0.7	2.2	—	. .	. .	2.1	
Outer regional	—	1.0	6.5	0.5	1.6	—	. .	4.5	2.7	
Remote/Very remote	—	—	4.3	—	—	—	. .	1.4	1.5	
Total	0.7	2.8	5.8	1.8	4.5	—	2.8	3.2	2.7	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.53: Practising OHTs by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2006 and 2009
	NSW	Vic 	Qld	WA	SA	Tas 	ACT	NT	Australia	
Proportion female	
2006	97.4	94.7	93.9	100.0	91.7	. .	—	—	94.8	
2009	77.5	87.9	94.3	97.3	92.2	. .	100.0	100.0	91.3	
Average age	
2006	36.5	32.8	37.2	39.9	29.9	. .	—	—	36.4	
2009	31.9	29.9	37.7	43.6	31.1	. .	30.6	24.6	34.5	
Average total hours worked per week	
2006	32.9	35.4	34.5	25.3	34.0	. .	—	—	33.4	
2009	31.6	30.8	33.3	28.1	32.7	. .	39.8	39.9	32.3	
Proportion working part time (<35 hours per week) (per cent)	
2006	50.0	36.8	38.5	64.0	41.7	. .	—	—	42.4	
2009	55.0	55.6	42.0	59.5	47.1	. .	50.0	20.0	48.3	
Proportion working in public sector in their main practice (per cent)	
2006	10.5	15.8	52.0	20.0	16.7	. .	—	—	38.0	
2009(a)	22.5	n.a.	59.1	35.1	25.5	. .	—	20.0	45.1	
(a)	Type of practice and sector of employment was not available for Victoria in 2009.

Table A.54: Practising OHTs by remoteness area, selected characteristics, 2006 and 2009
Remoteness area	
 	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/
Very remote	Australia	
Proportion female
 	
2006	93.9	95.4	100.0	100.0	94.8	
2009	90.2	90.8	100.0	100.0	91.3	
Average age	
2006	35.9	38.1	37.2	40.5	36.4	
2009	33.4	37.6	38.0	30.4	34.5	
Average total hours worked per week	
2006	33.3	32.6	35.4	39.2	33.4	
2009	32.0	31.4	35.2	37.7	32.3	
Proportion working part time (<35 hours per week) (per cent)	
2006	44.8	40.7	28.9	—	42.4	
2009	51.3	41.8	41.7	—	48.3	
Proportion working in public sector in their main practice (per cent)	
2006	28.4	70.5	56.7	100.0	38.0	
2009(a)	37.4	66.9	57.3	59.8	45.1	
Excludes Victoria.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.55: Registered dental prosthetists by work status and state/territory, 2009
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Only or mainly in state of registration	335	307	193	73	41	46	16	n.p.	1,013	
Only or mainly in another state	33	11	n.p.	8	n.p.	—	n.p.	n.p.	63	
On extended leave	n.p.	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	n.p.	
Overseas	—	—	n.p.	—	—	—	—	—	n.p.	
Not in paid work	13	n.p.	—	6	—	n.p.	—	—	21	
Working in dentistry but not as a dental auxiliary 	48	n.p.	n.p.	11	—	n.p.	n.p.	—	68	
Working but in another industry/profession 	11	—	—	n.p.	—	—	—	—	14	
Retired from work	26	—	—	11	—	—	—	—	37	
Total	468	322	202	112	44	48	19	5	1,220	
Practising(a) (%)	71.6	95.3	95.4	65.0	92.3	95.8	84.6	66.6	83.1	
Proportion female	11.8	11.0	12.6	15.4	—	13.0	—	50.0	11.5	
Practising rate(b)	4.7	5.6	4.4	3.2	2.5	9.1	4.6	1.5	4.6	
FTE rate (35 hours per week)(c)	5.6	6.9	4.5	3.7	2.6	10.6	5.5	0.9	5.3	
(a)	Practising solely or mainly in state/territory of registration.
(b)	Practising rate is the number of practising therapists per 100,000 population.
(c)	Full-time equivalent therapists per 100,000 population. Calculated by multiplying the number of practising therapists by the average weekly hours worked and then dividing by a reference week (35 hours per week). This value is then population standardised to allow comparisons with other states/territories.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.56: Practising dental prosthetists by age and state/territory, 2009
Age (years)	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
<30	5	10	—	—	—	n.p.	—	—	16	
30–34	11	14	9	—	5	—	—	—	40	
35–39	20	34	7	8	—	5	—	—	74	
40–44	38	36	11	n.p.	—	6	n.p.	n.p.	99	
45–49	77	70	36	22	n.p.	10	—	—	218	
50–54	66	67	51	14	14	8	6	—	225	
55–59	41	36	30	8	7	6	n.p.	—	131	
60–64	41	20	22	11	n.p.	7	—	—	105	
65+	36	20	26	6	8	n.p.	6	—	105	
Total	335	307	193	73	41	46	16	n.p.	1,013	
Average age (years)	52.0	48.7	54.0	52.5	55.7	50.9	59.5	41.5	51.6	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.57: Practising dental prosthetists by total hours worked per week and state/territory, 2009
Hours worked per week	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
<10	5	n.p.	13	6	n.p.	n.p.	—	n.p.	33	
10–19	13	15	19	6	n.p.	n.p.	—	—	56	
20–29	26	19	39	—	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	—	92	
30–39	74	46	36	11	14	12	n.p.	—	195	
40–49	102	136	36	34	15	15	7	n.p.	346	
50–59	77	47	22	8	5	8	n.p.	—	173	
60+	38	40	28	8	—	n.p.	—	—	118	
Total	335	307	193	73	41	46	16	n.p.	1,013	
Average hours worked per week	41.9	42.7	36.1	39.4	37.0	40.7	41.9	22.5	40.4	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.58: Practising dental prosthetists by age and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Remoteness area	
Age (years)	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/
Very remote	Australia	
<30	9	7	—	—	16	
30–34	29	8	n.p.	—	40	
35–39	51	20	n.p.	—	74	
40–44	71	14	14	—	99	
45–49	158	57	n.p.	—	218	
50–54	156	54	15	—	225	
55–59	85	36	9	n.p.	131	
60–64	68	34	n.p.	—	105	
65+	79	19	7	—	105	
Total	706	249	57	n.p.	1,013	
Average age (years)	51.6	51.6	51.2	58.0	51.6	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.59: Practising dental prosthetists by total hours worked per week and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Hours worked per week	Remoteness area	
	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/Very remote	Australia	
<10	26	6	n.p.	—	33	
10–19	38	16	n.p.	—	56	
20–29	65	15	10	n.p.	92	
30–39	150	31	14	—	195	
40–49	239	96	11	—	346	
50–59	117	48	9	—	173	
60+	72	38	8	—	118	
Total	706	249	57	n.p.	1,013	
Average hours worked per week	39.3	43.3	41.8	25.0	40.4	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.60: Practising dental prosthetists by total hours worked per week and age, 2009
Hours worked per week	Age group (years)	
	<30	30–39	40–49	50–59	60+	Total	
<10	—	n.p.	15	5	11	33	
10–19	—	n.p.	15	18	19	56	
20–29	n.p.	9	23	32	24	92	
30–39	n.p.	18	50	70	54	195	
40–49	6	47	120	119	53	346	
50–59	n.p.	18	62	66	26	173	
60+	n.p.	16	31	47	23	118	
Total	16	114	317	356	210	1,013	
Average hours worked per week	43.5	43.5	40.6	41.7	35.7	40.4	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.61: Practising dental prosthetists by sector/type of main practice and state/territory, 2009
Hours worked per week	NSW	Vic(a)	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Private	
Self-employed 	296	n.a.	157	70	34	34	13	—	604	
Employee in private practice	11	n.a.	9	—	5	5	—	n.p.	33	
Employee in commercial laboratory	n.p.	n.a.	—	—	—	—	n.p.	—	n.p.	
Total private	309	n.a.	166	70	39	39	15	n.p.	639	
Public	
Government clinic/laboratory	18	n.a.	21	—	n.p.	7	n.p.	n.p.	50	
Public education	7	n.a.	—	n.p.	—	—	—	—	9	
Total public	25	n.a.	21	n.p.	n.p.	7	1	n.p.	60	
Other	
Total other	n.p.	n.a.	6	—	—	—	—	—	7	
Total	335	307	193	73	41	46	16	3	1,013	
(a)	Due to changes in the questionnaire, type of practice and sector were not available for Victoria.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.62: Practising dental prosthetists by sector/type of main practice and remoteness area, 2009
Remoteness area	
Sector/type of main practice	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/
Very remote	Australia	
Private	
Self-employed 	418	154	29	n.p.	604	
Employee in private practice	18	13	n.p.	—	33	
Employee in commercial laboratory	n.p.	n.p.	—	—	n.p.	
Total private	438	168	31	n.p.	639	
Public	
Government clinic/laboratory	23	14	13	—	50	
Public education	9	—	—	—	9	
Total public	34	14	13	n.p.	60	
Other	
Total other	7	—	—	—	7	
Total(a)	706	249	57	n.p.	1,013	
Estimates for Victoria are included in the total but not in the subcategories.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.63: Practising dental prosthetists by state/territory and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Remoteness area	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Number	
Major cities	246	228	125	59	30	. .	16	. .	706	
Inner regional	84	66	47	11	7	34	. .	. .	249	
Outer regional	5	12	19	n.p.	n.p.	11	. .	n.p.	57	
Remote/Very remote	—	—	n.p.	—	—	—	. .	—	n.p.	
Total	335	307	193	73	41	46	16	n.p.	1,013	
Practising rate (number per 100,000 population)	
Major cities	4.7	5.6	4.7	3.7	2.6	. .	4.6	. .	4.7	
Inner regional	5.8	6.1	4.8	3.8	3.4	10.4	. .	. .	5.7	
Outer regional	1.1	4.8	2.8	1.4	1.8	6.6	. .	2.6	2.7	
Remote/Very remote	—	—	1.4	—	—	—	. .	—	0.4	
Total	4.7	5.6	4.4	3.2	2.5	9.1	4.6	1.5	4.6	
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Table A.64: Average number of completed/repaired dentures in the last week by denture type and state/territory, 2009
Denture type	NSW	Vic	Qld(a)	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Australia	
Partial dentures completed	4.2	2.7	n.a.	0.5	1.9	3.6	5.9	3.0	3.2	
Partial dentures repaired	2.3	2.2	n.a.	0.5	1.5	1.6	1.4	2.5	2.0	
Full dentures completed	4.2	3.7	n.a.	4.9	4.1	5.7	7.0	3.5	4.2	
Full dentures repaired	1.9	1.8	n.a.	4.7	2.8	1.8	1.7	2.5	2.1	
(a)	Information on number of completed/repaired dentures was not collected in Queensland.

Table A.65: Practising prosthetists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
	NSW	Vic 	Qld	WA	SA	Tas 	ACT	NT	Australia	
Proportion female	
2000	11.4	—	4.5	—	—	17.9	—	. .	5.7	
2003	11.0	7.8	4.9	12.5	—	18.2	—	. .	9.2	
2006	10.9	8.9	8.9	11.1	15.0	18.2	—	. .	10.0	
2009	11.8	11.0	12.6	15.4	—	13.0	—	50.2	11.5	
Average age	
2000	46.3	48.0	49.1	51.8	51.9	46.4	47.2	. .	47.8	
2003	48.5	47.9	52.0	44.9	52.3	47.5	52.7	. .	48.6	
2006	49.2	48.4	53.3	53.0	50.8	48.8	56.0	. .	50.1	
2009	52.0	48.7	54.0	52.5	55.7	50.9	59.5	41.5	51.6	
Average total hours worked per week	
2000	44.8	40.7	41.1	43.7	44.6	42.0	44.8	. .	42.6	
2003	43.5	42.1	43.5	43.2	41.0	43.2	44.4	. .	43.0	
2006	43.1	45.1	43.5	37.7	39.5	41.3	46.4	. .	43.0	
2009	41.9	42.7	36.1	39.4	37.0	40.7	41.9	22.5	40.4	
Proportion working part time (<35 hours per week) (per cent)	
2000	17.1	25.1	21.2	15.8	35.3	7.7	—	. .	20.0	
2003	19.8	19.3	22.2	27.5	18.2	15.9	—	. .	20.1	
2006	19.2	20.7	15.8	44.4	30.0	22.7	12.5	. .	21.9	
2009	21.1	18.3	48.5	23.1	25.0	21.7	18.2	50.0	25.8	
Proportion working in public sector in their main practice (per cent)	
2000	5.7	15.5	12.1	5.3	—	25.6	28.6	. .	7.9	
2003	7.7	5.2	11.1	2.5	9.1	13.6	16.7	. .	7.5	
2006	8.3	6.7	14.9	3.7	—	15.9	12.5	. .	8.6	
2009(a)	7.4	n.a.	10.7	3.8	4.2	15.2	9.1	50.0	8.5	
(a)	Type of practice and sector of employment was not available for Victoria in 2009.

Table A.66: Practising prosthetists by remoteness area, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
Remoteness area	
 	Major cities	Inner regional	Outer regional	Remote/
Very remote	Australia	
Proportion female
 	
2000	5.5	5.8	7.3	—	5.7	
2003	9.0	10.7	6.3	—	9.2	
2006	10.2	9.8	9.5	—	10.0	
2009	12.2	9.2	13.3	—	11.5	
Average age	
2000	47.8	48.1	46.5	44.7	47.8	
2003	48.3	49.4	48.4	53.8	48.6	
2006	50.4	49.5	48.7	55.0	50.1	
2009	51.6	51.6	51.2	58.0	51.6	
Average total hours worked per week	
2000	42.0	44.2	41.7	68.8	42.6	
2003	42.5	44.2	43.2	39.7	43.0	
2006	42.7	43.2	45.6	47.5	43.0	
2009	39.3	43.3	41.8	25.0	40.4	
Proportion working part time (<35 hours per week) (per cent)	
2000	20.8	16.6	23.4	—	20.0	
2003	20.1	18.4	25.4	23.3	20.1	
2006	24.2	18.2	12.8	—	21.9	
2009	28.6	16.4	30.7	100.0	25.8	
Proportion working in public sector in their main practice (per cent)	
2000	6.8	9.5	13.9	—	7.9	
2003	7.0	7.8	12.3	—	7.5	
2006	8.1	7.9	15.0	33.3	8.6	
2009(a)	6.8	7.7	29.5	—	8.5	
(a)	Excludes Victoria.
Note:	Column/row totals may not sum to total because of rounding of estimates.
Appendix B: Estimation procedures
The figures from the data collection are estimates. Not all registered practitioners responded to the questionnaire, and not all responding practitioners answered all questions. Data were imputed to account for item non‑response and weighted to account for population non‑response. These two processes produced estimates that approximate the distribution of registered dentists and allied practitioners. 
Imputation: estimation for item non-response
The imputation process involved an initial examination of all information provided by a respondent. Where possible, work status was imputed based on the participant’s response to other questions. For example, if a respondent provided information on hours worked and area of work but left the work status question blank, it was considered appropriate to assume that they were employed. Missing values remaining after this process were considered for their suitability for further imputation. Suitability was based on the level of non-response to that item. Imputation was usually only applied in cases where the proportion of missing values was less than 10% of the total.
In imputation, the known probabilities of particular responses occurring were used to assign a response category value to each record using a random number generator. Imputed values were based on the distribution of responses occurring in the responding sample. Fundamental to estimating missing values for respondents who returned partially completed questionnaires was the assumption that respondents who answered various questions were similar to those who did not.
Age group and sex values within each state and territory were first imputed to account for missing age and sex values. Other variables deemed suitable for this process were then imputed. In 2009, these variables were: area of practice (general practice, registered specialist, restricted practice and so forth), type of practice (solo, solo with assistant, dental hospital and so forth), specialist category (orthodontics, periodontics and so forth), hours worked group, remoteness code (Major cities, Inner regional, Outer regional and Remote/Very remote), and statistical division. These imputed variables were similar for all professions, except that area of practice, specialist categories and statistical division were not used for the allied dental labour force groups. 

Weighting: estimation for population non-response
Each record (a record equates to a respondent) was assigned a weight that was calibrated to align with independent data on the population of interest, referred to as ‘benchmarks’. In principle, this weight was based on the population number (the benchmark) divided by the number in the responding sample. 
Benchmark data were the number of registered practitioners in each state and territory, provided to the AIHW DSRU by the state and territory dental boards. Where possible, benchmarks were broken down by age group and sex. Where data were not available from the boards, benchmark figures were obtained from other sources, such as dental board annual reports. Hence, the weight for each record was based on particular characteristics that were known for the whole population.
Producing estimates for the population by weighting the data from respondents adjusted for bias in the responding group of practitioners, but only for known population characteristics (age and sex, where provided, in the case of the Dental and Allied Dental Labour Force Collections). If information for a variable was not known for the whole population, the variable could not be used in the calculation of weights nor in the adjustment process.
For variables not used in the calculation of weights (for the Dental and Allied Dental Labour Force Collection, this means all variables other than state/territory, age and sex), it was assumed that respondents and non-respondents had the same characteristics. If the assumption was incorrect, and non-respondents were different from respondents, then the estimates would have some bias. The extent of this cannot be measured without more detailed information about non-respondents. 
Appendix C: Questionnaires
Example of dentist labour force questionnaire
Copy of 2009 dentist labour force national data collection form.
Example of allied dental labour force questionnaire
Copy of 2009 allied dental labour force data collection form.
Example of dental prosthetist labour force questionnaire
Copy of 2009 dental prosthetist labour force national data collection form.
References
ABDPH (American Board of Dental Public Health) 2009. Public Health Dentistry. Viewed 30 November 2009, <http://www.aaphd.org>. 
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2008. Australian Standard Geographic Classification. Cat. no. 1216.0. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. 
ADA (Australian Dental Association) 2009. Definition of Endodontics. Australian Society of Endodontology. Viewed 28 June 2010, < http://www.ada.org.au/societies/ase/>. 
ADC (Australian Dental Council) 2009. Consultation paper on the proposed arrangement of specialists. Canberra: Council of Australian Governments & Productivity Commission. 
AIHW DSRU (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Dental Statistics and Research Unit) 2006. Dental labour force in Australia, 2005. Research report no. 33. Adelaide: AIHW. (DEN 172). 
Boucher CO 1982. Clinical Dental Terminology: a glossary of accepted terms in all disciplines of dentistry. London: The C.V. Mosby Company. 
Chrisopoulous S & Teusner DN 2008. ARCPOH (Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health), Dentist labour force projections 2005–2020: the impact of new regional dental schools. Australian Dental Journal (Data watch). 53(3): 292–96. 
DEST (Department of Education, Science and Technology) 2007. Student completions for dental studies in all institutions 2006–07. Data request, prepared for the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health. Canberra: DEST. 
Dunning JM 1972. Deployment and control of dental auxiliaries in New Zealand and Australia. The Journal of the American Dental Association 85(3): 618–626. 
Gallagher JE & Wilson NHF 2009. The future dental workforce? [Opinion]. British Dental Journal 206(4): 195–199. 
Maupome G, Hann HJ & Ray JM 2001. Is there a sound basis for deciding how many dentists should be trained to meet the dental needs of the Canadian population? Systematic Review of Literature (1968–1999). Journal of the Canadian Dental Association, 67(2): 87–91. 
Newman MG & Carranza FA 2006. Carranza's clinical periodontology. St Louis: Saunders/Elsevier. 
NHWT (National Health Workforce Taskforce) 2008. Work Program: 2008–09. Health Workforce Australia. Viewed 30 November 2009, <http:// www.nhwt.gov.au>. 
Satur J 2009. The development of the dental therapy profession. History of dental therapy. Viewed 15 December 2009, <http://www.adohta.net.au/search.php?keywords=&cat_id=
&page=2&order_by=added_date.DESC>. 
Teusner DN, Chrisopoulous S & Spencer AJ 2008. Projected demand and supply for dental visits in Australia: an anlaysis of the impact of changes in key inputs. Canberra: AIHW. 
Teusner DN & Spencer AJ 2003. Dental labour force, Australia 2000. Canberra: AIHW. 
List of tables
Table 2.1: Dentist data collection details by state/territory, 2009
Table 2.2: Average age of practising dentists by sex, 2000 to 2009
Table 2.3: Practising dentists by state/territory and number of work locations(a), 2009
Table 2.4: Practising dentists by sector, age, sex and hours worked, 2009
Table 2.5: Practising dentists by state/territory, 2000 to 2009
Table 2.6: Full-time equivalent dentists by state/territory, 2000 to 2009 (per 100,000 population)
Table 2.7: Practising dentists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2009
Table 2.8: Practising dentists by remoteness area of main practice, 2000 to 2009
Table 2.9: Full-time equivalent dentists by Remoteness Area of main practice, 2000 to 2009  (FTE per 100,000 population)
Table 2.10: Practising dentists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2009
Table 3.1: The number and percentage of dental specialists by sex, 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009
Table 3.2: Practising dental specialists by sector, age, sex and hours worked, 2009
Table 4.1: Hygienists, therapists and OHTs data collection details by state/territory, 2009
Table 4.2: Dental prosthetist data collection details by state/territory, 2009
Table 4.3: Number of practising dental hygienists and practising rate, 2000 to 2009
Table 4.4: Practising dental hygienists by number of locations worked(a), 2000 to 2009 (per cent)
Table 4.5: Practising dental hygienists by state/territory, 2000 to 2009
Table 4.6: Number of practising dental therapists and practising rate, 2000 to 2009
Table 4.7: Practising dental therapists by number of locations worked(a), 2000 to 2009 (per cent)
Table 4.8: Practising dental therapists by state/territory, 2000 to 2009
Table 4.9: Number of practising OHTs and practising rate, 2006 and 2009
Table 4.10: Practising OHTs by number of locations worked(a), 2006 and 2009 (per cent)
Table 4.11: Practising OHTs by state/territory, 2006 and 2009
Table 4.12: Number of practising dental prosthetists and practising rate, 2000 to 2009
Table 4.13: Practising dental prosthetists by number of locations worked(a), 2000 to 2009 (per cent)
Table 4.14: Practising dental prosthetists by state/territory, 2000 to 2009
Table 5.1: Growth of the dental labour force, 2000 to 2009
Table A.1:	Number and rates of registered and practising dentists, 2000 to 2009
Table A.2:	Registered dentists by work status, states and territories, 2009
Table A.3:	Practising dentists by sex and age, 2000 to 2009
Table A.4:	Practising dentists by area of main practice, sex and age, 2009
Table A.5:	Practising dentists by area of main practice, number and average age, 2000 to 2009
Table A.6:	Practising dentists by area of main practice, sex and total hours worked per week, 
2009
Table A.7:	Average hours worked per week by sex and area of main practice, practising dentists, 2000 to 2009
Table A.8:	Practising dentists by type of main practice, 2000 to 2009
Table A.9:	Practising dentists by type of main practice, sex and age, 2009
Table A.10:	Practising dentists by type of main practice, sex and total hours worked per week, 
2009
Table A.11:	Practising dentists by type of main practice, sex and state/territory, 2009
Table A.12:	Practising dentists by sector, sex, age and hours worked, 2000 to 2009
Table A.13:	Practising dentists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
Table A.14:	Practising dentists by remoteness area, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
Table A.15:	Practising dentists by statistical division, selected characteristics, 2009
Table A.16:	Practising dental specialists by sex, age, hours worked and specialty group, 
2000 to 2009
Table A.17:	Practising dental specialists by sector, sex, age and hours worked, 2000 to 2009
Table A.18:	Practising dental specialists by hours worked, sex and age group, 2009
Table A.19:	Practising dental specialists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2009
Table A.20:	Practising dental specialists by remoteness area, selected characteristics, 2009
Table A.21:	Practising dental specialists by specialty, selected characteristics, 2009
Table A.22:	Registered dental hygienists by work status and state/territory, 2009
Table A.23:	Practising dental hygienists by age and state/territory, 2009
Table A.24:	Practising dental hygienists by total hours worked per week and state/territory, 
2009
Table A.25:	Practising dental hygienists by age and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Table A.26:	Practising dental hygienists by total hours worked per week and remoteness area of 
main practice, 2009
Table A.27:	Practising dental hygienists by total hours worked per week and age, 2009
Table A.28:	Practising dental hygienists by sector/type of main practice and state/territory, 
2009
Table A.29:	Practising dental hygienists by sector/type of main practice and remoteness area, 
2009
Table A.30:	Practising dental hygienists by state/territory and remoteness area of main practice, 
2009
Table A.31:	Practising hygienists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
Table A.32:	Practising hygienists by remoteness area, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
Table A.33:	Registered dental therapists by work status and state/territory, 2009
Table A.34:	Practising dental therapists by age and state/territory, 2009
Table A.35:	Practising dental therapists by total hours worked per week and state/territory, 
2009
Table A.36:	Practising dental therapists by age and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Table A.37:	Practising dental therapists by total hours worked per week and remoteness area of 
main practice, 2009
Table A.38:	Practising dental therapists by total hours worked per week and age, 2009
Table A.39:	Practising dental therapists by sector/type of main practice and state/territory, 
2009
Table A.40:	Practising dental therapists by sector/type of main practice and remoteness area, 
2009
Table A.41:	Practising dental therapists by state/territory and remoteness area of main practice, 
2009
Table A.42:	Practising therapists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
Table A.43:	Practising therapists by remoteness area, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
Table A.44:	Registered OHTs by work status and state/territory, 2009
Table A.45:	Practising OHTs by age and state/territory, 2009
Table A.46:	Practising OHTs by total hours worked per week and state/territory, 2009
Table A.47:	Practising OHTs by age and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Table A.48:	Practising OHTs by total hours worked per week and remoteness area of main 
practice, 2009
Table A.49:	Practising OHTs by total hours worked per week and age, 2009
Table A.50:	Practising OHTs by sector/type of main practice and state/territory, 2009
Table A.51:	Practising OHTs by sector/type of main practice and remoteness area, 2009
Table A.52:	Practising OHTs by state/territory and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Table A.53:	Practising OHTs by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2006 and 2009
Table A.54:	Practising OHTs by remoteness area, selected characteristics, 2006 and 2009
Table A.55:	Registered dental prosthetists by work status and state/territory, 2009
Table A.56:	Practising dental prosthetists by age and state/territory, 2009
Table A.57:	Practising dental prosthetists by total hours worked per week and state/territory, 
2009
Table A.58:	Practising dental prosthetists by age and remoteness area of main practice, 2009
Table A.59:	Practising dental prosthetists by total hours worked per week and remoteness area 
of main practice, 2009
Table A.60:	Practising dental prosthetists by total hours worked per week and age, 2009
Table A.61:	Practising dental prosthetists by sector/type of main practice and state/territory, 
2009
Table A.62:	Practising dental prosthetists by sector/type of main practice and remoteness area, 
2009
Table A.63:	Practising dental prosthetists by state/territory and remoteness area of main 
practice, 2009
Table A.64:	Average number of completed/repaired dentures in the last week by denture type 
and state/territory, 2009
Table A.65:	Practising prosthetists by state/territory, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
Table A.66:	Practising prosthetists by remoteness area, selected characteristics, 2000 to 2009
List of figures
Figure 2.1: Number of registered and practising dentists per 100,000 population,  2000 to 2009	9
Figure 2.2: All registered dentists in Australia, 2009	9
Figure 2.3: Practising dentists by sex, 2000 to 2009	10
Figure 2.4: Proportion of practising dentists by age group, 2000 to 2009	10
Figure 2.5: Practising dentists by average hours worked per week, age group and sex, 2009	11
Figure 2.6: Average hours worked per week by age group, practising dentists, 2000 to 2009	11
Figure 2.7: Percentage of practising dentists by practice type at main location, 2000–2009	13
Figure 2.8: Practising dentists by sector of all work settings, 2000 to 2009 (per cent)	13
Figure 2.9: Practising dentists per 100,000 population by state/territory,  2000 to 2009	15
Figure 2.10: Number of practising dentists per 100,000 population by remoteness area of main practice, 2000 to 2009	17
Figure 3.1: All dental specialists in Australia, 2009	23
Figure 3.2: Practising dental specialists by specialty of practice, 2000 to 2009	23
Figure 3.3: Practising specialists by age group, 2000 to 2009 (per cent)	24
Figure 3.4: Practising specialists by sex, age group and average hours worked per week, 2009	24
Figure 3.5: Practising dental specialists per 100,000 population by state/territory, 2000 to 2009	26
Figure 3.6: Practising dental specialists per 100,000 population by remoteness area of main practice, 2000 to 2009	26
Figure 4.1: All registered dental hygienists in Australia, 2009	30
Figure 4.2: Practising dental hygienists by age group, 2000 to 2009	30
Figure 4.3: Practising hygienists by type of main practice, 2009 (per cent)	30
Figure 4.4: Practising hygienists by average hours worked per week and age group, 2000 to 2009	31
Figure 4.5: Percentage dental hygienists, reasons for working part time, 2009	31
Figure 4.6: Practising hygienists per 100,000 population by state/territory, 2000 to 2009	32
Figure 4.7: Practising hygienists per 100,000 population by remoteness area of main practice location, 2000 to 2009	32
Figure 4.8: All registered dental therapists in Australia, 2009	33
Figure 4.9: Practising dental therapists by age group, 2000 to 2009 (per cent)	34
Figure 4.10: Practising therapists by type of main practice, 2009 (per cent)	34
Figure 4.11: Practising therapists by average hours worked per week and age group, 2000 to 2009	35
Figure 4.12: Practising therapists, reasons for working part time, 2009 (per cent)	35
Figure 4.13: Practising therapists per 100,000 population by state/territory,  2000 to 2009	36
Figure 4.14: Practising therapists per 100,000 population by remoteness area of main practice location, 2000 to 2009	36
Figure 4.15: All registered oral health therapists in Australia, 2009	37
Figure 4.16: Practising OHTs by age group, 2006 and 2009 (per cent)	38
Figure 4.17: Practising OHTs by type of main practice, 2009 (per cent)	38
Figure 4.18: Practising OHTs by average hours worked per week and age group, 2006 and 2009	39
Figure 4.19: Practising OHTs, reasons for working part time, 2009 (per cent)	39
Figure 4.20: Practising OHTs per 100,000 population by state/territory, 2006 and 2009	40
Figure 4.21: Practising OHTs per 100,000 population by remoteness area of  main practice location, 2006 and 2009	40
Figure 4.22: All registered dental prosthetists in Australia, 2009	41
Figure 4.23: Practising dental prosthetists by age group, 2000 to 2009 (per cent)	42
Figure 4.24: Practising prosthetists by type of main practice, 2009 (per cent)	42
Figure 4.25: Practising prosthetists by average hours worked per week and age group, 2000 to 2009	42
Figure 4.26: Practising prosthetists, reasons for working part time, 2009 (per cent)	43
Figure 4.27: Practising prosthetists per 100,000 population by state/territory, 2000 to 2009	43
Figure 4.28: Practising prosthetists per 100,000 population by remoteness area of main practice location, 2000 to 2009	44
Figure 5.1: Practising dental labour force by sector of practice, 2009(a)	46
Figure 5.2: Practising dental labour force by remoteness area of main practice, 2009 (per 100,000 population)	46
List of boxes
Box 1:	Composition of the dental labour force	5
Box 2:	Registered/practising dentists rate	9
Box 3:	Full-time equivalent (FTE) rate	9
Box 4:	Remoteness areas	17
Box 5:	Specialities in dentistry	21
Box 6:	Services performed by dental hygienists:	29
Box 7:	Services performed by dental therapists:	33
Box 8:	Services provided by dental prosthetists	41