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La Trobe University

  • 24% international / 76% domestic

Bachelor of Oral Health Science

  • Bachelor

Learn how to provide essential oral healthcare with La Trobe's accredited Bachelor of Oral Health Science.

Key details

Degree Type
Bachelor
Duration
3 years full-time
Study Mode
In person
Intake Months
Feb
Domestic Fees
$10,089 per year / $30,267 total
International Fees
$10,089 per year / $30,267 total
ATAR
99.35

About this course

Learn how to provide essential oral healthcare with La Trobe's accredited Bachelor of Oral Health Science. Studying in an inter- and intradisciplinary setting, you'll develop your professional practice at Australia's largest rural health school.

Develop your understanding of oral health promotion, and the prevention and treatment of oral diseases. Get hands-on experience in clinical placements across regional Victoria and treat patients under the supervision of experienced clinicians. Your scope of practice includes dental therapy treatments to patients of all ages.

Note: You'll need to complete your Level 1 First Aid/CPR certification, get your required vaccinations, and provide a current police check and Working with Children Check before starting this degree.

You'll learn:

  • Preventive oral health
    • Develop your knowledge of preventive, periodontal and restorative procedures.
  • Medicine for dentistry
    • Learn to take a comprehensive medical history, understand its role in safe oral healthcare, and the link between oral and general health.
  • Clinical practice
    • Discover how to diagnose and plan care for patients. Improve your communication and treatment skills while learning to manage patients in a clinical setting.
  • Global perspectives in oral health
    • Gain insight into different cultures and explore your role as an oral health therapist in a multicultural society. Further develop your cultural competence through an elective rural, interstate or overseas placement.*

*Subject to government restrictions on international travel.

The qualification awarded on graduation is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as Level 7 - Bachelor Degree.

Sample course structure

Please note, the following course structure is indicative and subject to change depending on your course location, offer year or how you tailor your course with specialisations, majors, minors and electives. Structures for the following year are not normally finalised until October, so the sample provided is based on the most recently approved structure. For more information, please refer to the La Trobe University Handbook.

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Oral Health Science, students must complete a total of 360 credit points across 3 years.

Year 1 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:

  • 120 credit points from chosen Core

Year 2 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:

  • 120 credit points from chosen Core

Year 3 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:

  • 105 credit points from chosen Capstone
  • 15 credit points from chosen Core
Study options

Core subjects are required subjects in your course. You need to complete these subjects to attain your degree.

Subject name Subject code Year Credit points ACADEMIC INTEGRITY MODULE LTU0AIM 1 0 WOMINJEKA LA TROBE: INDIGENOUS CULTURAL LITERACY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION ABS0WOM 1 0 DENTAL SCIENCE A DEN1DSA 1 15 DENTAL SCIENCE B DEN1DSB 1 15 RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE IN PRACTICE HLT1RAE 1 15 RURAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HLT1RCE 1 15 SCIENTIFIC AND CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE A DEN1SKA 1 15 SCIENTIFIC AND CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE B DEN1SKB 1 15 PRECLINICAL ORAL HEALTH PRACTICE ORH1POH 1 30 GENERAL MEDICINE A DEN2MDA 2 15 MEDICINE FOR DENTISTRY DEN2MED 2 15 INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL PRACTICE AND HEALTH PROMOTION ORH2001 2 30 PRE-CLINICAL SKILLS B DEN2PSB 2 30 SCIENTIFIC AND CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE C DEN2SKC 2 30 INTEGRATING EVIDENCE INTO PRACTICE HLT2IEP 3 15

Capstone subjects are required subjects in your course or major that help you integrate and apply the knowledge and skills you gain to solve real world problems. Capstone subjects are often taken towards the end of your course.

Subject name Subject code Year Credit points GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES IN ORAL HEALTH ORH3GPO 3 15 ADVANCED CARE AND INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTH PROMOTION ORH3001 3 30 ADVANCED ORAL HEALTH CARE ORH3002 3 60
See La Trobe University Handbook for more details

The Handbook contains detailed course information designed for enrolled students, including course structures, electives and options. The delivery of this course can vary between campuses.

  • Bendigo

To view other campus handbook course details, please select relevant campus in the drop down.

Study locations

Bendigo

Career pathways

After graduation, you could register as an oral health therapist. You could work in dental clinics, community health centres and Indigenous health collectives. You could also work in health promotion, education, research, management and policy development roles.

  • Oral health therapist
    • Provide primary oral health care, including examining and diagnosing dental decay and gum diseases. Provide basic routine dental treatments to patients of all ages, including professional debridement, support behavioural changes, deciduous tooth removal, preventive services and basic restorations/fillings.

Professional recognition

The Bachelor of Oral Health Science is accredited by the Australian Dental Council. Graduates of the Bachelor of Oral Health Science may be eligible to apply for registration with the Dental Board of Australia. Professional registration may be subject to additional or ongoing requirements beyond completion of the degree. Please contact the relevant professional body for details.

Graduate outcomes

Graduate satisfaction and employment outcomes for Health Services & Support courses at La Trobe University.
73.4%
Overall satisfaction
79.3%
Skill scale
60.6%
Teaching scale
72.8%
Employed full-time
$62k
Average salary