The New Zealand Dental Council (NZDC) defines a dental therapist as one who "provide(s) oral health assessment, treatment, management and prevention services for children and adolescents up to age 18.
The NZDC states that a dental hygienist's role is to provide "oral health education and the prevention of oral disease to promote healthy oral behaviors" and that the "primary task is in prevention and non-surgical treatment of periodontal diseases.
As of October 2014, there were 811 dental therapists and 576 dental hygienists within a total population of 4.5 million (NZDC).
