Dental therapists and dental hygienists educated for the New Zealand environment.

New Zealand has a long history of dental care provided by school dental nurses, now known as dental therapists. The nature of their training courses, although delivered in different centers, had remained relatively constant until 1999 when educational responsibility was transferred to the universities. Dental hygienists were not trained in New Zealand until 1994, with the exception of the New Zealand Army hygienists. Since 2001, the education of both dental therapists and dental hygienists has been the responsibility of the universities. Significant and progressive changes in educational delivery have occurred since then, which have culminated in three-year degree qualifications for dual-trained oral health professionals. Factors influencing this change included increased professionalism associated with the new legislative requirements for registration, workforce shortages, and enhanced educational and clinical practice requirements. The Bachelor of Oral Health degree at the University of Otago has an added emphasis on social sciences and incorporates aspects of learning relating to New Zealand's cultural heritage. We explore in this article the rationale for the introduction of a Bachelor of Oral Health in New Zealand and how it is designed to equip graduates as professionals in oral health.