CQUniversity's proposed new degree in Oral Health will cater for an expected demand for oral health therapists in rural and regional areas in coming years.

That's according to Leonie Short, who is preparing the curriculum for the program so it will be available to students enrolling in 2012.

Leonie will soon develop documentation for accreditation with the Australian Dental Council, finalise plans for new dental facilities on campus, consult with local dental practitioners and help to recruit students.

Leonie Short is preparing the curriculum for the Bachelor of Oral Health at CQUniversity

‘Oral health therapy' is the new name for a dual-skilled dental therapist and dental hygienist.

They are registered dental practitioners who perform preventive and operative dentistry with children.

To put it simply - they inject, drill, fill and extract. Oral Health Therapists can also work with adults

 by performing preventive dentistry in general practice as well as in periodontal and orthodontic specialist practices.

"As the oral health therapy students will be studying alongside other allied health professionals, there is significant scope for interprofessional education and research. In particular, there are lots of opportunities for joint research projects with the School of Nursing in the areas of aged care, child health and acute care," Ms Short says.

"After the initial three-year oral health therapy degree is established, CQUniversity would be looking at attracting dental therapists and dental hygienists to upgrade their qualifications, enrol in higher degrees and to pursue research.

"As dental therapists and dental hygienists are employed in over 50 countries, there is also some scope for overseas dental practitioners to pursue higher degrees at CQUniversity."

Leonie said her first position as a school dental therapist was in a mobile dental clinic along the Murray River from Corowa to Wentworth in rural NSW.

"I loved working with the children and their families in these rural communities and this passion is still with me today," she says.

Leonie's experience in the schools as well as setting up two new fixed dental clinics in Albury put her in good stead to start teaching at the Shellharbour School of Dental Therapy in Wollongong (NSW) at the end of 1980.

After pursuing further studies in clinical hypnotherapy, education, sociology and health planning, she started her academic career in the School of Nursing at Armidale College of Advanced Education (CAE) in 1987.

Leonie has since worked at five universities in NSW and Queensland as a senior lecturer and research fellow.

"After being elected and serving for a short time in the 39^th Parliament of Australia, I worked for DRUG ARM Australasia and Teachers Union Health in Brisbane," she says.

"I was then employed to set up Australia's first new dental school in 57 years at Griffith University on the Gold Coast. I'm really looking forward to using my knowledge and skills to establish the Bachelor of Oral Health at CQUniversity."