VerifiedDentistry in South Africa is three separate careers with three separate qualifications, and mixing them up is the most common mistake people make when looking for funding.
- Dentist. The Bachelor of Dental Surgery, offered at only a handful of universities, with entry requirements as high as medicine.
- Dental therapist. A shorter degree covering a defined scope of clinical work, largely in the public sector.
- Oral hygienist. A diploma or degree focused on preventive care and periodontal work.
They are registered by two different professional boards, and the second and third are far easier to get into than the first.
Registration and community service
Dentists register with the HPCSA Professional Board for Medical and Dental Professions. Dental therapists, oral hygienists and dental assistants register with the separate Professional Board for Dental Assisting, Dental Therapy and Oral Hygiene.
Dentists have done compulsory community service since 2000 and remain on the Department of Health’s list, so one remunerated year at an approved establishment comes before independent practice.
Bursaries for dentistry
- Gauteng Department of Health
- KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health
- Mpumalanga Provincial Government
- North West Provincial Government
- SIOC Community Development Trust
- Mediclinic and ER24
Several of the largest general scholarships exclude dentistry along with medicine and veterinary science, among them the Allan Gray Orbis Fellowship and the Ninety One Changeblazer bursary. Check the field list before you spend time on an application. Our veterinary bursaries page sets out which ones.
If the BDS is out of reach, dental therapy and oral hygiene are funded by the same provincial departments and are much less contested. See also our medicine bursaries and health science bursaries pages.