The Bachelor of Oral Health Sciences at Wits is a three-year professional degree training students as oral hygienists — registered oral health practitioners who work independently or under the supervision of dentists to prevent and treat gum disease, educate patients on oral hygiene, and deliver primary oral healthcare. All applicants must write the National Benchmark Tests and complete a minimum of 16 hours of job shadowing. South Africa's public oral health burden — marked by high rates of periodontal disease and early tooth loss — creates strong demand for oral health practitioners, particularly in primary healthcare settings. Graduates register with the HPCSA as oral hygienists and dental therapists.
English Home Language or English First Additional Language: Level 4
Mathematics: Level 4
Life Sciences or Physical Sciences: Level 7
APS: 36 (composite index)
Oral Hygienist – Provides preventive oral health services including scaling, polishing, and oral hygiene education in South African private dental practices and public health facilities, registered with the HPCSA.
Dental Therapist – Performs a range of restorative and preventive procedures including fillings and extractions in South African public oral health clinics under HPCSA scope of practice.
School Oral Health Educator – Delivers oral hygiene education programmes to South African schoolchildren, working for provincial health departments or NGOs to reduce childhood dental disease.
Community Oral Health Practitioner – Provides primary oral healthcare in South African rural and peri-urban communities, addressing the critical shortage of oral health services in underserved areas.
Oral Health Researcher – Investigates epidemiological trends and intervention effectiveness in South African oral health, contributing to evidence-based public oral health policy.
