Kangan Institute and Oral Health Victoria (OHV) have joined forces to strengthen the public oral health workforce to support a more preventative approach to oral health care.
Kangan Institute and OHV are equipping dental assistants with advanced skills that directly contribute to improved community health outcomes.
This collaboration has launched two key initiatives designed to upskill and empower dental assistants:
Both courses are delivered online, offering maximum flexibility through a workplace-based learning model that allows participants to study while continuing to work.
“These initiatives are about more than just filling workforce gaps — they’re about transforming the role of dental assistants,” said OHV CEO Susan McKee. “By expanding their scope of practice, we’re giving dental assistants greater autonomy, more responsibility, and the recognition they deserve.”
Kangan Institute CEO Sally Curtain, added: "We’re proud to partner with Oral Health Victoria to co-design agile, workplace-based training that gives dental assistants more skills, confidence and career momentum."
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas said: "We're boosting the dental assistant workforce with more training and support - so more Victorians across the state can access the very best dental care."
The upskilling pathway opens doors to leadership roles — a vital strategy for improving long-term workforce retention in public oral health.
The short course in fluoride varnish application and Certificate IV pathway form part of a broader strategy to shift towards preventative, community-based oral health care, equipping the workforce with skills that meet the changing needs of Victorians.
(Representatives from Kangan Institute and OHV shared program insights with Member for Broadmeadows Kathleen Matthews-Ward MP during a visit to Kangan Institute's Health and Community Centre of Excellence.)
