Thanks for joining us as you came at the right time when we are about discussing about the Dental Therapists Salary in Nigeria. A dental therapist is one of the highly sought-after medical professions in Nigeria.
They are part of the dental team that takes care of patients with oral issues. The profession is marketable and at the same time lucrative as it is one of the highly paid medical professions in the country. If you are interested to know about this profession as well as their salary scale, then you are reading the right material.
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Dental Therapists Salary in Nigeria
Dental therapy is an interesting profession and I tell you, the field is green and not highly populated like its counterparts such as surgical medicine, general medicine, pharmacist and other top medical professions. A dental therapist is the professional name of individuals who read this course and they are trained as part of the dental team that provides preventive and restorative dental care, for children and adults.
The role of this professional varies and is dependent on the educational qualification and the various dental regulations and guidelines of each country.
Having said a few things about dental therapy, let’s consider the monthly take-home of this profession which is the backbone of our discussion in this article.
Truth is, a dental therapist in Nigeria is handsomely paid, and they are one of the highest-paid medical professions in the country just as it is highly regarded and loved.
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One of the main factor, why I think you should consider studying dentist therapy, is that it is one of the least exploited medical profession in the country, while the majority are consumed with the thought of pursuing a big-league medical profession, be among the minority who studies this course and almost do not need to strive for employment as they are almost guaranteed a place in the hospitals and medical clinics across the country, in return, they are comfortably rewarded.
Average Salary of Dental Therapist in Nigeria
Dental Therapist salary in contrast to other profession is not the highest paying profession but within the medical profession, it is among the top paid medical profession in Nigeria today.
As such, Dental Therapists Salary in Nigeria 2020 varies due to several factors including, educational qualification, years of working experience, location, organization among other factors.
Also, the average salary of dental therapists in Nigeria is segmented into two, public and private sector. The public sector comprises of government-owned organizations and the private sectors comprise of organizations owned by an individual or a group.
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Interestingly, dental therapists working in the public sector earn a higher salary than those working in the private sector. Again dental therapists working in the federal government-owned hospital earn a higher salary than those working in the state government-owned hospitals.
As such, the average salary of dental therapists working in the public sector is between the range of ₦180,000 – ₦280,000 at entry-level per month. On the other hand, the average salary of dental therapists working in the private sector is between the range of ₦140,000 – ₦200,000 at entry-level per month.
The average monthly salary stated above is inclusive of housing, transport, hazard, and other benefits that are ascribed to this profession.
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Salary by Level/Experience in Public Sector
Entry Level Dental Therapists: Dental Therapists at this level are just offered employment into the government health facility is estimated to be around ₦180,000 – ₦280,000. Most often, the salary of entry-level dental Therapists doesn’t exceed the figure highlighted above.
Mid-Level Dental Therapists: Mid-level dental Therapists have attained work experience within the period of 5 – 10 years and their salary are estimated to be around ₦280,000 – ₦400,000 per month. Most often, the salary of mid-level dental Therapists doesn’t exceed the figure highlighted above.
Senior-Level Dental Therapists: these are referred to as senior dental Therapists especially those who have gathered vast working experience from 10 years upward and lots of educational qualification. Their salary is estimated to be ₦450,000 and above per month.
Salary by Level/Experience in Private Sector
Entry-Level Dental Therapists: Dental Therapists that falls within this level earn a salary within the range of N140, 000 to N200, 000.
Mid-Level Dental Therapists: Dental Therapists that falls within this level receive the salary scale from N240, 000 to N300, 000 per month.
Senior-Level Dental Therapists: Experienced dental Therapists who have gathered work experience from 10-years and above as well as high academic achievements. Their salary scale is within N350,000 upward per month.
There you have the breakdown of Dental Therapists Salary in Nigeria 2020 based on different criteria.
Other Factors That Contribute to the High Payment
We will also like to say that other factors contribute to the high payment received by dental therapists and these are in the form of bonuses and allowances. Some of these features are listed below.
- Call duty allowance: Dental therapy is a branch in medicine and as such is entitled to benefits enjoyed in this profession. Dental therapists also perform call duty (work all-through the night to early hours of the following day) which entitles them to call duty allowances.
- Specialist allowance: Dental therapist is a member of the dental team that cares for the oral health of patients. Since it is a specialized profession, they are entitled to specialist allowances.
- Shift duty allowance: like every other medical professional in the healthcare facilities that run shifts, nurses also run shifts (Night and day) and are paid shift allowance as well.
- Teaching allowance: Not all dental therapists work in the hospital or medical clinic as some prefer to stay back and teach while some work and teach at the same time. They engage in teaching and training health professionals at the university, federal teaching hospital or a medical center. They also are entitled to enjoy teaching allowance benefits.
- Hazard Allowance: Health field is highly hazardous with most health professionals exposed to hazards and risk of infections and other diseases that arise as a result of one-on-one contact with sick patients. So, they are paid hazard allowances as a bonus to their monthly earning.
Task and Duties of Dental Therapist
It is important to outline the duties of dental therapists for the sake of those who might not have a clue about what they do. The duties of dental therapists include:
- They perform dental examination and routine dental treatment and prevention
- They give local anesthetic
- Taking X-rays
- They give patients advises patients about oral health
Requirements to become a Dental Therapist
Having read this article from the beginning and now enlightened about Dental Therapists Salary in Nigeria 2020, you now aspire to pursue a career in this profession, then there are some requirements you need to meet to be a certified dental therapist. We have outlined below some critical steps you need to take.
Universities in Nigeria that offer Dental Therapist Course
Not every student aiming to study this profession are aware that it is not every higher school of learning in Nigeria offer this course. Therefore, in the bid to ease your search and make it faster, we have provided you with the list of institutions in Nigeria where you can study dental therapy. Feel free to scan through the list of schools below and settle on your choice.
- Bayero University, Kano
- Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
- University Of Benin, Benin City
- University Of Calabar, Calabar
- University Of Ibadan, Ibadan
- University Of Lagos
- University Of Maiduguri
- University Of Nigeria Nsukka
- University Of Port-Harcourt
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Conclusion
That is how far we can go on Dental Therapists Salary in Nigeria 2020. If you have read through the article thoroughly, you will realize that dental therapists are a marketable and lucrative profession that is yet to command the attention of many persons, so take the opportunity and venture into this green profession with less population, not to forget about the high monthly take home.
Also, the requirement to study this profession in Nigeria is not tedious, all you need do is to sit for the UTME annual examination with 4-science subject combinations and also WAEC/NECO result with a minimum of 5 credit passes. With all that been said, I believe you have learnt something new about this profession aside from the monthly take home. So, it is your turn to talk to us by giving us feedback about the content of this article.