In 2006, there were 1,171 dental therapists, 674 dental hygienists and 371 oral health therapists practising in Australia. The oral health practitioner workforce was overwhelmingly female, with 98.8% of dental therapists, 96.7% of hygienists and 94.8% of oral health therapists being female. Dental therapists were the oldest group among the oral health labour force, with an average age of 42.9 years.