Oral health graduate opportunities

Start your dental career at Queensland Health

We’re supporting the next generation of dentists and oral health therapists to build their skills and careers at Queensland Health. Whether you’re just finishing your training or you’ve just started in your first role, we have opportunities to help you transition into your dental career.

From metropolitan centres to regional, rural and remote locations, working with us will give you the chance to:

• use a broad scope of clinical practice
• care for a diverse patient population, including vulnerable patient groups
• work with senior clinicians and dental specialists to help build your skills
• work in a supportive and inclusive environment.

You’ll be part of a team that’s dedicated to delivering safe and high quality patient centred oral health care.

Oral health graduate talent pool

Join our oral health graduate talent pool to be considered for employment opportunities across Queensland.

We’re accepting expressions of interest from final year dental and oral health therapy students from Australia and New Zealand. Applications are open from September 2026 until mid-February 2027.

By applying to join our talent pool you may get the chance to:

• work in one of our participating hospital and health services across Queensland
• build confidence and clinical skills
• have access to mentoring, structured education and professional development
• make a meaningful contribution to the oral health of Queenslanders.

When you apply you can let us know:

• whether you’re interested in full time roles, part time roles, or both
• where you’d most like to work.

Once you start working with us, you can also apply to take part in our early career dental practitioner program.

Who can apply for our graduate talent pool

To apply you must:

• qualify as a dentist or oral health therapist in the year you apply
• be able to register with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (Ahpra)
• have the right to work in Australia
• be vaccinated against preventable diseases.

How to apply for our graduate talent pool

You can apply by submitting an expression of interest through our oral health graduate talent pool portal.

Applications are open from September 2026 until mid-February 2027.

You’ll need to include:

• a one page CV
• a one page cover letter
• contact details of a suitable referee, such as your current university supervisor or a recent placement supervisor

You’ll also need to fill in an online form to let us know the locations you’d most like to work in.

We’ll send you an email to let you know we’ve got your application and to tell you what happens next.

Apply for the oral health graduate talent pool

Early career dental practitioner program

Our early career dental practitioner program (ECDPP) helps newly registered dental practitioners working at Queensland Health move from academic learning into professional practice. As you start your career, you’ll build the skills you need to manage a broad range of cases in the public health service. You’ll work in a supportive and inclusive team, and gain experience in a variety of settings.

During the 12 month program we’ll help you to build confidence and a solid foundation for your dental career. All of your training will be in your working hours.

Each month, you’ll take part in:

• online CPD lectures
• one-on-one mentoring with senior clinicians
• participant led small groups sessions with peer and mentor feedback.

You’ll get to present your own clinical cases and do clinical placements in a diverse range of settings.

About the early career dental practitioner program

The program will help you diagnose and treat patients using a range of methods that lead to healthier mouths and high quality care for Queenslanders.

You’ll enhance your skills in:

• diagnosing common oral conditions
• comprehensive care and clinical decisions for simple and complex cases
• informed consent and shared decision making for a range of dental procedures
• technical procedures and time management
• managing patients with complex needs, including people from a range of backgrounds and cultures
• working with dental specialists, medical specialists and allied health professionals.

Who can apply for the early career dental practitioner program

To join the program, you’ll need to:

• be a newly graduated dentist or oral health therapist
• start in your job with us by March in the year of the program
• be working as a dental practitioner with Queensland Health for at least 4 days a week
• employed until December of the year of application, either permanent or temporary.

If you’re employed on a temporary contract that ends before December in the year of your application, you may still be able to apply. We’ll assess those applications on a case by case basis.

If you’d like to work with us, register your interest now through the Oral Health Graduate Talent Pool or apply for vacancies via the Smartjobs website to apply for advertised positions.

How to apply for the early career dental practitioner program

Applications for the 2027 ECDPP program are now open.

To apply, fill in the ECDPP 2027 application form and we'll email you with further information.

For more information email qh_ecdpp@health.qld.gov.au.