sentences:  The association was founded in 1935, as the New Zealand State Dental Nurses’ Institute.Training can be obtained through two courses, a combined Dental Hygiene and Therapy 27-month full-time course or a Bachelors in Oral Health Science 3-year full-time course; once qualified a therapist must be registered with the General Dental Council.The therapists have a large focus on patients' self care, creating home care plans and identifying areas where patients express deficits in efficacy of plaque removal.