Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy
Entry requirements
A level
120-128 points from 3 A levels, including a pure Science subject at grade B. For A levels which include a separate science practical component, a pass is desirable and may strengthen an application.
122-128 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma (Science- must have pure Science element).
Cambridge Pre-U score of 56-60, to include a Principal Subject in Science at M2.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
5 GCSEs at grade C or above to include English, Mathematics and Science/5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above to include English, Mathematics and Science.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
29 points from the IB Diploma. 664 at Higher Level, to include 6 points from a Higher Level in a pure Science subject - 30 points from the IB Diploma. 665 at Higher Level, to include 6 points from a Higher Level in a pure Science subject. 4 points from Standard Level English and Mathematics (if not passed at GCSE grade C).
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H3,H3,H3,H3,H3-H2,H2,H3,H3,H3
To include a Higher Level in a pure Science subject at H3.
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
Must be in a Science subject
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Must be in a Science subject.
120-128 Tariff points from 3 Advanced Highers, including a pure Science subject at grade C.
T Level
Acceptable T Level Subjects: T Level in Healthcare Science (Acceptable Occupational Specialisms: Assisting with healthcare science), T Level in Science
UCAS Tariff
120-128 points from 3 A levels, or equivalent, including 40 points from a pure Science subject. For A levels which include a separate science practical component, a pass is desirable and may strengthen an application.
120-128 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 2 A levels, with 40 points from a pure Science subject, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
About this course
**Overview**
Both dental hygienists and dental therapists help people maintain good oral health by providing treatments, carrying out procedures and giving dietary and hygiene advice.
The role of dental therapist is the same as a dental hygienist, however they can also carry out some of the restorative work dentists do, such as fillings and extractions.
This dual role BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy course, accredited by the General Dental Council (GDC), gives you the theory and practical skills required to register as both a dental hygienist and dental therapist with the GDC.
- Become eligible to register with the General Dental Council (GDC) when you graduate, which you'll need to work as a dental hygienist and/or therapist in the UK
- Practise your skills in our Dental Academy model clinical practice, with dental treatment bays and simulation technology, including our Phantom Head skill lab, new haptics suite and radiography equipment
- Work in a dental team alongside practising dentists, dental nurses and other students, giving you a taste of your future work environment
- Have the chance to work with the public through community healthcare projects, providing additional patient-focused work experience
**NHS Learning Support Fund**
Students on this course may be eligible for additional funding through the NHS Learning Support Fund bursary of at least £5,000 a year.
**Accredited by:**
This course is accredited by the General Dental Council (GDC). This allows you to register with the GDC when you complete the course.
The GDC continually assess the course to make sure it meets the standard required for accreditation, so you'll know you're getting the most relevant and up-to-date teaching available.
**Careers and opportunities**
Both dental hygienists and dental therapists provide oral care that helps patients maintain a healthy mouth, gums and teeth. In addition to this, dental therapists are also trained to do some of the same work as dentists, including fillings, and extracting and placing preformed crowns on 'baby' teeth.
On adult patients, dental therapists can provide any dental work that doesn't require treatment to the nerve of a tooth, which makes them an essential support to dentists and a versatile and multi-skilled member of a dental team.
**Register as both a dental hygienist and a dental therapist**
On this degree, you'll develop the knowledge, skills and professionalism you need to take on either of these roles, both of which are in high demand throughout the UK, in the NHS and in the private healthcare sector.
After you complete this course, you’ll be able to register with the General Dental Council (GDC) as a dental hygienist and a dental therapist.
Looking to study just dental hygiene? Take a look at our BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene degree.
**What areas can you work in with a dental hygiene and dental therapy degree?**
When you complete the course, you'll be qualified to work in areas such as:
- general dental practice
- hospital dental services
- the Armed Forces
- the NHS
- health promotion
- owning and managing a dental business of your own
**Work experience with patients in the community**
To help you gain professional experience, you'll help to provide free dental health services to the public at the Dental Academy and work with patients in local community settings.
You'll have the chance to offer preventative and educational dental support within institutions such as school clinics and hostels for homeless people, enabling you to gain a better understanding of the social impact of good dental care.
Our community work experience projects include:
- outreach activity in community surgeries and maxillofacial departments in local hospitals
- oral health promotion
- supervised tooth brushing in infant schools
- helping staff to develop oral care plans in residential homes
- providing dental screening to offenders in the probation service
Modules
Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
Foundation of Evidence Based Practice (Dental) – 20 credits
Foundations of Dhdt Professional Practice – 40 credits
Fundamentals of Dental Hygiene & Therapy Practice – 20 credits
Science Informing Practice (Dental) – 40 credits
There are no optional modules in this year.
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
Applied Dental Hygiene and Therapy Professional Practice – 40 credits
Communication For the Dental Team – 20 credits
Dental Radiography – 20 credits
Engaging With Service Improvement (Dental) – 20 credits
Evidence Based Decision Making (Dental) – 20 credits
There are no optional modules in this year.
Year 3
Core modules in this year include:
Behaviour Management – 20 credits
Enhancing Dental Hygiene and Therapy Professional Practice – 40 credits
Leading Safe and Effective Care (Dental) – 20 credits
Project – 40 credits
There are no optional modules in this year.
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Assessment methods
You’ll be assessed through written exams, practical exams, coursework.
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
The way you’re assessed may depend on the units you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
- Year 1 students: 67% by written exams, 17% by practical exams and 16% by coursework
- Year 2 students: 58% by written exams, 7% by practical exams and 35% by coursework
- Year 3 students: 13% by written exams, 43% by practical exams and 44% by coursework
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Science and Health
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Dental nursing
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Dental nursing
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Dental nursing
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£27k
£32k
£29k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
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It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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