Dental Hygiene
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**
Dental hygienists treat and prevent oral diseases. They support people in maintaining their oral health by providing treatments and advice designed to improve the health of the mouth, teeth and gums.
If you want a career as a dental hygienist, this BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene degree course is for you.
Studying in our Dental Academy, you’ll get the skills and knowledge for registration with the General Dental Council (GDC), which is essential for practicing as a dental hygienist.
- Be taught in our Dental Academy, complete with the latest technology used in dental practices including 2 clinics with 44 dental treatment bays, 2 individual surgeries, a phantom head room, a new haptics suite, a decontamination suite, and radiography booths
- Build your experience working as part of a dental team, studying alongside dental therapy, dental nursing and dental students as well as qualified professionals
- Get out of the classroom to work with real patients, performing dental procedures and taking part in local community outreach projects
**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.
**Professional recognitions**
This programme has been provisionally accepted to commence delivery by the General Dental Council (GDC) following a paper-based submission. The GDC Quality Assurance Team will carry out an on-site inspection of the programme and examinations prior to the first cohort of students qualifying, wherein approval for the purposes of registration with the GDC will be assessed by an expert panel of inspectors. This is the process for all new dental care professional (DCP) programmes.
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**
As the title suggests, dental hygienists help patients keep their teeth clean, but there's much more to the role than this alone.
Dental hygienists provide treatments, carry out procedures and give dietary and oral hygiene advice to maintain a healthy mouth, teeth and gums. Patients are often referred to dental hygienists by dentists, although many opt to see a hygienist regularly themselves.
Dental hygienists are needed in both the NHS and within private healthcare. Once you graduate you'll be ready to take your skills into areas such as general dental practice, hospital dental services or the Armed Forces, so you'll have great employment prospects as you embark on your dental career.
Looking to study dental hygiene and learn how to carry out additional procedures such as fillings and extractions? Take a look at our BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy degree.
**What areas can you work in with a dental hygiene degree?**
When you graduate, you'll be qualified to work in areas such as:
- general dental practice
- hospital dental services
- the Armed Forces
- the NHS
- health promotion
You could also continue your studies or do research at postgraduate level.
**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 Dental Hygiene Practice – 40 credits
Fundamentals of Dental Hygiene 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 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 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 examinations, computer examinations, presentations, 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.
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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