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Dental Hygiene

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B-B,B,B

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

29-30

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)

DDD-DDM

Must be in a Science subject

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

Must be in a Science subject.

120-128 Tariff points from 3 Advanced Highers, including a pure Science subject at grade C.

T Level

M

Acceptable T Level Subjects: T Level in Healthcare Science (Acceptable Occupational Specialisms: Assisting with healthcare science), T Level in Science

UCAS Tariff

120-128

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


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Dental nursing

**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:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£9,250
per year
International
£19,200
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Portsmouth

Department:

Faculty of Science and Health

Read full university profile

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.

66%
Dental nursing

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

75%
Staff make the subject interesting
82%
Staff are good at explaining things
79%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
84%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

77%
Library resources
93%
IT resources
90%
Course specific equipment and facilities
26%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

93%
UK students
7%
International students
12%
Male students
88%
Female students
93%
2:1 or above
0%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
B

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.

£21,000
low
Average annual salary
100%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

74%
Health associate professionals
26%
Health professionals

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

£27k

£32k

£32k

£29k

£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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
Cardiff University | Cardiff
Dentistry
BSc (Hons) 5 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 144
Lower entry requirements
University of Plymouth | Plymouth
Dental Therapy and Hygiene
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 87-128

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

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:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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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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