Overview

As a dental hygienist you will be proactive in the prevention and maintenance of periodontal disease and improving ‘smiles’. The course blends equal theoretical and practical learning within the on campus phantom head skills lab and the Student Dental Facility.

The course is designed to ensure you meet the standards and skills necessary to enable you to register with the General Dental Council and hold the title of dental hygienist.

A dental hygienist is a rewarding career where your skills to deliver current oral health promotion, periodontal and preventive treatment to a wide range of patients makes a difference. As a competent, accountable, problem-solving and evidence-based practitioner, you need excellent manual dexterity and communication skills to meet the high expectations and demands of the modern dental practice. You need to be able to effectively communicate with the public and other healthcare providers at all levels. As with all healthcare professionals the public place a high level of expectation and trust in their dental hygienist and therefore to work in this sector it is essential that you are able to demonstrate the core values embedded within the NHS Constitution.

Course structure

Year 1 core modules

You examine the role of evidence-based practice and sources of evidence: primary and secondary research, guidelines, audits and evaluations to support clinical decision making. You develop skills in formulating focused questions, developing effective search strategies and literature retrieval.

Fundamental Clinical Skills For Dental hygienes

You examine the underpinning theory and the practice of clinical skills, required in the scope of practice of the dental hygienist. You gain the required knowledge and skills for the safe treatment of patients including instrumentation, dental indices to monitor periodontal disease and to assist in the treatment of a patient. Oral hygiene instruction will be applied when you demonstrate the various methods of plaque control, including both chemical and mechanical means and incorporating appropriate modifications for patient needs. Initially you are introduced to the theoretical aspects of clinical skills, patient management and oral health promotion before undertaking practical clinical experience and assessment in the phantom head skills lab, which includes the treatment of periodontal disease.

Alongside the clinical experience oral health promotion will be a key component. You will be introduced to education, designing, and planning oral health promotion sessions to develop learning resources, including presentations, videos and supporting information for a variety of target audiences.

Introduction to Human Physiology For Healthcare Professionals

This multidisciplinary module introduces basic processes principles and concepts of human physiology required by a range of health professionals, including healing and repair processes.

Professionalism for Health Professionals

You develop an understanding of your role in the delivery of contemporary health and social care within the context of interprofessional practice and behaviour, preparing you for the demands of practice and ensuring you are sufficiently informed and equipped to practice safely. The module will also introduce you to the concepts of continuous professional development and lifelong learning and the tools to demonstrate this through the use of the e-portfolio. This will prepare you to produce evidence of professional development to maintain your professional registration with the Health and Care Professionals Council or General Dental Council.

How you learn

The course comprises 50% theoretical study and 50% practical work.

You will learn by attending key lectures, seminar groups, small study groups, practical sessions and e-learning. You are also expected to carry out significant and additional self-directed study to enhance and complement your learning. Occasionally this will be directed study where the module leader will set an individual or group task or problem to solve. All your learning is delivered by expert lectures, practitioners and researchers. Multidisciplinary working is core and you will share modules and study with other healthcare students such as physiotherapists, radiographers and occupational therapists. The phantom head skills lab is the foundation of your clinical development to allow you to progress to treat patients in the Student Dental Facility where you will be closely supervised by GDC-registered clinical supervisors who will help you to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding for your practice as a dental hygienist.

How you are assessed

Assessment is varied and includes practical examinations, written examinations, essays, poster presentations, group presentations and clinical competencies. You will be assessed after each patient you see in the Student Dental Facility to demonstrate your ability to work safely and effectively within your scope of practice as a dental hygienist and the grades contribute to your end of year competencies.

Work placement

After developing periodontal instrumentation skills within the phantom head skills lab you progress to your professional placement in the Student Dental Facility to treat your own patients under close supervision. This is the core of your practice experience. You also undertake oral health promotion placements where you will develop and deliver sessions to improve oral health in a variety of community settings. In Year 2 you have a one-week radiography placement at Newcastle Dental Hospital. In Year 3 you are allocated placements within local dental practices to prepare you for employment.

Career opportunities

Employment prospects are excellent; once registered, you will be eligible to work in general dental practice, private practice, hospital departments, community dental services, specialist practices, defence medical services, dental access centres and research.

You may also consider postgraduate study in specialist subjects. Graduates have returned to Teesside University as lecturers, and as clinical supervisors to support students during their clinical development in the Student Dental Facility.