Overview

This course is ideal if you are looking to pursue a career in dental nursing. You study the foundations of dental care and learn and develop practical skills specific to your profession. The course is perfect if you want to gain an academic qualification while providing support to the dental team and reassurance to patients in our student dental facility and on dental practice placement.

The role of a dental nurse includes:

• providing reassurance and support to patients
• preparing and maintaining the clinical environment
• providing a high standard of cross-infection control
• assisting with taking and processing dental radiographs
• preparing instruments, materials, medicaments and equipment
• recording assessments spoken by the dental team
• assisting the dental team throughout all aspects of dentistry.

As with all healthcare professionals the public place a high level of expectation and trust in their dental nurse. So to work in this sector it is essential that you are able to demonstrate the core values embedded within the NHS Constitutional:

• working together for patients
• respect and dignity
• commitment to quality of care
• compassion
• improving lives
• everyone counts.

Throughout the course, as part of the placement experience, you may be required to participate in a shift pattern rota or work weekends.

The School is committed to the development of quality courses and to the enhancement of the student experience. To that end, the Student Voice is central to the design and delivery of the learning experience. We invite you to provide feedback at key points in your student journey and ensure that we respond to your feedback through our 'you said, we did' approach.

Course details

You undertake a modular course, designed to run over one academic year. You study five modules, four of which are shared modules with student dental hygiene-therapists. These modules introduce you to dentistry and provide you with the theory which underpins the clinical aspect of the course. Research methods and study skills are introduced in the first few weeks; this provides a sound basis to ensure maintenance of continuing professional development. The fifth module is exclusive to this course for you to learn and develop practical skills specific to your profession. Throughout the course you focus on the preventive and restorative dentistry learning to support patients and dentists/dental care professionals throughout a range of common dental procedures. Effective communication and oral health promotion are fundamental to the role of a dental nurse.

Course structure

Year 1 core modules

You focus on the practical aspects of dental nursing, providing chair-side assistance to support all members of the dental team. You develop knowledge of instruments: selecting and preparing a wide range of dental equipment relevant to clinical dental procedures. You grade X-rays to promote quality assurance throughout your clinical practice.

You are introduced to your new clinical role in the ‘Phantom Heads Skills Laboratory’ prior to developing these skills within the clinical dental environment.

The development of learning skills continues throughout the course, as you are required to find and analyse information.

Foundations of Dental Care

We introduce you to the importance of health, safety and security within the workplace, particularly the dental environment.

You develop knowledge about the implications of relevant legislation for your own role and the implementation of policies and systems within your working environment. The importance of record keeping, monitoring and the review of health and safety policies and procedures is also included.

You explore legal, ethical and professional aspects of dental care professional practice. High standards of cross- infection control within the workplace are emphasised.

Foundations of General Anatomy And Human Disease Applicable to Dental Care

Explore the foundations of general anatomy, physiology and human disease to consider its relevance to dental care.

Explore tissues and organ systems along with diseases and will consider the context of dental treatment and patient management. Consider how medical conditions or their treatment may cause oral manifestations as a secondary factor. You are introduced to pharmacological properties used in the treatment of medical conditions which have side effects impacting on the body systems and oral tissues.

Introduction to Dental Anatomy and Oral Diseases 

You explore dental, oral craniofacial anatomy in relation to patient management and their relevance to oral health and oral disease along with its prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. You acquire an understanding of how these oral manifestations appear within the oral cavity, their aetiology along with preventative strategies and treatment.

For dental anatomy you examine the structure and morphology of both the deciduous and permanent dentition allowing you to recognise, identify and describe individual teeth, discuss their functions, and list their eruption dates. You are introduced to dental radiology and are enabled to identify the radiological features of oral conditions on various dental radiographs.

Principles of Evidence-based Practise

You are provided with the foundation for lifelong learning, by focusing on how to learn, and beginning the development of critical thinking, reasoning and reflection. Key study skills are also incorporated into this module.

You explore the role of evidence-based practice in the policy context of health and social care. You develop knowledge and skills in formulating questions and literature searching in the evidence-based practice process.

How you learn

You spend 50% of the course gaining clinical skills, initially in the phantom head skills laboratory. After an intense induction and successfully passing a clinical assessment you will acquire your clinical skills within a dental practice placement. There is a diverse range of learning and teaching methods used during the course which includes lectures, seminars, e-learning, case studies and assignments. You are supported and given constructive feedback by personal tutors to ensure your learning experience is enjoyable.

How you are assessed

Assessments vary and reflect the learning outcomes of the different modules. Emphasis is placed on practical skills and you are assessed through methods including oral and practical examinations and written assignments.