Dental Nursing CertHE

University of Portsmouth

Overview

Dental nurses support dentists in all aspects of patient treatment and care.

On this 1-year CertHE Dental Nursing course, accredited by the General Dental Council (GDC), you’ll get the knowledge and practical skills required to achieve safe beginner status, become a vital member of the dental team and register with the GDC when you graduate.

• Build your team-working skills by studying alongside dental hygiene, dental therapy and final year students from King’s College London Dental Institute
• Use some of the best dental facilities for students in the country at our Dental Academy, with 44 treatment bays, 2 individual surgeries, a phantom head skill lab, full radiography suite and an electronic patient records system
• Work with real patients in the local community, gaining valuable work experience supporting our dental outreach project
• Qualify with a CertHE in Dental Nursing when you complete the course, which allows you to register with the GDC as a dental nurse

Professional accreditations

This course is accredited by the General Dental Council (GDC).

Careers and opportunities

Dental nurses offer vital support to dentists by ensuring they have all they need to treat patients, such as preparing tools and materials, sterilising treatment spaces and managing patient records.

They also assist dentists as they carry out treatments, passing instruments as they need them, keeping a patient's mouth clear of water and saliva, and making sure patients are comfortable and relaxed throughout.

Dental nursing is a crucial role within a dental team and since the pandemic, there is an even higher demand for dental nurses in the both the NHS and the private sector.

On this Dental Nursing CertHE, you'll gain what you need to become a registered dental nurse, including knowledge of many dental restorative and preventative procedures, and professional and people skills.

You'll complete a programme of statutory and mandatory training as part of our commitment to the NHS, including the anatomy and physiology of the head and neck, body systems, and understanding health, safety and infection control.

Once you complete the course, you’ll be able to register with the General Dental Council (GDC) as a dental nurse, ready to work at a general dental practice, a hospital, with the community dental service or in the Armed Forces. Or, you could continue your studies at diploma or degree level.

What areas can you work in with a dental nursing CertHE?

As a registered dental nurse, you’ll be qualified to take on roles in any sector of the dental industry, including:

• general dental practice (NHS or private)
• corporate dental practice
• hospital dental services
• Armed Forces
• specialists dental practice
• health promotion

Potential salary

As an NHS dental nurse in 2021, your starting salary would likely be between £20,330 (Band 3) and £22,549 (Band 4). With more experience as a senior dental nurse, you could make up to £31,534 (Band 5).

You could also work in the private sector, or as a locum dental nurse, for a competitive hourly rate.

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