Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy

Overview
Both dental hygienists and dental therapists help people maintain good oral health by providing treatments, carrying out procedures and giving dietary and hygiene advice.

The role of dental therapist is the same as a dental hygienist, however they can also carry out some of the restorative work dentists do, such as fillings and extractions.

This dual role BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy course, accredited by the General Dental Council (GDC), gives you the theory and practical skills required to register as both a dental hygienist and dental therapist with the GDC.

• Become eligible to register with the General Dental Council (GDC) when you graduate, which you'll need to work as a dental hygienist and/or therapist in the UK

• Practise your skills in our Dental Academy model clinical practice, with dental treatment bays and simulation technology, including our Phantom Head skill lab, new haptics suite and radiography equipment

• Work in a dental team alongside practising dentists, dental nurses and other students, giving you a taste of your future work environment

• Have the chance to work with the public through community healthcare projects, providing additional patient-focused work experience

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.

Accredited by:
This course is accredited by the General Dental Council (GDC). This allows you to register with the GDC when you complete the course.

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
Both dental hygienists and dental therapists provide oral care that helps patients maintain a healthy mouth, gums and teeth. In addition to this, dental therapists are also trained to do some of the same work as dentists, including fillings, and extracting and placing preformed crowns on 'baby' teeth.

On adult patients, dental therapists can provide any dental work that doesn't require treatment to the nerve of a tooth, which makes them an essential support to dentists and a versatile and multi-skilled member of a dental team.

Register as both a dental hygienist and a dental therapist
On this degree, you'll develop the knowledge, skills and professionalism you need to take on either of these roles, both of which are in high demand throughout the UK, in the NHS and in the private healthcare sector.

After you complete this course, you’ll be able to register with the General Dental Council (GDC) as a dental hygienist and a dental therapist.

Looking to study just dental hygiene? Take a look at our BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene degree.

What areas can you work in with a dental hygiene and dental therapy degree?
When you complete the course, you'll be qualified to work in areas such as:

• general dental practice

• hospital dental services

• the Armed Forces

• the NHS

• health promotion

• owning and managing a dental business of your own

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

The University of Portsmouth is passionate about creating career-focused modules that do more than support your studies, they empower your academic journey and prepare you for what comes next.
 
We design modules that have:
 
• Clear themes and skills development as you progress through each year
• Assessments that feel meaningful, often based on real-world tasks rather than isolated exams
• Career-enhancing opportunities such as placements, live projects, enterprise and volunteering
 
For a full list of the modules you will study on this course, please visit the link to the course page.

https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate/bsc-hons-dental-hygiene-and-dental-therapy#modules

You’ll be assessed through written exams, practical exams, 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.

The way you’re assessed may depend on the units you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:

• Year 1 students: 67% by written exams, 17% by practical exams and 16% by coursework
• Year 2 students: 58% by written exams, 7% by practical exams and 35% by coursework
• Year 3 students: 13% by written exams, 43% by practical exams and 44% by coursework

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• General Dental Council