Oral health practitioner

Dental hygienists offer advice, information and treatments to prevent and treat tooth decay and gum disease.

Salary range: £24,214 to ££37,267

How to become a dental hygienist

You can get into this job through:

• a university course

University

You could do either:

• a 2-year foundation degree in oral health science
• a 2-year diploma of higher education in dental hygiene, or dental hygiene and dental therapy
• a 3-year degree in oral health science, or dental therapy and dental hygiene

Experience as a dental nurse may be useful. A recognised dental nurse qualification can sometimes take the place of an A level for course entry.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More information

• equivalent entry requirements
• student finance for fees and living costs
• list of approved dental hygiene courses
• university courses and entry requirements

More information

Registration

• you’ll need to register with the General Dental Council

Further information

You can find out more about dental hygiene careers from the British Society of Dental Hygiene & Therapy.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You’ll need:

• customer service skills
• knowledge of medicine and dentistry
• excellent verbal communication skills
• sensitivity and understanding
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to work well with your hands
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and requirements

You’ll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks, as you may be working with children and vulnerable adults

What you’ll do

Day-to-day tasks

You’ll use dental instruments to provide treatments. On a daily basis you could be:

• removing plaque
• cleaning and polishing teeth to help prevent gum disease
• applying antibacterial treatments to reduce decay
• giving local anaesthetic under the supervision of a dentist
• applying temporary coatings and sealants to protect teeth
• encouraging and demonstrating tooth brushing and flossing

Working environment

You could work at a dental practice, in an NHS or private hospital or at a health centre.

You may need to wear protective clothing and a uniform.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could move into dental practice management.

With further training you could teach student dental hygienists.

You could also move into a related area like orthodontic therapy or health promotion.

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