Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy

Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy is a degree that prepares you for two interrelated but distinct roles within the dental team. Dental hygienists focus on the prevention and management of periodontal disease, scaling and polishing teeth, applying preventive treatments and educating patients about oral health. Dental therapists have a broader clinical remit, also carrying out restorative procedures including simple fillings and extractions of primary teeth.

Together, these roles are central to providing accessible, preventive and restorative dental care to patients of all ages, and the integrated qualification prepares you to practise across both functions.

At the University of Leeds, this full-time three-year programme integrates clinical dentistry, science and professional development into a rigorous qualification that prepares you to practise as a General Dental Council-defined Safe Practitioner. You will develop the clinical knowledge, technical skills and professional judgement needed to work independently as a dental hygienist and dental therapist, with clinical placements throughout the programme that allow you to apply your learning in real dental settings with real patients. The programme develops both your practical clinical skills and your ability to think critically about evidence, manage patient care and contribute to the broader dental team.

Graduates from Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy programmes register with the General Dental Council and work in NHS and private dental practices, community dental services, hospital dental departments and specialist dental clinics. The dual qualification gives flexibility to work across a range of clinical settings and patient populations. Many graduates develop particular expertise in areas such as periodontology, paediatric dentistry or special care dentistry, and the profession offers structured opportunities for continuing professional development and extended clinical practice.