Dental Therapy and Hygiene with Integrated Foundation Year
Dental therapy and hygiene is a clinical profession within the dental team dedicated to providing preventive dental care, periodontal treatment and a defined range of dental procedures under the prescription of a dentist or, in some cases, as a direct access practitioner. Dental therapists and hygienists carry out treatment such as scale and polish, periodontal therapy, application of fluoride and fissure sealants, and, for therapists, restoration of teeth and extraction of deciduous teeth, playing an essential role in maintaining the oral health of patients and reducing the burden on dentists. Oral health is intimately connected to general health and quality of life, making these professionals genuinely important members of the healthcare team.
At the University of Plymouth this four-year, full-time programme includes a foundation year designed to build the academic skills and scientific knowledge needed to succeed in the main clinical degree. You will study the biological and clinical sciences underpinning dental practice, including oral biology, anatomy, pathology and pharmacology, alongside the clinical skills of periodontal assessment and treatment, preventive care, restorative procedures and patient communication. The programme provides extensive clinical experience in supervised settings throughout the degree, developing the technical precision and patient care skills that registration with the General Dental Council requires.
Graduates register with the General Dental Council as dental therapists or dental hygienists and pursue careers in NHS and private dental practices, community dental services, hospital dental departments, orthodontic practices, dental public health and the armed services dental corps. The dual therapy and hygiene scope of practice gives qualified graduates considerable professional flexibility. Some graduates also continue to postgraduate training to extend their scope of practice further, and some move into dental education or research.