BSc Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy

Year 3

(Award available for year: Bachelor of Science)

Learning outcomes

On completion of the year/programme students will have provided evidence of being able to:

- satisfy the education and training requirements for Dental Therapists as specified by the General Dental Council;
- practice as a safe beginner within the dental team, undertaking the expanded range of clinical procedures within the competence of Dental Therapists;
- demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding of the underlying principles relevant to their extended range of permitted activities so as to enable work to be undertaken competently with care, safety and responsibility, while recognising the full scope of their remit;
- Understand professional attitudes relating to the care of all types of patient and relating to the roles of the Dental Hygienist and Dental Therapist in the dental team and the wider health care team;
- Understand the healthcare environments in which they may practice and of the ethical, legal and governance issues applicable in those environments;
- be familiar with the wider range of dental health problems that are within the scope of other members of the dental team, have the ability to recognise these, plan and provide initial non-operative care and refer appropriately;
- conform to professional boundaries and norms where appropriate;
- maintain competence in basic life support through training with members of the dental team;
- undertake a final year research project and demonstrate an understanding of the principles and rationale involved;
- continue to gain insight into their strengths and limitations, including those in a clinical context, and recognise the importance of this in their continued professional development.

Transferable (key) skills

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire, as defined in the modules specified for the programme:

- qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment as a Dental Therapist;
- communication skills with patients, their families and associates, other members of the dental team and other healthcare professionals as necessary to exercise personal responsibility in patient care;
- organisational, management and decision making skills necessary for the provision of the extended range of permitted treatment procedures;
-the ability to undertake appropriate further academic and professional education to maintain independent practice.

Assessment

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will include:

- demonstrating the full range of knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant to the practice of a Dental Therapist, and an ability to apply these to a wide range of clinical situations implicit in that role;
- demonstrating the additional clinical skills necessary to practise the broader range of procedures that a Dental Therapist can contribute to the safe and effective clinical care of patients;
- conduct an independent, in depth enquiry within the field of Dentistry;
- ability to self-evaluate and respond to received opinion and information and appreciate how new evidence may influence future approaches to treatment.