National Diploma in Dental Nursing

The attendance course

This course will be offering dental nurses the opportunity to gain the National Diploma if they feel that the NVQ is not the route they wish to take to gain their qualification and get onto the General Dental Council register.

Entry requirements

The course is part-time over 14 months and is accessible to those who have been employed in the past and wish to return, and it is now accessible to those new to the profession.  Since September 2008 each dental nurse in training will have to complete the ‘Record of Experience’ before even being considered to apply for the examination. If the student has experience and wishes to sit the examination early, this can be done so with some prior arrangements.   For those new to the profession, historically it would have taken longer to fully qualify as the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN) did not allow full qualification without first having accrued 24 months full-time or equivalent in chair-side experience.  However since May 2010, due to the Record of Experience, this has now changed.  Once the Record of Experience is completed and signed off and the student has successfully passed the examination they are eligible to apply for GDC registration, but there is no guarantee this will happen.

Units of study

  • Health & Safety and Infection Control in the workplace
  • Emergencies in the Clinical Environment
  • Legal and ethical issues in the provision of dental care
  • Anatomical structures and systems relative to dental care
  • Oral disease and pathology
  • Patient care and management
  • Assessing patients’ oral health, needs and treatment planning
  • Oral health promotion and preventative dentistry
  • Restorative dentistry
  • Oral surgery
  • Orthodontic procedures
  • Dental drugs, materials, instruments and equipment
  • Pain and anxiety control in dentistry
  • Radiography
  • Communication

Learning environment

Students will learn through highly developed practical and theoretical programmes involving a wide range of teaching methods including on-line assessments. However much of the learning will be the responsibility of the student and study guides and assignments/homework will be provided.

There are current plans to be able to offer an on-line course which will use blended learning to its advantage.   You will need to attend pre-arranged dates but overall, much of the teaching and resources will be available to you on-line.  Please watch this space.

Employment experience

Work experience plays an integral part of this course of study and therefore it is important that you are in current employment which is dental specific. It will aid your studies considerably if you have a supporting member of staff to help you and you must complete the Record of Experience BEFORE you will be considered for the examination.

Career opportunities

Career and employment prospects are excellent across the country and abroad and with the necessity of getting registered to practice, this course will enable you to apply for further post graduate opportunities and training as a Dental Therapist, specialist nursing courses including Oral Health Education, Conscious Sedation, and General Anaesthesia, Dental Tutor and assessing or even teaching!