Oral and Dental HealthSciences (DentalHygiene and Therapy)BSc Honours

UCAS code A2073 Years

www.ncl.ac.uk/ug/A207Printed from the web page above on 03/01/2020

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Oral and DentalHealth Sciences(Dental Hygiene andTherapy)BSc HonoursUCAS code A2073 Years

This practical degree equips you with theprofessional skills you'll need for a career as adental hygienist and therapist.

As a dental hygienist and therapist, you will help patientsavoid and manage oral disease by promoting good oralhealth and providing treatments.

You will work independently on patients, in close liaison witha dental surgeon. For example:

• evaluating the dental and medical history of patients andplanning their care

• extracting primary teeth and restoration of teeth• taking impressions and radiographs

This degree begins with a foundation in biomedicalsciences, providing a basis for clinical work as the courseprogresses. Topics include:

• physiology• craniofacial anatomy• pathology of oral disease

Your lecture-based learning continues throughout thedegree, with advanced topics such as human disease,managing medical emergencies, and health promotion. 

Clinical work forms a large part of your study programme,helping you develop professional skills for your future career.In your first year, you will begin clinical training. From yoursecond year, you'll be treating patients at Newcastle DentalHospital and other clinics, under supervision of our expertdental team. 

You can also undertake elective study opportunities abroad.

Highlights of this degreeQuality and rankingDentistry at Newcastle is highly regarded. We rank 

• 4th in the UK –The Times/Sunday Times GoodUniversity Guide 2020

• 5th in the UK – The Complete University Guide 2020• 97% overall student satisfaction score – National

Student Survey 2019• Top 50 – Dentistry category – QS World University

Rankings by Subject 2019

• top 25% in the UK for world-class research – Research Excellence Framework 2014

• top 125 – Clinical, Pre-clinical and Health category –Times Higher Education World University Rankings bySubject 2018

Professional accreditationThis degree has been designed to meet the standardsrequired for accreditation by the General Dental Council(GDC).

As this is a new degree, the GDC will be assessing theprogramme as it progresses.

Transfer to Dental Surgery degreeAny student registered on this degree may be eligible toapply to transfer to the first year of our Dental Surgery BDSdegree at the end of their first year.

This scheme is highly competitive with a limited number ofplaces available each year. To apply you must achieve aMerit in all assessments and have an A level in Chemistry (orequivalent qualification). You will be interviewed as part ofthe application process and must have a valid UKCATtest score.

Facilities and supportYou will be based in the School of Dental Sciences, which isin the same building as the Dental Hospital. Together withthe adjacent Medical School and Royal Victoria Infirmaryteaching hospital, it forms one of the largest integratedteaching and hospital complexes in the country.

FacilitiesYou will have access to a hi-tech Clinical Simulation Unit andthe Dental Learning Resource Centre.

Take a virtual tour of our dental teaching and learningfacilities or find out more about our facilities on the Schoolwebsite.

SupportYou will have an academic member of staff as a personaltutor throughout your degree. They can help with academicand personal issues. You will also have opportunities tointeract with other members teaching staff.

Peer mentors will help you in your first year. They are fellowstudents who can help you settle in and answer anyquestions you have.

Social activitiesThe School is home to almost 500 undergraduate students.The student-led society, Dentsoc, organises social events tohelp you settle in and make friends.

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Course Details

Modules for 2017 entry

Modules for 2019 entry

Please noteThe programme information below is for 2019 entry.Programmes may be amended on an annual basis to takeaccount of changing staff expertise, developments in thediscipline, the requirements of external bodies andpartners, and student feedback.Programme information for 2020 entry will be publishedhere as soon as it is available (end of May 2020).Our degrees are divided into Stages. Each Stage lasts foran academic year.

Stage 1 - Foundations of Clinical Practice

You will study:

professionalism

dental, oral and craniofacial anatomy

physiology

oral diseases

dental materials science

interpersonal communication skills

behavioural sciences

You begin to learn clinical skills during term 3, in asimulated clinical environment using manikins.

At the end of this Stage, clinical and communication skillsare assessed by:

in-course simulated competency assessments (INSCA’s)

an Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE)

This ensures you have developed sufficient skill andunderstanding in order to be safe to progress to directpatient care in Stage 2.

Stage 2 – Development of Clinical Practice

Stage 2 begins with an intensive clinical introductorycourse, and continues with clinical attachments to avariety of clinics within the Newcastle Dental Hospital.

During the clinical attachments, you learn specific skillsrelating to patient assessment, such as clinicalexamination and history taking.

You also learn and develop cognitive skills, such as:

the evaluation of clinical information

the ability to appraise critically specific clinical findings

Stage 2 – Development of Clinical Practice

the ability to assess and evaluate new techniques andtreatment strategies against current standards

Running alongside the clinical attachment is lecture-basedteaching in:

human diseases and the management of medicalemergencies

pharmacology

aspects of dental health education

health promotion and disease prevention education

diet and nutrition

clinical investigations

treatment plan delivery

professional standards and expectations

The Stage culminates with assessments including thepresentation of case reports with focus on prevention ofdental disease and the management of a case of earlyperiodontal disease.

In addition, students are required to have demonstrated anumber of core clinical skills through completion ofin-course clinical competency assessments.

Students present group project work with a focus onbehavioural management and promotion of good healthwith respect to human nutrition.

Additional knowledge-based learning outcomes areassessed, and students present a critical review of ascientific paper which forms part of the in-courseassessment.

An optional elective period at the end of Stage 2 gives youthe opportunity to organise a few weeks studying outsideNewcastle. In recent years this has taken students all overthe world.

Stage 3 - Enhancing Clinical Practice

You experience more varied clinical attachments andextend your experience.

You attend restorative and paediatric diagnostic clinicsand develop enhanced skills, for example, in:

diagnostic skills

radiography

management of patient anxiety

extraction of the primary dentition

current opinion in dentistry

Your final examinations include:

assessment of extended knowledge

critical reasoning and analysis

case presentations based on case reports and unseenstandardised case presentations

You also take an in-course open book essay with a focuson professionalism/team working/ethics.

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Stage 3 - Enhancing Clinical Practice

Throughout the course your clinical progress will bemonitored by review of your portfolio data, supported byreflective logs, self-review and personal developmentplanning.

Teaching and assessment

Study at the cutting edgeThe Dental School has research labs conductingcutting-edge research at the highest international standards.This cutting-edge knowledge feeds into your undergraduatedegree, giving you the latest knowledge in the field.

Teaching methodsBenefit from teaching from expert staff, including holders ofnational teaching fellowships and distinguished scientistawards

Teaching is by a combination of:

• lectures and seminars• laboratory demonstrations (including closed-circuit TV)• practical laboratory work• clinical demonstrations

Assessment methodsFormal assessment during the first two years takes the formof examinations in December and at the end of each year.

You also undergo continuous assessment in the form ofessays and projects, which allows for feedback on yourprogress.

Assessment of clinical skills is carried out on a continuousbasis, with careful feedback so that you can constantlyimprove your performance and continue to learn

Find out moreVisit our Teaching & Learning pages to read about theoutstanding learning experience available to all students atNewcastle University.

Careers

Dental Hygiene and TherapycareersIf you successfully complete this degree, you will be qualifiedto begin working as a dental hygienist therapist.

Being a dental hygienist therapist is a rewarding career thathelps people take care of their oral health and avoid disease.

Duties include:

• evaluating the dental and medical history of patients andplanning their care

• providing preventative oral care• non-surgical management of periodontal (gum) disease• managing plaque-related diseases

• extracting deciduous teeth and restoration of teeth• taking impressions and radiographs• the application to teeth and gums of certain medicaments

such as fluoride and fissure sealants• teaching of oral hygiene methods• providing advice on diet and smoking cessation• scaling and polishing

Please note: to practise in the UK, dental hygienisttherapists are required to enter their names in the Registerfor Dental Hygienist Therapists, which is kept by theRegistrar of the General Dental Council. There is aregistration fee and annual retention fee for this registration.

What our graduates go on to do:employment and further studychoicesSee what our recent graduates went on to do and viewgraduate destinations statistics. These statistics are basedon what graduates were doing on a specific date,approximately six months after graduation. Take a look atthe most recent data available for our graduates.

The destination data is available in varying levels, beginningwith the University and moving through Faculty and Schooldown to individual course reports. This final level may giveyou some useful ideas about possible options after yourcourse or a course you are considering.

Careers and employability atNewcastleNewcastle University consistently has one of the bestrecords for graduate employment in the UK.

96% of our 2017 UK-domiciled UG/PG graduatesprogressed to employment or further study within sixmonths of graduating.

85.5% of our graduates are in graduate level employment orfurther study within six months of graduating.

We provide an extensive range of opportunities to allstudents through an initiative called ncl+. This enables youto develop personal, employability and enterprise skills andto give you the edge in the employment market after yougraduate.

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest andbest in the country, and we have strong links withemployers.

Fees & Funding

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Tuition Fees (UK students)

2020 entry:£9,250For programmes where you can spend a year on a workplacement or studying abroad, you will receive asignificant fee reduction for that year.Some of our degrees involve additional costs which arenot covered by your tuition fees.Please note:The maximum fee that we are permitted to charge for UKstudents is set by the UK government.As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee toincrease in each subsequent academic year of yourcourse, subject to government regulations on feeincreases and in line with inflation.See more information on all aspects of studentfinance relating to Newcastle University.

Tuition Fees (EU students)

2020 entry:£9,250 You will pay the same tuition fees as UK studentsfor the duration of your course.For programmes where you can spend a year on a workplacement or studying abroad, you will receive asignificant fee reduction for that year.Some of our degrees involve additional costs which arenot covered by your tuition fees.Please note:As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee toincrease in each subsequent academic year of yourcourse, subject to government regulations on feeincreases and in line with inflation.See more information on all aspects of studentfinance relating to Newcastle University.

Tuition Fees (International students)

2020 entry*:£36,400 *Please note: You will be charged tuition fees for eachyear of your degree programme. Please note that thetuition fee amount you will pay may increase slightlyyear on year as a result of inflation.See more information relating to all aspects of studentfinance at Newcastle University.

Scholarships and Financial Support (UK and EUstudents)

You may be eligible for one of a range of NewcastleUniversity Scholarships in addition to government financialsupport.Newcastle University ScholarshipsGovernment financial support

Scholarships and Financial Support (UK and EUstudents)

The course is not NHS funded, so NHS bursaries are notcurrently available.

Scholarships and Financial Support(International students)

You may be eligible for an International Family Discount(IFD).

Apply

Applying to Newcastle Universitythrough UCASTo apply for undergraduate study at Newcastle you mustuse the online application system managed by theUniversities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

UCAS codes for Newcastle University

• institution name - NEWC• institution code - N21

UCAS buzzwordAsk your teacher or adviser from your school or college forthe UCAS buzzword. You need the buzzword when youregister on the Apply system. This makes it clear whichschool or college you are applying from.

All UK schools and colleges and a small number of EU andinternational establishments are registered with UCAS.

If you are applying independently, or are applying from aschool or college which is not registered to manageapplications, you will still use the Apply system. You will notneed a buzzword.

Making your applicationOn the UCAS website you can also find out more about:

• application deadlines and other important dates• offers and tracking your application

Application decisions and enquiriesFind out more about our admissions process and who tocontact if you need help with your application.