Program Overview

BSc (Hons) Enhanced Dental Nursing Practice

Overview

The BSc in Enhanced Dental Nursing Practice is delivered in partnership with Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust. It aims to develop academic and clinical training to enable dental nurses to move into different career pathways within dentistry and other healthcare provisions. The degree covers all aspects and supports developing the learner to move into non-clinical roles such as leadership or quality or to continue down specialist pathways.

Why Dental Nursing Practice at LSBU?

• Working with our highly experienced dental teams allowing you to experience the real-world work environment.
• Dedicated facilities for simulation training laboratories at our Central London sites offering highly realistic virtual reality training.
• Access to patients in year one.
• A range of clinic placements within the current place of work, and training /teaching will be within the Hospital Setting.
• LSBU Health and Social Care graduates are the second highest paid amongst all London Modern university graduates, and the sixth highest in the UK one year after graduating (DfE LEO data 2022).
• Students on this course could be eligible to receive a non-repayable amount of up to £11,000 per academic year with the NHS Learning Support Fund.

Mode, Duration, and Start Date

• Mode: Part-time
• Duration: 4 years
• Start date: September

Location

• Guys & St Thomas Hospital

Entry Level Requirements

• Academic criteria requirements:
  • English Level 2 (Functional skills/GCSE/Equivalent)
  • Maths Level 2 (Functional skills/GCSE/Equivalent)
  • Dental Nursing Level 3 qualification
• Non-academic requirements:
  • 2 years qualified dental nursing experience and they need to be registered as a Dental Nurse on the General Dental Council Register

Fees

• Tuition fees for home students: £
• Tuition fees for international students: £ (Note: The international fee for this course shows as "£0" because this course is not open to international students.)

Course Content

Year 1 (Core Module)

• Reflective Practice and Professional Behaviours (40 Credits)
  • This module will develop skills and support the student to become a reflective practitioner.
• Oral Health Education (40 Credits)
  • Oral health education is the process of disseminating knowledge of oral health to patients/ clients from diverse backgrounds and communities.
• Restorative Practice (40 Credits)
  • This module will provide the Dental Nurse with the foundations needed to support the development of knowledge, skills and understanding required to take patients dental records.

Year 2

• Research Methods in Context in Dentistry (Core) (20 Credits)
  • This module supports students to evaluate the impact of research in context and its role in providing excellence in dental nursing care and delivery.
• Quality & Governance in Dentistry (Core) (20 Credits)
  • This module will provide the students with the skills and knowledge required to be able to understand and implement a quality service.
• Conscious Sedation Nursing in Dentistry (Optional) (20 Credits)
  • This module will provide students with the knowledge skills and experience to support the use of conscious sedation within the dental setting.
• Health Psychology in Dentistry (Optional) (20 Credits)
  • This module will explore the psychological and behavioural processes that influence the delivery of oral health care.
• Implant Nursing in Dentistry (Optional) (20 Credits)
  • This module has been developed to support students to develop the essential skills required to effectively support clinicians in implant dentistry.
• Special Care Nursing in Dentistry (Optional) (20 Credits)
  • This module supports the student to develop the skills and understanding to deliver oral care for people with diverse and additional needs.

Year 3

• Leadership and Management (Core) (20 Credits)
  • This module will provide the students with skills and knowledge required to be able to understand the difference between leadership and management.
• Oral Cancer (Core) (20 Credits)
  • This module will provide students with a critical understanding of signs and symptoms of oral cancer.
• Radiography Nursing in Dentistry (Optional) (20 Credits)
  • On successful completion of this module the student will be qualified to work as an operator under IR(ME)R having received a prescription from dentist in order to take patients' intra- and extra-oral radiographs safely.
• Health Psychology in Dentistry (Optional) (20 Credits)
  • This module will explore the psychological and behavioural processes that influence the delivery of oral health care.
• Implant Nursing in Dentistry (Optional) (20 Credits)
  • This module has been developed to support students to develop the essential skills required to effectively support clinicians in implant dentistry.
• Special Care Nursing in Dentistry (Optional) (20 Credits)
  • This module supports the student to develop the skills and understanding to deliver oral care for people with diverse and additional needs.

Year 4

• Research and Evidenced Based Practice in Dentistry (Core) (40 Credits)
  • This module has been developed to enhance existing knowledge and understanding of the importance of research in dentistry and dental nursing practice.
• Change Management in Dentistry (Core) (40 Credits)
  • This module will provide the Dental Nurse with skills and knowledge required to be able to undertake change management in their departments.
• Service Development and Quality Improvement in Dentistry (Core) (40 Credits)
  • The module will bring together the learning of all modules to look at a quality or service improvement project the student will undertake to show their learning.

Careers

• On completion you will be able to practice as a dental nurse with enhanced skills in the chosen area of specialism, such as implant nursing, sedation nursing or special care nursing in dentistry.
• You will also be able to go into leadership and management where you will be able to support clinical areas or lead your practice to support staff and patients.
• Other pathways are research or infection control where you will be able to evaluate, teach, audit and implement changes in dentistry.

Teaching and Assessment

• The course is taught with a variety of lectures, group work, tutorials, workshops, practical sessions and virtual learning, using our clinical dental environment, specialist laboratories and radiology department.
• Independent study makes up a great proportion of this course with some modules requiring the student to undertake independent learning activities.
• You will need to ensure that they have an agreement, commitment and support from their employer before applying for the degree.
• You will be assigned a personal tutor who will support you during the duration of your degree.