BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene and Therapy
Course Overview
The BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene and Therapy is a comprehensive programme blending theory and clinical practice. This qualification is ideal for individuals wishing to start a career in the clinical dental field as a Dental Care Professional (DCP).Dental Hygienists and Therapists are registered dental professionals who help patients maintain their oral health by preventing and treating periodontal disease and promoting good oral health practice. Dental Hygienists can undertake a wide range of activities within their scope of practice, including scaling, treating periodontal disease, oral health promotion and application of fissure sealants. Dental Therapists can undertake additional duties such as restorations in primary and permanent teeth, pulp treatments, and extractions of primary teeth. Upon completing this programme, you will be able to confidently treat and identify suitable cases within your scope of competency.
Teaching will be delivered using a blended approach, using face-to-face and dispersed teaching methods. Clinical placement is at the core of the programme’s delivery, through which you will gain competence in the clinical skills, communication, behaviours and confidence required to practise as a Dental Hygienist and Therapist, under the GDC’s Safe Practitioner framework requirements. The curriculum promotes critical thinking, teamwork and working independently.
Apart from the well-established, in academia, written assessments (exams, reports, etc.), this programme includes a broad range of contemporary types of assessment aiming at consolidating your learning. Examples of such assessments include direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS), integrated structured clinical examination (ISCE), and role plays.
The programme has been carefully planned to ensure that modules provide a scaffolded approach to learning, with earlier modules underpinning later ones and the contents of one module complementing another taught in the academic year. For example, after spending 90 hours in the second semester doing practical work in the dental manikins’ Dental Skills Laboratory simulating the clinical environment, you will enter the training placement environment working with patients.
Highlights
- Consolidation of safe clinical practice principles in accordance with the Safe Practitioner Framework recently published by the GDC
- Comprehensive face-to-face teaching in the theory of clinical hygiene and therapy from a broad range of perspectives
- Training placement delivered by recognised clinicians in the field
- Contemporary types of assessment aiming at consolidating your learning; for example, integrated structured clinical examination (ISCE)
- Opportunities for personal and professional development in primary dental care
- Reflective practice through the self-appraisal of own levels of competency
- Create opportunities for behavioural and professional development in the combined fields of Dentistry and Oral Hygiene
- Gain a degree from the University of Greater Manchester, accredited by the British Government, whose degrees are recognised internationally
Key Features
- Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work at home and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
- This course is based at the University of Greater Manchester’s campus in the North West of England.
- We offer opportunities for you to undertake advanced research into a variety of subjects.
- Whenever possible, we'll support you to focus on projects that are directly linked to your personal interests and career development needs.
- Opportunities for progression after completing this degree include master's and PhD programmes.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North-West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes the University of Greater Manchester an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- 96 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
- 120 UCAS points
- Level 2 qualifications: You must possess at least five GCSE qualifications at grade C or above or at grades 4-9. These must include Mathematics, English Language and Science. We will consider resits in GCSE English Language or Maths. If you are studying different Level 2 qualifications (or an international equivalent), please contact us for details of our requirements or to discuss your eligibility.
- Level 3 qualifications: We accept a range of level 3 qualifications. For example, we require at least three A-levels with a minimum of grades BBB, including Biology at grade B or above. We do not accept A-levels in General Studies, Critical Thinking, Citizenship Studies or Global Perspectives. Alternatively, if you are studying the International Baccalaureate qualification, we require a minimum score of 32 points overall, and a minimum score of 5, 5, 5 in three Higher Level subjects, including Biology and preferably Chemistry. If you are studying different Level 3 qualifications (or an international equivalent), please contact us for details of our requirements or to discuss your eligibility.
- Dental Nursing qualifications: A National Certificate or Diploma in Dental Nursing will be considered in lieu of one A-level. However, it cannot be used to replace A-level Biology (or equivalent).
- Graduate qualifications: We are also happy to consider applications from graduates. We require a minimum of a lower second-class (2.2) honours in your Bachelor’s degree. We will consider graduate applicants from any discipline, provided you meet our minimum GCSE requirements. If you are studying an international equivalent, or possess alternative level 2 or level 3 qualifications, please contact us for details of our requirements or to discuss your eligibility.
- Work experience: If you have experience working in other dental team roles, we’ll be happy to consider your application, provided you can present evidence of satisfactory level 3 qualifications.
- English language requirements: If English isn’t your first language, you will also need IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Interview process: You’ll be required to attend an interview and undertake a manual dexterity test as part of the application process. The interview is structured and aims to assess a candidate’s characteristics suited to Dentistry: integrity, honesty, flexibility, motivation, commitment, empathy, communication skills, insight, the ability to be a team player, the ability to deal with stress appropriately, problem-solving skills and the ability to reflect. The personal attributes assessed at interview consider the abilities needed in a Dental Therapist and Hygienist as set out in the Standards for Dental Professionals GDC(UK).
- Additional criteria: Upon admission to the programme, you will be required to provide evidence of Hepatitis B immunisation, and non-infectivity for Hepatitis B and C, and HIV.
- Some work placements involved in this course involve unsupervised access to children and/or vulnerable adults, also known as regulated activity. If you’ll be undertaking a placement that involves regulated activity you’ll have to get an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) beforehand. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University's Fitness to Practice declaration.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
The BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene and Therapy from the University of Greater Manchester is recognised globally as a stamp of professional achievement, and such qualifications are used worldwide by many countries as the benchmark standard for clinical practice. As a graduate, you will be able to apply to register with the General Dental Council (GDC) as a Dental Hygienist and Therapist and start your clinical profession journey.
What can I do with this qualification?
Additionally, dental science has a rich history of academic development. As a graduate, you may progress to MSc postgraduate courses and PhD research programmes. Possible postgraduate study options can support progression into clinical dentistry, research or teaching.
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Examples of possible careers include:
- Teaching and education
- Research and development
- Sales
- Clinical dental technology
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
| Year of study | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Year | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | |
| 2025-26 | £9,535 | £9,535 | £9,535 | - | £28,605 |
| 2026-27 | - | ||||
International Fees
| Year of study | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Year | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | |
| 2025-26 | £17,500 | £17,500 | £17,500 | - | £52,500 |
| 2026-27 | - | ||||
Important note regarding tuition fees: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
International Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
Partner Organisation Applicants
Option currently unavailable.
Teaching & Assessment
Our team of academic and professional staff will use a variety of teaching and learning strategies to help you gain and develop appropriate concepts, knowledge and skills. You can expect lectures, seminars, practical classes in the dental manikin and skills laboratory, training placement, workshops and tutorials.
Practical skills will be developed through a scaffolded approach, starting with simulation (Phantom Heads) to establish safe clinical practice before moving on to working with patients in the dental clinic. Students are supervised and supported during all clinical activity by registered dental professionals.
It's important to realise that the time spent with a tutor (or clinical supervisor) during formally scheduled activities is only a small part of the learning time identified for a module. We'll also expect you to spend significant time in guided independent study, such as general background reading, preparing for seminar activities and working on assignments. We're committed to supporting you throughout your learning journey and achieving your goals. Over time, our guidance will purposefully become less structured and prescriptive. This will encourage you to develop confidence and independence in your studies and take responsibility for managing your own learning time as you increase in professional autonomy.
The assessment strategy for the programme is designed to help you achieve the overall aims of the curriculum, as well as the learning outcomes for individual modules. As well as assessing your achievement, it helps to organise and develop your learning. Assessment feedback can help you build your skills and an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.
The types of assessment you'll be required to complete fall into two general categories: formative and summative. Formative assessments help in learning and developing knowledge and skills. Summative assessments, on which grades are allocated, reflect the quality of the learning that has been achieved. Formative assessment will take place via tutorial discussion, clinical assessment during training placement, group workshops including peer and tutor review, and guidance on work in progress. Formative feedback will be provided face-to-face via discussion, online or in written form. Summative assessments consist of both practical and applied theoretical work. These will include a range of assessments, including group activities (role plays), professional discussions, ISCEs, DOPS, Vivas, reports, written exams, portfolios of clinical cases, Power Point presentations and a Dissertation.
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
