If you are a dental professional, by law, you must register with the General Dental Council to work in the UK.
Registers are held for dentists and Dental Care Professionals (dental nurses, dental hygienists, dental therapists, orthodontic therapists, dental technicians, and clinical dental technicians).
Once qualified, you are required to keep your skills and knowledge up to date through a programme of continuous professional development. You can also improve your career prospects by taking further qualifications in relevant subjects.
We are keen to assist you in accessing the education and training you need as part of your dental career pathway. It is recommended that potential students contact the training provider directly for further information. There are several organisations which can provide further information for DCPs and some of these are listed in these pages.
If you are already qualified and registered, there is information that will support you in fulfilling the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements ensuring you maintain your GDC registration. The website has an integral dental course management system which lists the CPD courses available to all dental team members.
Please visit our booking system MaxCourse
If you are interested in becoming a dental educator, you may find the information in this handbook produced by NHSE WT&E Yorkshire and Humber useful.
Dental Therapists
Dental Nurses
Dental Nurses are integral to an Oral Health Multidisciplinary Team.
NHS England Workforce, Training and Education Dental Directorate aim to support the development of confident and competent dental nurses to enable them to be part of the team that delivers excellent NHS dental Care and positively impacts patients’ health.
Starting your career as a dental nurse
For a trainee dental nurse there is no requirement for specific academic qualifications. To qualify an individual needs to undertake a course that is approved by the General Dental Council (GDC).
There are a number of providers that deliver these courses. In our region, there are opportunities to learn via apprenticeships based at the following academic centres:
Level 3 Dental Nurse Apprenticeship – Buckinghamshire College Group
Level 3 Dental Nurse Diploma – Buckinghamshire College Group
Dental Nurse – Level 3 Apprenticeship – SHCG | South Hampshire College Group
Level 3 Diploma in Dental Nursing – SHCG | South Hampshire College Group
Maintaining your registration as a dental nurse
To ensure knowledge is up to date, dental nurses must achieve 50 hours of verifiable Continuing Professional Development (CPD) within the 5-year-cycle. CPD courses are available across many platforms. The GDC recommend subjects such as Medical Emergencies, Infection Control, Radiation Protection, Safeguarding, and Complaints Handling.
NHS England Workforce, Training and Education Dental Directorate provide many of these and other relevant courses. These can be found on the course booking system, Maxcourse which is free to register. NHSE – Thames Valley and Wessex – Home
There is sometimes a cost but there are courses that are free to attend such as the ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions.
Career Progression
We provide a Dental Nurse Forum, which has regular FREE evening courses specifically for dental nurses, these are delivered either online or in person through the year. The forum has been set up to give dental nurses an ability to network and have support for wellbeing plus be empowered to progress and further their career.
In addition, we provide a range of educational opportunities that will enable you to upskill and/or deliver additional services in your role as a dental nurse.