| The award | How you will study | Study duration | Course start | Domestic course fees | International course fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSc (Hons) | Full-time | 3 years | September | GBP 0 per year | GBP 0 per year |
Overview
Dental hygienists treat and prevent oral diseases. They support people in maintaining their oral health by providing treatments and advice designed to improve the health of the mouth, teeth and gums.
If you want a career as a dental hygienist, this BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene degree course is for you.
Studying in our Dental Academy, you’ll get the skills and knowledge for registration with the General Dental Council (GDC), which is essential for practicing as a dental hygienist.
Course highlights
Careers and opportunities
As the title suggests, dental hygienists help patients keep their teeth clean, but there's much more to the role than this alone.
Dental hygienists provide treatments, carry out procedures and give dietary and oral hygiene advice to maintain a healthy mouth, teeth and gums. Patients are often referred to dental hygienists by dentists, although many opt to see a hygienist regularly themselves.
Dental hygienists are needed in both the NHS and within private healthcare. Once you graduate you'll be ready to take your skills into areas such as general dental practice, hospital dental services or the Armed Forces, so you'll have great employment prospects as you embark on your dental career.
Looking to study dental hygiene and learn how to carry out additional procedures such as fillings and extractions? Take a look at our BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy degree.
What areas can you work in with a dental hygiene degree?
When you graduate, you'll be qualified to work in areas such as:
What jobs can you do with a dental hygiene degree?
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
You could also continue your studies or do research at postgraduate level.
Potential salary
As an NHS dental hygienist in 2021, you could expect a Band 5 starting salary of £25,655, moving up to £31,534.
With more experience, you could earn from £32,306 to £39,027 (Band 6) and with a role training, you could make up to £45,839 (Band 7).
In the private sector, dental hygienists make from £16.56 to £31.18 an hour.
Ongoing careers support
After you graduate, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability Service as you advance in your career.
Work experience with patients in the community
To help you gain professional experience, you'll help to provide free dental health services to the public at the Dental Academy and work with patients in local community settings.
You'll have the chance to offer preventative and educational dental support within institutions such as school clinics and hostels for homeless people, enabling you to gain a better understanding of the social impact of good dental care.
Our community work experience projects include:
https://www.port.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-and-student-finance
120-128 points from 3 A levels, or equivalent, including 40 points from a pure Science subject. For A levels which include a separate science practical component, a pass is desirable and may strengthen an application.
All shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview in support of their application.
Applicants must pass Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Occupational Health checks before starting the course. This includes screening to exclude infectivity with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.
English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 7.0 with no component score below 6.5.
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Consider a Foundation or Pathway course at University of Portsmouth to prepare for your chosen course:
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course then consider one of these courses from another institution:
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