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
- Be taught in our Dental Academy, complete with the latest technology used in dental practices including 2 clinics with 44 dental treatment bays, 2 individual surgeries, a phantom head room, a new haptics suite, a decontamination suite, and radiography booths
- Build your experience working as part of a dental team, studying alongside dental therapy, dental nursing and dental students as well as qualified professionals
- Get out of the classroom to work with real patients, performing dental procedures and taking part in local community outreach projects
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.
When you graduate, you'll be qualified to work in areas such as:
- general dental practice
- hospital dental services
- the Armed Forces
- the NHS
- health promotion
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- dental hygienist
- oral health educator
- practice manager
- practice owner
You could also continue your studies or do research at postgraduate level.
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.
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.
