Introduction Dental hygienists and therapists are highly skilled professionals who are able to work in all divisions of dentistry. These Dental Care Professionals (DCPs) require impeccable communication skills combined with a sympathetic and caring nature. Their role combines education, prevention and clinical treatment. School of Dental Hygiene & Therapy Prospectus January 2014 The Diploma in Dental Hygiene and Therapy provided by King s College NHS Trust is a full time course taking two and a half year to complete (Monday Friday 9.00am 5.30pm inclusive). Students during the course are based at the King s College site Denmark Hill, St Thomas Hospital (Wesminster) and various community clinics. Our current intake for this course is 30 students per annum. Programme Structure Our aim is to produce caring, knowledgeable, competent and skilful professionals, who are able to accept professional responsibility for their contribution to the effective and safe care of patients. These professionals will appreciate the need for continuing professional development and apply advances in relevant knowledge throughout their career. The programme is constantly reviewed thus aspects could be subject to change. The course follows the guidelines set by the General Dental Council Learning Outcomes. School of Dental Hygiene & Therapy 3 rd Floor Dental Extension Dental Institute Caldecot Road SE5 9RS Tel: 0203 299 5214 For further information email: Kings.dht@nhs.net 1st Year (consists of three terms) This year focuses on both theoretical & clinical subjects to commence safe clinical practice. Lectures generally take place in your year cohort, and clinical skills courses take place in small assigned groups. The Clinical Hygiene Skills Courses commences January and continues on to beginning of July with the expectations of treating patients at the end of the module. The Adult Restorative Skills Course commences May and continues on to the January of the following year. All clinical courses consist of assessments and exams which must be passed prior to seeing patients. This first year is very challenging and examinations must be passed before you can move on to the operative treatment of patients. The end of year one consists of a formal written examination and OSCE which must be passed to continue into year two.
In this year all sessions will take place at the Denmark Hill campus. 2nd Year (consists of three terms) During this time you continue to develop your clinical skills in the classroom for the Adult & Child restorative disciplines with the aim to commence patient activity in February and April. Clinical practice will be continuous in all disciplines on the Denmark Hill site, St Thomas Hospital and Community Clinics. This continues until the end of the final year. Each student must complete a compulsory 6,000 word research project and presentation at the end of the year. Lectures on theoretical learning will continue as you are taught about the application of clinical sciences. 3rd Year (consists of two terms) Clinical skills are continually developed over the six-month period of the final year and exam preparation. Topics are consolidated to provide an holistic approach to patient care. The year is structured to ease your transition into the working environment. This period will end with a formal examination that will include the presentation of patients for whom you have provided a full course of treatment, as well as written examinations. Examining Body The diplomas are awarded separately by the Royal College of Surgeons (Eng). To be eligible to obtain the Dental Therapy Diploma, the Diploma in Dental Hygiene must be passed successfully. The course consists of continuous internal in-course assessments and compulsory examinations outlined by the Royal College of Surgeons. ALL examinations must be completed and passed successfully to be eligible for the finals examinations. http://www.fgdp.org.uk/ Teaching Style The curriculum (outlined by the General Dental Council) integrates the teaching of basic sciences with clinical care of patients, so that patient care is informed by scientific understanding. This is usually provided in the form of lectures, in which active discussion is encouraged. The course is academically and clinically intense and your progress will be continuously assessed throughout the programme. Certain examinations within the programme must be passed in order to proceed. You will have access to patients early on in the programme. Active supervision and teaching is provided on the clinics. Continual observation of cross infection, clinical work and professional manner is undertaken to create clinicians approved by the GDC. Entry Requirements 1. ) You MUST meet the below criteria to be considered for the course. Unfortunately due to the high demand of applicants, if you do not meet the criteria you will not be short-listed for the course. 2. ) A minimum of 5 GCSEs (or O Levels) which must include the following: A Double Science award at Grade BB or above or a single Biology award at Grade B or above English Language at Grade B or above Three additional GCSEs in any subject at grade A C The two subject requirements stated above will not be applicable if the applicant holds these subjects at AS / A Level standard or equivalent.
In addition to the above, one of the following: A Dental Nursing Certificate (The National or NVQ Oral Health Care Level 3). A BTEC National Diploma. GNVQ (advanced) or NVQ level 3 or above in a science based subject. 2 A-levels at Grade C or above preference will be given to those with Biology based subject. Access to Science (or similar) with 60 credits at Level 3. International Baccalaureate Advanced Scottish Highers at C or above including Biology and English. Irish Leaving Certificates (higher) A degree. A COPY OF ALL CERTIFICATES & QUALIFICATIONS MUST BE INCLUDED IN YOUR APPLICATION. Overseas Qualifications: Please see attached sheet for EU/International qualifications. If you studied in another country, you MUST submit copies of certificates and transcripts with your application. Please detail your international qualifications with corresponding grades in your application and the UK equivalents this can be formally converted by NARIC. Copies of the NARIC conversion must be included in your application. http://www.naric.org.uk English Language Requirements To follow our programmes successfully, you must have a good command of English and be able to apply this in an academic environment. For those whose first language is not English you will be required to provide certified proof of competence in English before starting your studies. This must be completed in the form of an ACADEMIC IELTS with a score of 7 or above. http://www.ielts.org/ Selection Criteria 1. ) Applications: Applicants must fulfill the requirements listed. Personal statements must be handwritten and will be taken into account during short-listing. Copies of all documents pertaining to qualifications and achievements are to be included with the application form. Copies of all certificates requested have been included with the application form. 2.) Interviewing and Multiple Mini Interviews Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI s): Applicants will complete a circuit of 5 minute stations and will rotate from station to station. The MMI is similar to an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) used by the department, other schools and certifying bodies except that it is not 'clinical'. The stations will test: Communication skills Problem solving Critical thinking Ethical decision making Knowledge of health-care issues Maturity & self awareness Compassion NO OFFER IS MADE WITHOUT AN INTERVIEW Interviews will take place in July / August 2013 3.) Upon offer: An offer for a place on the course this will be subject to: Health Clearance completed by King s NHS Trust Occupational Health Department An Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Check Two satisfactory references
Financial Support This course is a Hospital Trust based programme and there are currently no course fees. The course is funded by NHS London, hence students are required to be self funding for the duration of the course. You will be expected to purchase course books and uniforms etc. As a student of the NHS Foundation Trust you may be entitled to a means tested bursary but not entitled to any student loans or additional funding. The School does not calculate the Bursary entitlement so we are unable to advise of eligibility to amount. By motorbike/moped There are a limited number of ground anchors available at the Denmark Hill site to chain motorbikes/moped to. By bike Cycle racks are provided outside the main entrance at Dulwich Hospital and at the Bessemer Road and Ruskin Wing entrances at King s, Denmark Hill. The hospital appears on the free London Cycle Guide No.10. You can order this map by calling 020 722 1234 (24 hours) or going to www.lcc.org.uk. Once successful applicants have been selected the School will forward their details to the Department of Health who will then commence the application process. http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/816.aspx Location & Travel Upon acceptance of the course students will be eligible for a student Oyster Card & Student Rail Travel. Bus The hospital is serviced by a number of buses. Those that stop outside the hospital include: 35, 40, 42, 45, 68, 176, 185, 345, 468, 484 and P15 as well as the night buses N35, N68 and N176. New low-floor easy access buses run on the 42, 45, 68, 345 and 468 routes. By rail The nearest rail station to the hospital is Denmark Hill Station, with regular direct rail links to central London at Blackfriars, London Bridge and Victoria, as well as to principal places in south east London such as Bromley South, Catford, Lewisham and Peckham Rye. The hospital is about 5 minutes walk from Denmark Hill Station. Loughborough Junction Station (Thameslink services to London Blackfriars via Elephant and Castle) is approximately 12 minutes walk away. By car Car parking spaces are not available to students. The closing date for applying is Thursday 28 th March 2013. Please return your completed application form, by the Thursday 28 th March 2013 to: Administration Office Department of Hygiene & Therapy Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Dental Institute 3 rd Floor Dental Extension Caldecot Road London SE5 9RW
The Remit of the Dental Hygienist Dental Hygienists are registered dental professionals who help patients maintain their oral health by preventing and treating dental disease and promoting good oral health practice. They carry out all treatment under prescription from a dentist. Dental Hygienists: Plan the delivery of care for patients to improve and maintain their periodontal health Obtain a detailed dental history from patients and evaluate their medical history Complete periodontal examination and charting and use indices to screen and monitor periodontal disease Provide preventive oral care to patients and liaise with dentists over the treatment of caries, periodontal disease and tooth wear Undertake supra-gingival and sub-gingival scaling and root debridement using manual and powered instruments Use appropriate anti-microbial therapy to manage plaque related diseases Adjust restored surfaces in relation to periodontal treatment Place rubber dam Apply topical treatments and fissure sealants Give patients advice on how to stop smoking Take, process and interpret various radiographic film views used in general dental practice Give infiltration and interior dental block analgesia Place temporary dressings and re-cement crowns with temporary cement Take impressions Identify anatomical features, recognise abnormalities and interpret common pathology, and carry out oral cancer screening If necessary, refer patients to other healthcare professionals Carry out domiciliary visits unaccompanied by a registered dentist Treat patients under conscious sedation (provided the dentist remains in the room) Administering inhalational sedation Removing sutures after the woundhas been checked by a dentist Dental hygienists do not diagnose disease restore teeth carry out pulp treatments adjust unrestored surfaces extract teeth As these skills are reserved to dental therapists and dentists. They do not undertake any of the skill areasdescribed later in this document asbeing reserved to dental technicians, clinical dental technicians or dentists. Additional skills a dental hygienist might develop during their career include tooth whitening to the prescription of a dentist Prescribing radiographs
The Remit of the Dental Therapist Dental therapists are registered dental professionals who carry out certain items of dental treatment under prescription from a dentist. Dental therapy covers the same areas as dental hygiene, but dental therapists also carry out direct restorations on permanent and primary teeth carry out pulpotomies on primaryteeth extract primary teeth place pre-formed crowns on primary teeth plan the delivery of a patient s care Additional skills which dental therapists could develop during their careers include administering inhalational sedation varying the detail of a prescription but not the direction of a prescription prescribing radiographs carrying out tooth whitening to the prescription of a dentist removing sutures after the wound has been checked by a dentist Dental therapists do not carry out a patient s initial diagnosis or take overall responsibility for planning a patient s treatment. They do not undertake any of the skill areas described in the rest of this document as being within the roles of the dental technician, clinical dental technician or dentist.