Oral Health Practitioner Apprenticeship

This Apprenticeship is aimed at Qualified and Registered Dental Nurses working in a clinical dental setting. Your core responsibilities will be to work autonomously and directly with patients performing a range of oral health preventative procedures health. The role will support other dental professional, working to the direction of a dentist.

Topics include:

• Care are of the Individual
• Communication & Behaviour Change
• Clinical Practice
• Community Based Oral Health
• Professional Development

Apprentices will need to be working towards and achieve the following job role requirements before their end point assessment:

• Follow legalisation, standards, policies and protocols.
• Produce an oral health promotion display/exhibition
• Carry out oral health education session to patients and groups
• Apply topical fluoride varnish to a range of patients in the clinical setting under the prescription of a dentist
• Take dental bacterial plaque indices and food debris scores in the mouths of individuals
• Safely and effectively take clinical photos and dental impressions in patients’ mouths
• Undertake general health screening including taking a blood pressure reading and finger-prick blood tests
• Complete an Enhanced CPD PDP

Choose this Apprenticeship if you have a passion for patient care and want to learn and understand the principles of a dental nurse. You need to be flexible and adaptable, and have patience, understanding, and great communication skills.

Next steps: On completion you could progress directly into the workplace as a dental nurse. Alternatively, you may choose to go on to university level education to study for a career in dental hygiene or therapy.

Every employer is different and therefore the entry requirements can vary. As a guide you ideally need GCSE grade 4 or above in English and Maths and in some cases ICT.

If you are 19 or over, functional skills are not required unless requested by the apprentice’s employer.

However, we will work with you and provide additional support in order to help you achieve the functional skills element or GCSE requirements of the Apprenticeship. Support can be delivered either prior to your Apprenticeship or during the delivery of your programme.

You need patience, understanding, a strong desire to work with people and good communication skills. You will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for your  employer. Inline with the GDC requirements, your employer will ask you to have a course of Hep B Vaccinations.

The Hele Building was renovation in 2021 to support some of the new T Levels. Complete bright, large classrooms, state-of-the-art IT suites and interactive seminar spaces. Learners have access to cutting edge equipment to help gear them to move directly into industry or further study.

All students have access to the College Learning Resource Centres (LRCs), the College restaurant @34 and the College Gym.

You will be required to wear a uniform as part of your job role and there may be resources that you will be required to purchase.