DipHE Dental Hygiene

Dental hygienists are registered dental professionals who help patients maintain their oral health by preventing and treating periodontal disease and promoting good oral health practice. Dental hygienists can undertake a wide range of activities within their scope of practice, including scaling and polishing, care delivery planning, oral health promotion and application of topical fluoride and fissure sealants.

This exciting new programme will provide you with the knowledge and skills to successfully graduate as a registered dental hygienist as recognised by the General Dental Council. Dental hygienists can continue to develop their practice after registration. It is possible to specialise in patient groups such as the older person or those with additional needs. Many hygienists continue to become dental therapists, or diversify into education or other related fields such as orthodontics. The opportunities and choices are wide ranging and offer a rewarding career with many options for supported development.

You will gain practical experience through diverse clinical placements in a range of primary and secondary care settings across North Wales, including dental practices and hospital wards. Efforts will be made to locate you in a placement close to your term time address, however there is an expectation of a willingness to travel should the placement require it.

Placements will be conducted across the academic year alongside the taught components of the programme. Throughout these placements you will receive mentorship from trained supervisors. You will also be given increased responsibility and independence as your clinical skills, knowledge and experiences grow.

You will be taught in an interprofessional environment alongside students from nursing, radiography, midwifery, and physiotherapy. In these interprofessional modules you will learn topics that are common across a range of heath sectors, giving a broad understanding of how healthcare is integrated across a range of professional domains.

The programme is led by dedicated dental hygiene tutors within the School of Medical and Health Sciences. You will have access to a state-of-the-art phantom head facility, lecture theatres and IT infrastructure.

Tuition Fees Covered

If you are considered a home UK student for tuition fees who can commit to working in Wales for two years after graduating, you could get your tuition fees covered in full through the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme and claim for a £1,000 bursary contribution towards living costs. You can also apply for the means tested bursary that is dependent on household income and other funding that has eligibility criteria for childcare support, dependents allowance and parental learner allowance. You can also apply for the income-based maintenance funding and a reduced rate loan from Student Finance.

Full details are available on our NHS funding page.

Flexibility in where and how you study

Many of the taught components of the course are delivered via a blended learning approach which allows some elements to be accessed online, both when being delivered live and as on demand online resources. This theoretical elements of this course are taught at the Bangor campus.

Elements of the course can be available through the medium of Welsh and you’ll be supported to access the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol incentives. For more information on the School's bilingual provision click here.

Student IT Bursary

Bangor University in partnership with HEIW will ensure that access to technology is not a barrier for suitably qualified applicants wanting to pursue a career in healthcare. Under this scheme applicants to this course are eligible for a £400 bursary (terms and conditions apply) to support the purchase of a computer if they are resident in one of the lowest 20% (areas 1-382) of the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation. You can see if your postcode qualifies you on the Welsh Government's website.