To further strengthen the integration between Dentistry and Dental Hygiene and Therapy, the BSc Dental Hygiene and Therapy recently underwent a review. The newly named Bachelor in Dental Therapy (BDT) will commence in September 2025. The course content, delivery and entry requirements have not changed significantly, however, the course is now more aligned in terms of its structure with the Bachelor Dental Surgery (BDS).

Our Dental Hygiene and Therapy degree will enable you to become a skilled, competent clinician, capable of providing high levels of clinical care and patient management. As a student Dental Therapist, you will have your own designated clinics, in addition to being taught alongside our dental students this integrated teaching enhances student learning and patient care.

Officially opened in September 2023, Bristol Dental School will be located in a £36 million purpose-designed Dental School. You will have exclusive access to cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art facilities and experienced dental professionals. We are ranked 3rd in the UK for Dentistry (Complete University Guide Subject Rankings 2025), with outstanding results for our research in the Research Excellence Framework 2021.

You will be taught pre-clinical and clinical skills in brand new training facilities, working and training alongside dental undergraduates and dental nurses and learning through a team approach to patient care. You will benefit from a variety of teaching methods that will help you to develop the confidence to deliver tailored advice and carry out preventative and restorative treatments.

Learn in the heart of the city in a welcoming and supportive environment, providing routine and specialist clinical dental services.

 

Once qualified you can register as a Dental Therapist and Dental Hygienist with the General Dental Council (GDC) and work in a variety of settings, including general dental practice, salaried dental services, specialist practices, hospitals and industry.

You will be a vital part of any dental team, able to work collaboratively and provide primary dental care and oral healthcare advice to a wide range of patients.

In your first year, you will attend intensive academic lectures and seminars alongside practical teaching. You will be taught pre-clinical subjects including anatomy and physiology and will be introduced to teaching in oral and systemic diseases. You will commence clinical practice in Term 2 of Year One and at the end of Year One you will be competent in treating a range of patients under close supervision.

In the second year, you will undertake oral health promotion sessions to learn about the health needs of the local community. You will further develop your understanding of periodontal diseases and will commence preclinical training in restorative techniques. You will attend specialist oral medicine and orthodontic placements, and by the end of your second year, you will be treating both adult and paediatric patients alongside dental students.

In your third year, you will be taught oral surgery techniques, and undertake extraction of primary teeth. You will work within the superbly equipped General Practice Unit alongside dental students and be competent and confident to deliver your full scope of clinical skills. You will also complete a 6000-word dissertation.

Studying here, you will have the chance to live and work in Bristol - a vibrant, diverse and multicultural city.

Studying dental hygiene and therapy means you will interact with people of all ages, social cultures and backgrounds and those with varying need, to really make a difference.

Bristol Dental School has been awarded a silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of its ongoing commitment to gender equity.