To further strengthen the integration between Dentistry and Dental Hygiene and Therapy, the BSc Dental Hygiene and Therapy recently underwent a review; the School now offers applicants the option of applying for the Bachelor of Dental Hygiene or Bachelor of Dental Therapy. 

The newly named Bachelor of Dental Hygiene (BDH) will commence in September 2026. 

Our Dental Hygiene 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 Hygienist, 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 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 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.

The Bachelor of Dental Hygiene has 3 units, one unit each year, with 4 themes in each unit. Year 1 introduces the fundamentals of biomedical sciences relevant to the Dental Hygienist. Once competent in the pre-clinical setting students begin patient care under supervision (Year 1 term 2), which includes understanding pain and anxiety control. Each patient session is entered into a Complete eAssessment Framework System (CAFS), with supervisor feedback, allowing for reflection and development. Critical Appraisal is introduced.

Year 2 provides opportunities to continue patient care, building on the periodontal skills acquired in year one. Patient care is delivered across a number of clinical settings, which develops knowledge and understanding of treatment modalities in both paediatric and adult patients. Personal and Professional Development builds upon knowledge gained in year one to enhance the personal and professional attributes required of a safe practitioner. Students complete an Evidence Based Summary.

The final year of the programme provides students the opportunity to consolidate underpinning knowledge to practice safely and competently using skills and clinical knowledge to diagnose, treatment plan, and treat adults and children within their scope of practice. Lectures and tutorials reduce allowing for a strong focus on clinical skills and completion of a Dissertation. From Term 2 Students undertake a clinical placement under supervision to consolidate clinical practice and complete the theoretical knowledge and clinical requirements needed to graduate.

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.