Am considering a dental hygiene course as a mature student...advice please

Hi everyone. I am considering studying dental hygiene and therapy in next couple years. I'm currently working in the NHS as a programme support and communications officer and I'm not really enjoying it. I went straight into work after A-Levels but I'm rethinking my life goals.

My mum is a dentist with her own practice and has said she'd like me to take over when she retires. Having experience in the NHS means I understand the system but I'm not clinical, so getting this degree would be helpful but also give me some direction.

Only problem is none of my A-Levels were science based, and I got Cs in my science GCSEs and a dreaded D in maths. I've looked into becoming a qualified dental nurse which would boost my application, this will take a year and it will be a big pay cut. And I could take a science access course. I'd prefer to stay in London which means my options are Queen Mary's or Eastman Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy Programmes. Their requirements vary a bit.

Queen Mary's said they will accept a dental nursing diploma in lieu of one A-Level. They add 'A-Level grades AB including Biology are required in addition.' They will consider an access course on a case by case basis.

Eastman seems slightly more flexible. They will accept access courses in lieu of A-Levels and GCSEs if they are equivalent.

I've emailed both and essentially got replies repeating this information. Does anyone here have a similar background who have gotten on to a dental hygiene course? What path did you choose? How long did it take?

Sorry for my long post!

Hey have no idea! I am a sixth form student but one of my options is dental hygiene at QMUL too, I wish you the best of luck.

Are you sure you want to do this? Your mother may well want you to take over the practice but maybe it might be better when the time comes to sell it and maybe invest some money into something more suited to you career wise. What A levels did you do for eg?

I haven't actually decided yet but I'm very interested. My mum isn't pressuring me at all. Selling it would be a possibility but I don't think I want to do that. I want to be in health, and I think even if I didn't study dental hygiene I would still want to keep it going as a practice manager. I did History, Politics and Sociology.

Selling a practice, may give you a short term financial boost...but after factoring in equipment detoriation etc it's likely very little.

I think your path of training for a lucrative life long career is much better. Your mom probably also has enough financial support to offer you while at uni. Meaning your in a great position to take this life long step!

I went back to uni at 26 and now entering my 3rd year and haven't regretted it! I'm also in a semi secure financial position since my mom passed (had to care for her why i had to put off uni) and left me with enough monthly income from property to survive at uni relatively comfortably. You simply will make much more over a lifetime with proper educaton then you ever will liquidating a medical practice! And you'll make yourself and mum proud!

First thing then would be to spend time in your mums practice. You're in a great position to get WE and maybe do your dental nurse training there. From there I would make the decision what to do hext.

If I decide to do this training at my mum's practice is definitely the plan. Sorry what is WE?

Hi I was a dental nurse for 11years, I then went to do a access course to get into Queen Mary. It was a lot of hard work and it’s very competitive to get with them only taking 16 a year with hundreds of applicants and 300 interviews a year x

I left school with 0 qualifications, at the age of 27 I’m now going to university to study dental hygiene/ therapy. I firstly qualified as a dental nurse at 24 and have worked as one since, inbetween work I did an access course in science, I then went back and completed my English and maths GCSEs. I applied 2 years in a row and got in this year