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pathway to dental therapy and hygiene

I want to do something related to dentistry but not straight-up dentistry as the whole thing is competitive to get into, I need ucas/bmat, and the salary is similar to dental therapy and hygiene even though becoming a dental therapist seems much simpler. etc..., if you have studied or are currently studying dental therapy and hygiene, I want to learn from your personal experience please, as to what route did you take or are taking to become a dental therapist as there are lots of options out there, like studying Biomed science and specialising in dental therapy or taking the usual 3-year course of dental therapy and hygiene.

Reply 1

sima:)

okay thank you so much for your reply, I understand that dental nursing is a good place to start but very few universities near my area (planning to not move out) do dental nursing or even dental hygiene and therapy, would you consider any other pathways to become a dental therapist that involves going to university, also are you yourself a dentist or dental therapist etc?

Reply 2

sima:)

thank you so much for your reply and advice, so if I were to do a dental therapy and hygiene degree in university, would It still be necessary to do a dental nursing apprenticeship (18 months) alongside this or can i just do the degree at uni?
also thankyou for the link i looked it up and there are some available that also pay me to learn :smile:

, but I'm not sure whether to do both or only one, also there is another route I've heard which is to do a biomedical science degree, which many unis near me provide and i can get into, and then specialise in dental therapy and hygiene in that degree, what do you think of this? i was considering this because then i can overcome the issue of not many uni providing dental t and h near me because many provide the biomed degree.

Reply 3

sima:)

Thank you for your reply, currently I have stopped thinking about the dental nursing degree apprenticeship and I'm finally down to choosing between pharmacology and dental hygiene and therapy, the only thing putting me off pharmacology is how difficult the 5 years are but the work seems really relaxed and the pay is good, however for dental t and h the years of study is much simpler but the work isn't as relaxed and salary is better for pharmacology (this is all based off pure research and talking to others doing the degree and working, not facts or personal experience). I do biology, chemistry and health and social care (btec) and an epq for a level and some other work exprx etc but I'm not sure what to do

Reply 4

sima:)

thank you so much for all the effort you put into guiding me, I have thought more about going into pharmacy instead of pharmacology do due several reasons and I did weigh out the pros and cons as you mentioned and i feel pharmacy is more fit for me personally, I'm looking into universities at the moment and focusing on mock revision because i know entry requirements are very high. Again I sincerely appreciate the help, you have genuinely helped me begin my career pathway as i would have gone into something i wouldn't have enjoyed and regretted had you not informed me of the reality :smile:

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Reply 5

sima:)

thankyouu

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Reply 6

prasoondubey

(Original post by muffincakes12)I get you, but i think that is a good idea, it's good that you're speaking to people that have experience in the pharmacology field too. I do agree that for dental t&h the work isn't as relaxed due to face to face direct patient contact, you might have a list an of patients to see for different types of reasons such as filling, extraction of baby teeth, deep scale etc and you're working on the clock if you overrun an appointment you're pushing back time meaning you will be pushing the clinic back meaning that people (staff and patients)will be waiting on you to finish due to the overrun of the appointments and that is pressure, Also after each patient you see you have to write up what treatment you performed on the patient and this also has to be completed during or right after the patient's treatment, this is written in the patient's notes. That is one thing I have to say, but honestly i think you can do anything you put your mind to plus the fact that you have the btec qualification underneath your belt will give you more chances of uni will give you can offer. My advice to you is also to look into both job prospects in both fields and weigh out the pros and cons.I know with dental h & t you can progress into teaching hygiene and therapy undergraduates but of course, one must have a passion for teaching, and become a practice manager for a dental practice (to be honest in dental hygiene progression is quite limited but if you are happy with that then honestly go for it don't let it stop you, there are dental hygienist out there that are content with that and i think that is a good thing too, bare in mind you there are some things you can't do only if a dentist approves of it, there are some dental hygienist that goes onto study dentistry to become a dentist instead which is a five-year course but this is due to the personal choice of course).

Have a look at this as it's very handy and gives you a clear insight into the role of a dental therapist(page 8) and other roles in the dental field https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/scope-of-practice/scope-of-practice.pdf

(BTW dental therapist does do more than a dental hygienist but with the dental h & t course degree you would study both so once you qualify you would be registered as a therapist there are some degrees out there that are only dental hygiene overall dental hygienist clean teeth, do some perio charting too which is checking for the health of gums really but the link I've copied above will explain more in detail). I also wanted to mention that in the dental field, you'd only be working within dental and nothing else you have to ask yourself if you'd be okay with that in the long run hence the progression is quite varied and limited for people in dental.

As for pharmacology, there is more progression than in the someone working in the dental field (regardless of their dental job role) and in pharmacology, you can also get into different modalities if you'd like to try a different modality and job roles you can get into other than being a Pharmacist, you can work as a Toxicologist instead etc. Someone very close to me studied a pharmacology degree and they had rapid job progression, they are now the lead for a department in the pharmacology field which I think is great.

But I digress lol anyway I do stress and weigh out the pros and cons for both professions not in the now but in the long run, please.

Hi,

I really found this conversation very helpful and relatable because I am in the same boat. Due to lower grades, could not go for Denitry. I am in year 12 as of now and now contemplating between three career option i.e. BSc. (Dental Hygiene and Therapy) Vs Pharmacology vs Pharmacy.
To be honest, i am bit confused as to what would be more suiable for me.
here are my question which may help me get more insight and hence make up my mind...

Q1. After BSc. (Dental Hygiene and Therapy), would i be Dental hygienists or Dental therapists? what is the difference between the two; when i will have to decide weather i want to be Dental hygienists or Dental therapists? From Degree name (BSc Dental Hygiene and Therapy), I get the impression that i will study both can be either Dental hygienists or Dental therapists. Is it correct? I have gone through the PDF document (SCOPE OF PRACTICE) but its bit fluid.....to diferentiate between Dental hygienists or Dental therapists.
Also, what qualificaion is needed for Clinical dental technicians (CDTs) Vs Dental technicians. I suppose these are different career options?
Q2. Is there any document on URL i can refer to get more calrity on what are possible career option for a pharmacologist. As i said, i am bit uncertain and need guidence please.

Reply 7

prasoondubey

Original post by sima:)

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Hi,

As i mentioned above, i am bit uncertain between Pharmacy vs Pharmacology Vs BSc Oral Health (Dental Hygiene and Therapy).
It would be helpful to have your perspective please.