Dental Hygiene

Dental hygiene is a clinical healthcare profession dedicated to the prevention and treatment of oral disease. Dental hygienists work with patients to improve and maintain the health of their teeth and gums, providing treatments such as professional cleaning, scaling and root planing, alongside personalised advice about diet, oral hygiene practices and the prevention of conditions including tooth decay and gum disease. As the evidence base linking oral health to systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes continues to strengthen, the public health importance of dental hygiene practice is increasingly well recognised.

At the University of Portsmouth, this three-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, which is an unusual and distinctive feature in a clinical programme, providing the opportunity to engage with dental hygiene practice and oral health in a different cultural and healthcare context. You will develop thorough clinical knowledge of oral anatomy and physiology, periodontology, cariology, preventive dentistry and the pharmacology relevant to dental hygiene practice. Clinical placements are central to the programme, giving you supervised practice with real patients in dental settings and developing the manual skills, patient communication and professional judgement that the role demands.

You will learn to conduct patient assessments, develop and implement preventive care plans, carry out clinical procedures safely and effectively, and support patients in understanding and improving their oral health. Communication, empathy and the ability to adapt your approach to different patients and clinical situations are developed alongside technical clinical competence.

On qualifying and registering with the General Dental Council, you will be able to work as a dental hygienist in NHS and private dental practices, community dental services and specialist settings. Career development can lead to specialist practice in periodontology, teaching, research and clinical leadership roles. Some graduates go on to further dental qualifications or postgraduate study in dental sciences or public health.