Welcome to the School of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy at Eastman Dental Hospital, we are a training provider for the next generation of dental hygienists and dental therapists, offering a dynamic learning environment within one of the UK’s leading dental hospitals.
All treatment within our department is delivered by trainee dental hygienists and dental therapists who are undertaking their clinical education as part of their professional qualification. These trainees work under the close supervision of qualified dental professionals and educators, ensuring that every patient receives safe, high-quality care while contributing to the development of future dental practitioners.
Our department works exclusively with internal referrals from dental specialists within Eastman Dental Hospital. We do not accept external referrals, including those from general dental practices or outside providers.
We are committed to advancing dental education, supporting our hospital’s clinical teams and delivering excellent patient care through supervised training.
Dental hygienists are receiving training to:
Provide dental hygiene care to a wide range of patients, including children and adults.
- Conduct clinical examinations and obtain detailed dental, social and medical histories.
- Perform periodontal ‘gum’ assessments and charting, using indices to monitor disease progression.
- Diagnose and treatment plan within their scope of competence.
- Prescribe and interpret radiographs (dental xrays) within their scope of practice
- Deliver preventive care, including:
- Supragingival (above gum) and subgingival (below gum) treatment.
- Application of topical treatments and fissure sealants.
- Smoking cessation advice.
- Oral cancer screening.
- Diet advice
- Tooth wear advice
- Care for dental implants and peri-implant tissues.
- Administer local anaesthetic.
- Place temporary fillings and re-cement crowns.
- Take impressions and clinical photographs.
- Refer patients to other healthcare professionals when necessary.
- Maintain accurate and contemporaneous patient records.
Holistic and patient-centred care
Dental hygienists are expected to adopt a holistic approach, considering the patient’s overall health, lifestyle and psychological wellbeing. This includes:
- Promoting good oral hygiene practices tailored to individual needs.
- Supporting behavioural change (e.g., smoking cessation).
- Liaising with other dental and health professionals (as sometimes students may need to contact the patient GP/medical team)
- Educating patients on the links between oral and general health.
Dental therapists are receiving training to:
- Provide dental care for children and adults, with a focus on prevention and restorative treatment.
- Conduct clinical examinations and obtain detailed dental and medical histories.
- Perform periodontal ‘gum’ assessments and charting, using indices to monitor disease progression.
- Tooth decay management in adults with filling materials
- Tooth decay management in children with filling materials and stainless crown children crowns.
- Removal of baby teeth
- Dental nerve treatment on children teeth
- Diagnose and treatment plan within their scope of competence.
- Prescribe and interpret radiographs (dental xrays)
- Deliver preventive care, including:
- Supragingival (above gum) and subgingival (below gum) treatment.
- Application of topical treatments and fissure sealants.
- Smoking cessation advice.
- Oral cancer screening.
- Diet advice
- Tooth wear advice
- Care for dental implants and peri-implant tissues.
- Administer local anaesthetic.
- Place temporary fillings and re-cement crowns.
- Take impressions and clinical photographs.
- Refer patients to other healthcare professionals when necessary.
- Maintain accurate and contemporaneous patient records.
Holistic and patient-centred care
Dental therapists are expected to adopt a holistic approach, considering the patient’s overall health, lifestyle and psychological wellbeing. This includes:
- Promoting good oral hygiene practices tailored to individual needs.
- Supporting behavioural change (e.g., smoking cessation).
- Liaising with other dental and health professionals (as sometimes students may need to contact the patient GP/medical team
- Educating patients on the links between oral and general health.
While we aim to provide exceptional care, the nature of our educational setting may lead to extended appointment times and limited scheduling options. We ask for your continued understanding and adaptability.
For further information please read the attached document.
The most common reason for patients to be referred to our service is periodontal ‘gum’ disease. Please find below patient information on gum disease and methods of treatment with their risks and benefits.
The most common reasons for patients to be referred to our service is offering good home care advice, diet advice, preventative treatments and tooth decay treatments.
When we are ready to offer you an appointment, a student will contact you directly. Please note that this may appear on your phone as a ‘withheld number’ or ‘no caller ID’. While we understand that rescheduling may sometimes be unavoidable, maintaining your allocated appointment time helps us maintain high standards of care and minimise delays.
If you do need to change an appointment, please email us at uclh.enquiries.restorativedentistry@nhs.net
Please include your full name, date of birth and hospital number in the message.