Apprenticeship training course
Oral health practitioner (level 4)
Performing a range of oral health preventive procedures which involve working in a patient's mouth.
- Qualification level
-
4
Equivalent to higher national certificate (HNC). - Typical duration
- 14 months
- Apprenticeship category
- Health and science
- Maximum funding
-
£9,000
Maximum amount government will fund
for apprenticeship training. - Also known as
-
- Community oral health educator
- Oral health ambassador
- Oral health champion
- Oral health improvement lead
- Oral health practitioner
- Skills
-
Skills an apprentice will learn
- Put patient’s interests first, maintaining a caring approach towards them.
- Treat people with dignity, respecting their choices, gaining valid consent for all treatments and respecting confidentiality.
- Work autonomously in people’s mouths to take dental bacterial plaque indices and food debris scores.
- Use a range of personal oral care tools.
- Autonomously plan practice sessions in the community.
- Prepare the clinical equipment and records for each session.
- Prepare and maintain a clinical environment, adhering to infection control and prevention.
- Prepare, mix and handle bio-materials.
- Take dental bacterial plaque indices and food debris scores in the mouth of individuals.
- Select preventative strategies that are appropriate to the individual and adapt appropriately for individuals with special requirements.
- Undertake general health screening including checking for diabetes, taking blood pressure readings and taking finger-prick blood for blood tests.
- Refer individuals to other services if necessary.
- Carry out intra and extra oral photography.
- Recognise and manage medical emergencies.
- Plan clinical preventative session.
- Deliver brief clinical preventative advice interventions to targeted groups.
- Encourage self-care and motivation.
- Provide oral and general systemic advice e.g. tobacco cessation or diet advice.
- Prepare, deliver and evaluate oral health messages to groups or individuals.
- Support individuals and groups to change their behaviour.
- Provide motivational interviews.
- Determine and implement strategies for improving oral health in the community.
- Communicate effectively with and about patients, their representatives and the dental team, and with carers, other healthcare workers or schoolteachers.
- Escalate any issues when they are outside your scope of practice.
- Handle complaints effectively and within GDC guidelines.
- Manage your own time, resources and personal behaviour.
- Be proactive in your own development, willing to commit to lifelong learning by use of a Personal Development Plan (PDP), personal reflection and continuous improvement.
Full information on Oral health practitioner (level 4) is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.
Find training providers for this course
Apprenticeship location
Salford, Greater Manchester Remove location