NEBDN OHE ( Oral Health Education )

Course review:

The Certificate in Oral Health Education is an additional qualification suitable for qualified dental nurses who are required to provide oral health advice to patients under the direction of a dentist.

Oral Health Education is concerned with influencing an individual's, or on a broader scale, a community's behavioural pattern, to maintain a mouth free from disease. Oral health is an essential component of overall health and as such is of vital importance in maintaining one's well being.

Aims

The Aim of this course is that, upon completion, dental nurses should be competent to offer appropriate dental health information to individuals and small groups.

• Develop knowledge of the provision of oral health education
• Develop academic and practical skills in relation to promoting oral health
• Experience and promote the role of oral health education in primary and secondary care environments
• Develop reflective skills to evaluate personal and professional growth
• Deepen personal and professional development

Eligibility

In order to undertake the qualification, a dental nurse must:

a) Be registered with the General Dental Council

b) Have the support of their employing dentist to act as supervisor and validate the workplace activities for the Record of Experience.

Course structure

The syllabus for the Certificate in Oral Health Education reflects the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for the provision of health education by a dental nurse in a relevant dental environment.

NEBDN continually monitors and reviews the structure of the qualification to ensure that it meets current educational requirements and the needs of the profession.

The application of knowledge in practical situations and the skills required are assessed through a Record of Experience. The theoretical knowledge is assessed through a written paper, an oral presentation and oral questions.

Practical training should be undertaken in the dental environment under the supervision of a dentist and recorded on log sheets in a Record of Experience.

Theoretical training should be undertaken by attendance on an NEBDN accredited course. The syllabus may be covered using lectures, seminars and practical simulation.

Units of Study

Students undertake all Units of Study:

• Planning for Health Promotion & Education- learning styles, planning, presenting, evaluation, assessment
• Communication Skills: Putting Theory into Practice- verbal and non-verbal, Social & Economic Aspects of Health- challenges and barriers relating to attitudes, class, gender, ethnicity, economics in relation to oral health
• Biological Aspects of Oral Health & Disease- knowledge of oral structures and diseases providing a deeper understanding of these aspects
• Provision of Oral Health Care in the UK- local and national issues relating to provision of care
• Disease Prevention, Health Education & Promotion
• Principles of Health Education- putting the messages across to the public
• Care of the Dependent Patient- provision of care within a residential unit
• Nutrition, Diet & Food Policy- policy documents, analysis of the effects of diet on oral and general health
• Oral Health & The Mass Media- impact of radio, television etc on oral health
• Oral Health & Special Needs- types, provision, challenges and barriers
• Oral Health: Theory into Practice- presenting short presentations on a specific area to a group of health professionals

Career pathways

There are many reasons to undertake the Postgraduate dental nursing course in Oral Health Education, some of them being;

• To be able to provide OHE to patients at your practice, or even to groups of people
• If you work within a Primary Health Care Trust you may be able to obtain a position as an Oral Health Educator
• Better job prospects. i.e. Private or specialised dentistry
• Commitment to Continuous Professional Development (CPD,) of which all dental nurses will need to provide evidence for with Statutory Registration
• Essential skills for the treatment/care co-ordinator role
• The Oral Health Education course will provide you with insight & skills associated in both becoming a tutor or a Dental Hygienist, and may prove to be a stepping stone into either of the courses

Course structure

This course is part-time over 12 months and commences each February and August.

Students are expected to attend one classroom session per month, and will be given a monthly-based research assignment to complete. To assist learning and reflection, class sizes are small, promoting effective student support, interaction and mentoring.

Course staff

We have highly experienced Tutors and qualified Oral health educators. The team of professionals who are themselves engaged in the provision of Dental nurse training and of oral health education and care.