Dental Nursing
Dental nurses play a crucial role in the dental team, providing essential support to dentists and enhancing patient care.
Outstanding new facilities
Opened in 2023, our £36 million purpose-designed Dental School in Bristol City Centre, offers cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art facilities.
Ideal environment
Learn on designated clinics with integrated teaching alongside the dental students for enhanced student learning and patient care.
Supportive teaching
Our excellent staff-to-student ratio allows for high level clinical supervision, with staff able to provide support and guidance throughout.
Dental Nursing courses for 2027
Dental Nursing at Bristol
Our Cert HE Dental Nursing will enable you to become a skilled nurse, capable of providing high levels of clinical support and patient management. As a student dental nurse, you will complete an intensive placement assisting our Dental Students, Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy Undergraduates at Bristol Dental School. This integrated teaching enhances student learning and patient care.
In September 2023, Bristol Dental School opened its new £36 million, purpose-designed facility in Bristol City Centre. Designed to support the future of dental education and research, our School offers exclusive access to cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art clinical and teaching facilities, and a team of experienced dental professionals. We are proud to be ranked 3rd in the UK for Dentistry (Complete University Guide 2025 and The Times Good University Guide 2025) and to have achieved outstanding research results in the Research Excellence Framework 2021.
You will be taught pre-clinical and clinical skills in brand-new training facilities, working and training alongside all our dental, undergraduates – and learning through a team approach to patient care. You will benefit from a variety of teaching methods that will help you develop the confidence to support preventative and restorative treatments, as well as supporting oral surgery and urgent care.
Learn in the heart of the city in a welcoming and supportive environment, providing routine and specialist clinical dental services.
The tutors are always approachable and willing to help, whether it’s for academic guidance, practical skills, or personal development. The resources, teaching environment, and hands-on learning opportunities have all made a huge difference in my progress and confidence. I’ve always felt supported and encouraged to achieve my best.
Paige
Orthodontic Therapy, PG Diploma
Career prospects
The Cert HE Dental Nursing is a full-time intensive 1-year programme which equips students to work safely as a registered Dental Nurse.
The career prospects for qualified dental nurses are strong, with opportunities to gain employment in a number of areas such as general dental practice, specialist practice, community and hospital dental services.
Students will be eligible for guaranteed interview for Bachelor of Dental Hygiene for up to two years post-completion.
Course structures
The Cert HE Dental Nursing is an intensive 12-month programme, running from September to August. This start date allows provision of initial training and skills development ahead a clinical placement that starts later in September. The consistent clinical placement, supporting undergraduate dental and dental therapy clinics, allows students to develop their clinical skills at a good pace, alongside regular didactic teaching content, formative assessment and feedback each week. To provide sufficient clinical experience, the teaching terms for Dental Nursing students will be longer than terms for other undergraduate programmes in the School.
An introductory unit starts aims to prepare students for professional practice as a Dental Nurse within the clinical setting. This ensures that students are competent in essential procedures and able to work ethically and safely within the clinical placement that is at the heart of this programme. Two longitudinal units also start at the beginning of the programme and continue throughout the academic year; Clinical and Technical Practice and Development of Self and the Team. Time and experience on the clinical placement will allow students to meet clinical and professional learning outcomes as well as developing interpersonal and self-management skills. The final unit begins in January when students will have already developed an understanding of many aspects of dental nursing, meaning students will be able to integrate new knowledge of Oral Sciences into fully understanding the processes and treatments they support.
Welcoming community
Studying here, you will have the chance to live and work in Bristol - a vibrant, diverse and multicultural city.
Studying dental nursing means you will interact with people of all ages, social cultures and backgrounds and those with varying need, to really make a difference.
Bristol Dental School has been awarded a silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of its ongoing commitment to gender equity.