RSPH (Ofqual) Regulated Level 4 Diploma Oral Health Practitioner

The Oral Health Practitioner qualification, now open to every registered dental nurse in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) Level 4 Diploma for Oral Health Practitioners is for registered dental nurses who want to take on the full Oral Health Practitioner role and gain a nationally recognised Level 4 diploma. Until now, most dental nurses have only been able to work towards this qualification through an apprenticeship, which is only available to those who meet the apprenticeship funding requirements. Not everyone is eligible for a funded place, so we now offer it as a privately funded course, open to any registered dental nurse.

Eligible for apprenticeship funding? We are also applying to deliver the apprenticeship route, so that dental nurses (England only) who qualify for funding will have this option with us too.

The diploma brings together the clinical skills that make up the role, including impression-taking or scanning, clinical photography, plaque indices, debris scoring, fluoride varnish application and oral health education. It also trains you in general health screening such as blood pressure checks, supporting patients to change their habits, and planning oral health sessions for individuals and groups. You will complete your clinical work in practice under the supervision of a registered clinician, building a portfolio that evidences your competence alongside completing three online examinations.

• A nationally recognised diploma: Ofqual-regulated Level 4 Diploma awarded by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).

• Strengthen your hygiene and therapy application: Add a nationally recognised Level 4 diploma to your application, alongside your dental nursing qualification.

• One qualification, the full role: Impression-taking or scanning, clinical photography, plaque indices, debris scoring, fluoride varnish application, oral health education and health screening, all in a single course.

• Finish sooner than the apprenticeship: There is no minimum programme length, so you can complete the diploma sooner than the apprenticeship, which typically runs for 14 months plus an assessment period.

• Exams when you’re ready: Examinations are completed once you are ready, rather than on set dates throughout the year.

• Flexible online learning: Self-paced online study that fits around your work and home life, with your clinical work completed in practice.

• Supportive learning environment: Group classes with one-to-one sessions with a tutor available throughout the course.

• Open to dental nurses across the UK: Unlike the apprenticeship, which is only available in England, this diploma is open to registered dental nurses in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

• The same level as an HNC: Level 4 sits alongside a Higher National Certificate or the first year of a degree.

• Prompt marking and support: Work is marked within ten working days of submission.

• Mapped to the national standard: Covers the same content as the Level 4 Oral Health Practitioner apprenticeship.