Dentistry reported that the University of Lincoln has been awarded £1.5 million in funding to launch new dental hygiene and therapy courses starting next year.
From 2026, the university will open the Lincolnshire Institute of Dental and Oral Health, aiming to enrol around 30 students in its first year. This significant funding will facilitate the redevelopment of existing facilities, transforming them into bespoke clinical teaching spaces equipped with cutting-edge digital and simulation technology.
The institute will offer a new BSc in Dental Hygiene and Therapy, as well as a foundation course specifically designed to upskill dental nurses and other healthcare professionals. This initiative is particularly crucial for Lincolnshire, which currently faces some of the worst NHS dental care access in the UK.
Call for increased training places
This new initiative comes at a crucial time, as the Dental Schools Council is actively advocating for an increase in training places for dentistry and dental hygiene to ensure the long-term sustainability of NHS dentistry. Their argument highlights a "critical shortfall" in meeting the UK's dental needs, exacerbated by growing regional disparities in access to care. To address this, their report recommends a government commitment to expanding UK training places across dentistry, dental hygiene, and dental therapy, alongside reforms to the NHS dental contract, improved retention incentives, clearer career progression paths, and a more strategic, targeted distribution of training places to underrepresented regions.
While the article effectively highlights key public health messages, it’s also important to recognise the invaluable role that Dental Nurses play in delivering that care. Dental nurses are often the first point of reassurance for patients, contribute significantly to infection control, chairside support, and patient education and yet, many continue to feel underpaid and undervalued within the profession.
As conversations around oral health grow, there is a real opportunity to champion not only prevention but also the people who make it possible. Recognising the skill, professionalism, and dedication of dental nurses is key to sustaining a strong, motivated dental workforce and ensuring the highest quality care for patients.
Everyone at Skills4Dental hopes future discussions will continue to include the perspectives and needs of the entire dental team.
You can read the full article from Dentistry here.