Looking back on ten years of integrated BSc (Hons) Dental Therapy and Hygiene teaching at Peninsula Dental School: prepared for practice?

Objectives September 2024 marked ten years of the three-year Peninsula Dental School (PDS) BSc (Hons) Dental Therapy and Hygiene (BSc DTH) programme. This course is currently oversubscribed and meets local population need by treating patients in the South West who do not have access to dental care. The aim of this report however, was to determine whether the PDS integrated Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)-DTH training model prepared graduates for delivering their full scope of practice within a modern dental workforce beyond dental school. Methods The professional and workplace outcomes of ten randomly selected alumni, and one current undergraduate, were captured by using unstructured written personal reflections. Here they have described their experiences of the PDS BSc (Hons) DTH undergraduate programme, and then their career pathways after dental school, linking these experiences together. Results PDS BSc (Hons) DTH graduates stated that they felt the course prepared them to enter primary care practice and use their full scope within the oral healthcare team, and that they also benefitted from dental therapy foundation training. Many were enthused to undertake further postgraduate training or enter into a BDS programme. Conclusions Combined graduate reflections over ten years suggest the PDS DTH-BDS integrated training model offers preparedness for dental therapists and dental hygienists to deliver direct access and their full scope of practice. Ten years of experience therefore suggests a sustained benefit of integrated training and in the workplace beyond dental school.