Conscious Sedation for Dentistry (Taught)

Course summary

If you are an experienced dentist looking to expand your clinical expertise, a qualification in conscious sedation should be top of your list. On this 1-year part-time course, you'll gain the practical and theoretical knowledge you need to carry out conscious sedation in your practice, which is a highly sought-after dental skill. You'll learn practical skills at the University of Portsmouth Dental Academy – a training provider accredited by the Sedation Training Accreditation Committee (STAC) – and at the clinical facilities of our partner provider, Solent NHS Trust Special Care Dental Services. Both training centres feature the latest specialist equipment to help you explore dental sedation techniques safely under expert supervision. When you complete the course, you'll be able to offer conscious sedation as an alternative route to treatment for your dental patients, progress to a career in special care dentistry, or pursue further study in this specialised field. Please note that you'll need to provide your NHS Performer Number as part of the application process. What you'll experience On this course, you'll:

Learn how to provide safe and effective conscious sedation across many dental settings, including primary care, secondary care, and special care services

Explore the practical and theoretical sides of a range of conscious sedation techniques

Experience a mix of supervised clinical practice sessions, distance learning and face-to-face learning

Be taught by expert clinical supervisors and guest lecturers with postgraduate qualifications in conscious sedation

Use specialist sedation equipment at our STAC-accredited Dental Academy and Solent NHS Trust Special Care Dental Services

Gain valuable skills applicable to many healthcare settings, including airway assessment and management, IV cannulation, patient monitoring, and recognition of complications

Careers and opportunities Many patients are anxious or even phobic about receiving dental treatment. Conscious sedation techniques, such as inhalation or intravenous therapies, enable these patients to get the treatment they need safely, with confidence and without the need for general anaesthesia. Despite this, there are relatively few dentists qualified to carry out conscious sedation, making this a valuable skill to add to your clinical expertise. Once you graduate, you'll be able to expand your practice to patients needing extra reassurance before treatment, or to pursue a career in special care dentistry. You could also go on to further study at Master's, DClinDent or PhD level.

Modules

Year 1 Core modules in this year include: Medical Sciences and Techniques Related to Conscious Sedation – 30 credits Supervised Clinical Experience – 30 credits There are no optional modules in this year.

Assessment method

You'll be assessed through: short note questions single best answer (SBA) papers observation of procedural skills records of experience reflective logs set exercises You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

How to apply

International applicants

International applicants not accepted.

Entry requirements

Bachelor degree dentistry. Successful applicants must hold full registration with the General Dental Council and have appropriate professional indemnity in place. All applicants will be invited to attend an interview. The post is subject to an enhanced DBS check and occupational health clearance.

English language requirements

Test	Grade	Additional details
IELTS (Academic)	7	English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 7.0 with no component score below 6.5.
PTE Academic	68	An overall score of 68 with a minimum of 61 in each skill.
TOEFL (iBT)	100	100 with a minimum of 24 in Reading, 23 in Listening, 25 in Speaking and 24 in Writing
Cambridge English Advanced		Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 185 with no component score less than 176.
Cambridge English Proficiency		Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 185 with no component score less than 176.
Trinity ISE		Trinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England	£5600	Year 1
Northern Ireland	£5600	Year 1
Scotland	£5600	Year 1
Wales	£5600	Year 1
Channel Islands	£5600	Year 1
Republic of Ireland	£5600	Year 1

Additional fee information

Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice. Fees may also go up in later years, in line with inflation.