Dental team ready to fill training gap

A new £17m dental education and practice facility and sports therapy complex will officially open at Teesside University next April.

The Centuria South Building off Victoria Road, Middlesbrough, will provide a state-of-the-art teaching and learning environment for students in a range of subjects including sports therapy, dental nursing, dental hygiene/therapy and dental technology. A team of five teaching staff has already joined the University to prepare for the first cohorts of 12 dental nursing students and 12 dental therapy students, who will begin their studies next October. The team has nearly 80 years combined experience of working in dental practice, in the UK and abroad. Erica Clough, principal lecturer for dental care said: 'It’s really exciting to be developing the curriculums for these unique courses and we feel very honoured. The courses are something this area has been waiting for over a long time. They are meeting the needs of the community and closing the geographical gap in dental training that used to exist between Newcastle and Leeds.' Gail Milburn, senior lecturer in dental nursing and admissions tutor for dental care said: 'The profile of dental therapists has increased since 2002 when they were first allowed to work in practice; previously it was only in hospitals. Dental hygiene and therapy is a fantastic career, at the end of the course graduates have good job opportunities, in the UK’s communities and hospitals and also overseas. Graduates of the dental nurse course can also use their skills for career progression, to dental hygiene and therapy.'

Dental suite The dental suite will have 20 dental chairs and practice ‘phantom heads’ and an on-site dentist will also be recruited to examine, diagnose and treat patients. The dentist will refer patients to be treated by the students. Patients will be drawn from the local community and the University’s staff and students. Although the students won’t be enrolling until October 2010, the dental team is inviting their applications now. Dental hygiene and therapy students will achieve a BSc (Hons) degree in Dental Hygiene and Therapy after three years of full-time study and dental nursing students will be awarded a certificate of higher education following their one-year course. For more details contact Gail Milburn, Admissions tutor on 01642 342250 or email g.milburn@tees.ac.uk.

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