Oral Health Education for dental care professionals

Overview

Developed in partnership with OHE Southwest, this flexible, online program will help you learn the communication skills needed to educate your patients about their oral health. The program leads to the nationally-recognised BDA Education Certificate in Oral Health Education, which qualifies you to work as an Oral Health Educator within your practice.

Watch our interview with Ana Tout, a previous BDA Oral Health Education student, about why she chose the BDA OHE program and how gaining the OHE qualification has benefited her and the team she works with.

Program eligibility

To be eligible for the program you must:

• Be GDC-registered
• Have the support of a GDC-registered dentist
• Have regular internet access and a computer with sound.

Program aims and objectives

The program covers the following topic areas:

• Diseases and conditions of the oral cavity
• Oral health target groups
• Delivering oral health messages
• Oral disease prevention
• Oral health and society.

Assessment

You will be required to complete 27 modules, 7 quizzes and a practise test over a period of 8 weeks. Students will then be expected to complete a Practical Portfolio consisting of 3 parts:

• Produce 2 detailed lesson plans for oral health sessions based on hypothetical patients
• Plan and deliver 6 oral health sessions to patients referred to you by your supervising dentist
• Plan, produce and evaluate a display for your workplace or other public place, such as a school, nursery or nursing home.

Students will need to sit an online examination. You will be awarded the BDA Education Certificate in Oral Health Education upon passing the final examination and passing the portfolio. Exams are held in March, September and November of each year.

The final exam must be taken on a PC or laptop with a built in or external webcam and microphone. A broadband internet connection will also be required. The computer can be a Windows machine or a Mac. The exam cannot be taken on a smartphone, tablet or Chrome book as they are not compatible with the exam software.

Learning materials and support

We will provide you with everything that you need, namely:

• The textbook: ‘Basic Guide to Oral Health Education’ by Ann Felton and Alison Chapman
• Revision notes, quizzes and mock examinations
• Links to resources to support your oral health education sessions
• A 7 week revision course to help you prepare for the final exam

Additionally, our dedicated teaching staff will email you every week with advice, and are available to answer your questions from the day you enrol until the day of your exam.

Contact us

ohe.support@bda.org
0207 563 4551