About Dental Hygiene in Trinity College Dublin

The dental hygienist works closely with other dental team members and healthcare professionals. Patients must first be examined by a dentist who will then indicate the treatment to be carried out by the dental hygienist. The dental hygienist focuses on preventative oral care for both children and adults, including those with special needs. Dental hygienists treat patients in the clinical setting to prevent or control periodontal (gum) disease and dental decay. They also engage in oral health promotional activities with individuals, targeted groups and other health care teams, providing advice and counselling in relation to diet and lifestyle habits such as smoking.

Dental Hygiene: The course for you?

If you have an interest in working in oral health, and particularly preventative oral health, then this course is right for you. You will need to be able to develop good patient care skills, so an empathetic personality and good communication skills are important. You need to be a good team player and show initiative to achieve the best for people in your care.

Career opportunities

The Diploma in Dental Hygiene conferred by Trinity entitles graduates to register immediately after graduation as a dental hygienist on the Register of the Irish Dental Council. This registration is mandatory for working as a dental hygienist in Ireland.

Most dental hygienists will work in general dental practices or within the public health service. The opportunity exists to teach or become involved in research. The opportunity to work abroad also exists but may require you to sit some local examinations in the country of choice. Further courses of study are available to dental hygienists, including the Diploma in Orthodontic Therapy.

Academic qualification equivalents

Grade XII Examination

• Higher Secondary Examination (HSC)
• Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) - All India Senior School Certificate Examination (AISSCE)
• Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) - Indian School Certificate Examination (ISC) Requirements

Minimum Matriculation:

• Overall average of 80% - 85% in six subjects on Grade XII or if student did not take 6 subjects in Grade XII, in five subjects on Grade XII and one (different) subject on Grade X.
• A language other than English, and Mathematics must be taken as a subject up to Grade X.

Subject requirements:

• Where there is a specific subject requirement for a specific programme, a minimum grade of 75% in that subject at Grade XII is required.

English language requirements (one of the below):

• IELTS:(academic version) 6.5 (no individual band below 6)
• TOEFL : Paper-based 570 (with a TWE score of 4.5)  Computer-based 233 (with a score of 4.5 in essay)  Internet-based 90 (with a written score of 21)
• PTE: Academic a minimum score of 63 (with no Communication Skills section score below 59)

Trinity College Dublin highlight

Trinity College Dublin Cost of Attendance

It is important for all hopefuls who want to attend Trinity to organise their finances well in advance. To help with this, the breakdown of the cost of living in Ireland for college students is as follows:

Tuition Fee

Fee for various courses available at the institute at different levels for the year 2021 is as compiled below.

Cost of Living

The average cost of living is 13,800 USD per annum and is affected majorly by the type of accommodation opted.