About Dental Nursing in Trinity College Dublin

The dental nurse plays an important role in the organisation and management of the dental practice, assists the dentist in all aspects of patient treatment and plays a vital role in patient care. The main duties of a dental nurse include infection prevention and control, chair-side assistance, preparation and maintenance of the dental surgery and patient care.

This course gives you the skills and practical competence needed to work in a dental surgery. You will learn about the day-to-day running of a dental practice and acquire the qualifications for entry to the Dental Council Voluntary Register of Dental Nurses.

Dental Nursing: The course for you?

If you have an interest in working as part of a dental team in the delivery of oral healthcare and have a caring and understanding disposition, this may be the course for you. Skills required of students considering dental nursing include communication and organisation skills, the ability to use initiative, and the ability and willingness to work closely with the dental team in providing support and assistance during the provision of dental treatment. The dental nurse may also be involved with the administration of the dental surgery.

Through the course, you will be able to develop good patient skills and learn to communicate effectively in a healthcare environment.

Dental Nursing at Trinity

This two-year course is based in the Dublin Dental University Hospital beside Trinity’s campus. Clinical facilities are of a very high standard and class sizes are small, so that students receive considerable staff input into their progress throughout the programme. The course is very practical throughout, allowing students to progressively develop practical clinical skills. Graduates of the Trinity School of Dental Science and Dublin Dental University Hospital (DDUH) are highly sought after due to the extensive clinical exposure obtained during this programme.

Career opportunities

As a graduate of Dental Nursing, you will be able to find work in a variety of working environments, including dental hospitals and Health Service Executive dental clinics, as well as in general and specialist dental practices. Depending on the work setting, advancement in the field may include senior dental nurse, clinic nurse manager, practice manager, marketing representatives for relevant companies, dental nurse tutor, course co-ordinator, , and the area of health promotion.

Further courses of study are available to dental nurses, 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.