DHTF Adult Patient Examination within the scope of a Dental Therapist and Hygienist (SOWEB120226)

Speaker Biography - Fiona Sandom 

Fiona began her career in dentistry as a Dental Nurse in 1990, qualified as a Dental Hygienist from Manchester Dental Hospital in 1993 and as a Dental Therapist in 1999 from Liverpool University Dental Hospital, in 2013 gained her MSc in Medical Education from Cardiff University, and her Doctorate in Health Service Research from Bangor University in 2023.

She currently works part-time in a busy NHS Practice, as DPSU Lead and North Wales Regional Lead for Health Education and Improvement Wales.

She is an Education Associate for the GDC and a past President and Chair of the British Association of Dental Therapists, where she represented the Association on the change to the Human Medicines Regulations for Dental Therapists and Dental Hygienists the use of exemptions in medicines legislation by dental hygienists and dental therapists across the United Kingdom.

She has been fortunate to work as a dental therapist in practice, in the hospital, the community dental service, and in personal dental service, and has an interest in treating anxious patients with Inhalation Sedation and at Bangor University where she was responsible for the developing, commissioning and implementation of the Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy Programmes.

She has been awarded two Oral and Dental Research Trust DCP Awards. Fiona is a Fellow of the Faculty of Dental Trainers of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and of the College of General Dentistry, sits on the “Dental Update” Editorial Board, Clinical Advisory Board Member for Agilio, Dental Lead for Festival Medical Services and a member of the Tubules Foundation. Most recently, she was awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 for her outstanding services to dental therapy and the NHS in Wales.

Webinar Information 

We will be using mentimeter during the webinar so please have your phone as a second device ready to be able to participate with the online poll/questions. 

*Webinar delivered via MS Teams, joining instructions will be sent to you at least 24 hours before the course starts. *Please log in early to check Link/IT. Sign in using your Deanery/Maxcourse registered name - it helps us to confirm your attendance. Course starts at 18:30 and finishes at 20:00. Please contact the organising Tutor Georgina Worsfold georgina-sarah.worsfold@nhs.net with any questions prior to the webinar. *PLEASE CHECK YOUR JUNK FOLDER FOR THE WEB LINK, PARTICULARLY IF YOU HAVE A HOTMAIL ACCOUNT.

Recommended: Dental Therapist & Dental Hygienist

To understand the requirements to undertake a comprehensive clinical dental examination within the scope of a dental therapist and a hygienist

Review the scope of practice (SoP) of a DT & DH

Revise how to obtain, interpret, and record an accurate medical, dental and social history

Establish how to perform a comprehensive extra-oral and intra-oral examination that is suitable for the patient, including special investigations.

Discuss the assessment of skeletal, dental, and occlusal relationships in permanent dentition accurately, hard and soft tissue developmental abnormalities

Revise distinguishing between dental and periodontal health and disease, and identify conditions which may require investigation, treatment, or onward referral.

Explore how to identify the location, extent and activity of tooth surface loss and caries, and plan for appropriate management ·

Deliberate conditions which may require investigation, treatment or onward referral

Determine areas out of SoP and refer back to the dentist if necessary

Discuss the management of a ‘pain’ patient

Comprehend the scope of practice of a DT & DH

Demonstrate how to obtain, interpret, and record an accurate medical, dental and social history

Be able to perform a comprehensive extra-oral and intra-oral examination that is suitable for the patient, including special investigations.

Explain the assessment of skeletal, dental, and occlusal relationships in permanent dentition accurately, hard and soft tissue developmental abnormalities

Be able to distinguish between dental and periodontal health and disease, and identify conditions which may require investigation, treatment or onward referral.

Be able to identify the location, extent and activity of tooth surface loss and caries, and plan for appropriate management

Consider conditions which may require investigation, treatment or onward referral

Be able to identify areas out of SoP and refer back to the dentist if necessary

Be able to undertake the management of a ‘pain’ patient