PDA Recording Patient Assessment for Dental Care Professionals SCQF level 8

Professional Development Awards (PDAs) extend or broaden professional or vocational skills and are linked to National Occupational Standards.

The PDA in Recording Dental Patient Assessment at SCQF level 8 covers measuring and recording plaque indices in relation to oral health assessment, oral health education, and producing a range of intra- and extra-oral clinical dental photographs to the required standard and to the prescription of a dentist.

It also includes taking dental impressions for the purposes of working or study models, responding to emergency support procedures for common medical emergencies, and self-evaluation and reflection to inform self-development.

This qualification is available through colleges, training providers and some employers. It has been designed to be delivered as a taught course and will normally be available as a combination of workshops and self-directed study.

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The PDA in Recording Dental Patient Assessment at SCQF level 8 has been developed in partnership with oral health care experts from Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSD Scotland) so it is suitable for the sector.

It will help employers meet skills gaps and provide continuing professional development for staff, while learners will gain knowledge and skills needed for progression in the workplace.

The unit-based structure aids timetable flexibility. Units are typically 40 hours of learning and they can be delivered on a full-time or part-time basis.

This PDA provides progression routes to further study (see Progression). 

The target audience is experienced dental nurses who are registered with the regulatory body — the General Dental Council (GDC) — and who are seeking to extend their clinical duties within their professional scope of practice and to contribute towards their continued professional development.

Where appropriate, other GDC-registered Dental Care Professional (DCP) groups (for example, orthodontic therapists and dental technicians) may also wish to undertake an HN unit to extend their clinical duties within their professional scope of practice, or for the purposes of continued professional development.

Access

Entry is at the discretion of the centre.

Learners must be registered with the GDC as a Dental Care Professional. The learner must be working in a dental environment with the opportunity to gain regular experience in supporting and recording oral health assessment.

Learners undertaking this PDA must also be disclosed under Disclosure Scotland (2020).

Learners would have the opportunity of progressing to other PDAs in the oral health care sector or to the HND in Dental Nursing.

Centres interested in offering this qualification must come forward for approval and should contact Qualifications Scotland’s Business Development Team for guidance. 

Assessors and verifiers must be able to meet Qualifications Scotland’s general requirements for technical and/or occupational competence as outlined in the Systems and Qualification Approval Guide. The specific delivery requirements are set out in the assessment strategy.

Each unit specification gives detailed information on the evidence requirements and approaches to assessment for the unit.

Group award code: GTEB 48 (16 SCQF credit points)

Structure

The PDA in Recording Dental Patient Assessment at SCQF level 8 consists of 1 mandatory unit and 3 optional units. To achieve the award, learners must complete 1 mandatory unit and 1 optional unit from a choice of 3.