Healthcare Science Apprenticeship Pathways

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Clinical Dental Technicians (CDT) are General Dental Council (GDC) registered dental professionals who provide a complete dentures direct to patients and other dental devices such as partial dentures to the prescription of a dentist.   The CDT role fits between that of a dental technician and a dentist.  Like a dental technician, they are able to make dentures in a laboratory but, unlike a dental technician, they have direct contact with patients.  Like a dentist, they are able to work in the mouth, taking impressions for the edentulous(1), dentate or patient with implants.  However, they are not able to prescribe to patients who have teeth and therefore work to prescriptions from the dentist as required. The CDT examines, assesses, provides treatment, gives advice and designs, manufactures, modifies and repairs custom-made dental appliances. Working as part of the dental team, they refer endentulous patients to a dentist if they need a treatment plan or if there are oral health concerns.   Patients with natural teeth or implants must see a dentist before the CDT begins treatment.  

 The broad purpose of the occupation is to work as part of a continuing healthcare team which provide packages of on-going care that are arranged and funded solely by the NHS. The associate continuing healthcare practitioner plays a key role in the assessment of individual’s complex health and social care needs that have arisen as a result of disability, accident or illness, and the planning and commissioning of the services for these individuals. They also act as the first point of contact for individuals and their carers offering support, care and advice about the service and for young adults and their family who are transitioning from children’s continuing care into this adult continuing healthcare service. The associate continuing healthcare practitioner may be required to work shifts including evenings and weekends.