New Dental Nursing Modern Apprenticeship

To ensure all new trainees meet the updated professional standards required for registration

11 August, 2025 / indepth
Scottish Dental

Two nurses stand either side of a patient in a dental chair.

Scotland has launched a refreshed Modern Apprenticeship (MA) in Dental Nursing at SCQF Level 7, aligned with the General Dental Council’s (GDC’s) Safe Practitioner Framework (SPF). This is a critical milestone for the dental sector that ensures all new trainee dental nurses in Scotland from meet the updated professional standards required for registration.

Background

The GDC’s Safe Practitioner Framework consists of learning outcomes and behaviours specific to the scope of practice of each professional group and enables education providers to prepare new dental professionals for the sector they are joining.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) and Professional Development Award (PDA) in Dental Nursing are the approved dental nurse qualifications that lead to registration with the GDC and these will formulate the Modern Apprenticeship in Dental Nursing.

Over the past eight months I’ve met some incredible individuals who are unbelievably passionate about dental nursing…

Shellie Montgomery, Apprenticeship Development Manager at SDS

The launch of the SPF triggered a review of the existing National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Dental Nurses. The standards are used across all four nations within the United Kingdom. They describe the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to do a particular job to a nationally recognised level of competence and form the basis of SVQ qualifications and training programmes.

The NOS Strategy 2022 aims to refine and modernise NOS and ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness in creating a skilled workforce, for now and the future. The standards underpin all apprenticeships and vocational qualifications in Scotland.

The Modern Apprenticeship in Dental Nursing is awarded by Skills Development Scotland (SDS). Modern Apprenticeships offer those aged over 16 in paid employment the opportunity to train and work towards a vocational qualification.

Trainee dental nurses undertaking the Modern Apprenticeship in Dental Nursing undertake the SVQ and PDA in Dental Nursing qualifications. In addition, trainees evidence the five SQA Core Skills Units as they progress through the Modern Apprenticeship programme:

Communication
Working with others
Problem solving
Information and communication technology
Numeracy.

Industry-backed and future-focused review

Skills for Health (SfH) was commissioned to review and update the Dental Nursing NOS and SVQ in Dental Nursing, while SDS led the review of the MA in Dental Nursing framework.

To progress these reviews, a UK NOS Steering Group and a Scottish Technical Expert Group (TEG) was created and chaired by Caroline Taylor, Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean (NHS Education for Scotland).

SDS also conducted a dental nurse apprentice survey in October 2024 which captured feedback from 81 trainee dental nurses across Scotland. The data gathered informed the revised standards and supported the development of a new meta-skills profile for dental nursing.

Collaboration at the core

The Scottish TEG had a broad cross-section representation of the Scottish dental workforce, including employers, dental nurse training providers, SQA, regulators, professional bodies and a trade union. The group met virtually over a six-month period to ensure national reach and inclusion. This group also formulated a ‘Scottish Voice’ in the UK-wide review of the NOS.

Employers and key stakeholders from across the dental sector have helped to identify the key knowledge, skills, and behaviours that trainee dental nurses need to develop. Consultations were also conducted to allow wider review and feedback from the profession and stakeholders.

More than 100 responses were received during consultation on the Dental Nursing NOS and 66 responses for the review of the MA and SVQ in Dental Nursing qualifications. This wide engagement provided strong endorsement for the new framework, with 96% supporting the updated SVQ structure and 100% agreeing that the PDA in Dental Nursing should be mandatory within the dental nursing apprenticeship framework.

The dental nursing workforce across the UK is predominantly female. As part of the review and towards creating a sustainable future workforce, the TEG also considered opportunities and a commitment to widening participation and reducing gender imbalance.

Caroline Taylor, Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean at NHS Education for Scotland, said “The launch of the Safe Practitioner Framework presented an exciting opportunity to contribute to the review of dental nurse training qualifications.

“Collaborative efforts have ensured that the qualifications for trainee dental nurses in Scotland are not only fit for purpose but support positive learning experiences, enabling the future workforce to make a valued contribution in the provision of high-quality safe and effective patient care.”

Key enhancements and outcomes

The NOS for Dental Nursing and SVQ and PDA in Dental Nursing qualifications have been updated and are fully aligned to SPF. The qualifications are ready for delivery by SQA approved training providers from August 2025. This meets the GDC timelines set for implementation for all education and training providers of pre-registration training programmes.

A new unit has been created for the SVQ: ‘Maintain personal and professional practice for dental care professionals’. The unit aims to introduce trainees to the professional standards of conduct, performance and ethics and the regulatory requirements that govern dental professionals and to use reflection and feedback to maintain personal and professional development.

Following a sector consultation, Workplace Core Skills have been embedded into the SVQ in Dental Nursing to enable trainees to achieve these through ‘naturally occurring activities’ and removing unnecessary barriers to success (e.g. Communication at SCQF Level 5, Numeracy at Level 3).

The SDS Apprenticeship Approval Group (AAG) formally approved the new MA in Dental Nursing framework in June 2025, describing it as “a wonderful example of system-wide collaboration”.
Angela Watkins, Quality Assurance Manager at the GDC, said: “It has been great to see such a collaborative approach to this work from across the wide range of stakeholders. It has helped the GDC understand and manage the Safe Practitioner Framework implementation efficiently and with a better understanding of the changes being implemented to achieve the Safe Practitioner Framework.”

Shellie Montgomery, Apprenticeship Development Manager at SDS said: “Created in collaboration with industry, Scottish apprenticeships help employers build a skilled and diverse workforce. Designed by employers, apprenticeships foster innovation, economic growth, and new opportunities.

“Over the past eight months I’ve met some incredible individuals who are unbelievably passionate about dental nursing, and have given so much of their time, expertise and knowledge to redesign the apprenticeship.”

All new trainee dental nurses embarking upon their pre-registration training from 1 August 2025 will undertake these revised qualifications. There are several training providers across Scotland who provide dental nurse training and the Modern Apprenticeship in dental nursing and further information can be found below: