Oral Science Degree

An Oral Science degree looks at all elements of the mouth and goes beyond what you would cover in other, related degrees and helps you to learn more about the whole of the human body as well.

What is an Oral Science degree?

An Oral Science degree mainly focuses on the science of the human body, specifically the mouth, teeth and tongue and everything that goes along with it.

Oral Sciences tends to focus more on the medical side of things and benefits people who wish to work in this sector. You will learn about different kinds of diseases that can affect the mouth, the different issues that can arise therein and will learn about how other parts of the human body can also have an effect on the mouth as well.

There is a general teaching of other Science subjects as well, such as Biology, which will inform how you approach the degree and how you learn. Areas such as Biomedical Sciences are also incorporated into the degree as well.

Some degrees may even allow students to operate on cadavers and live volunteers as well, though this does tend to be later in the degree when you have built up your skills a bit.

What can I do with an Oral Science degree?

There are a number of jobs that you can find with an Oral Science degree, as it operates in much the same way a Dentistry degree does.

The most obvious career that you can look into, is a career as a Dentist. A Dentist is someone who operates on people’s teeth and helps with everything from the a build-up of plaque to carrying out full procedures on those with gum diseases. As a Dentist, you also will be responsible for taking X-Rays, working with general Technicians and will have a wide array of clients, from children to the elderly.

Another career that you can follow is a career as a Dental Hygienist. A Dental Hygienist is someone who helps patients with the care required for their teeth. Sometimes, a Dental Hygienist will occasionally work alongside a Dentist, especially if they share patients, however, they are usually independent workers. In this job, you will be expected to educate people on their teeth, gums and tongues and will also be expected to give dietary advice, similar to that of a Dietitian or a Nutritionist.

An Oral Science degree also allows you to become a Dental Therapist. A Dental Therapist is someone who carries out more difficult jobs than that of a Dentist. A Dental Therapist usually does reconstructive work on the mouth, but will also focus on elements such as teeth removal, gum care and general maintenance. Dental Therapists don't always work independently, they will also work for the NHS as well or will be stationed as part of a private workplace for Private Healthcare plans.

Another job you can find with an Oral Science degree will also allow you to become a Health Promotion Specialist. This is a job whereby you will advise patients on how to improve their health. This means you will draw up exercise plans, good dietary instructions for them to follow, food plans, general health advice and will also advise government departments. This work can be potentially lucrative, as it means that you can work with big agencies and local governments and can advise them on any healthy plans they are trying to implement.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment for an Oral Science degree is usually practical, though there are theory-based elements too.

For the theoretical side, you will be required to complete work assignments, sit examinations, hand in coursework and you will also be required to do elements of research, especially for one-on-one meetings with your tutors.

The practical side will have you working on cadavers and will also have you working with live subjects too, provided they have volunteered. This means that you will be graded on the quality of your work and will also be graded on the care you show the instruments that you use. You will also be required to show that you can effectively sterilize an environment after seeing a patient as well.

What skills will I learn?

There will be a number of skills that you will learn from an Oral Science degree that will look great on your student CV.

Your administration skills will see a marked improvement as a part of an Oral Science degree. This is a degree that requires you to be focused and above all, organised. The better your organisational skills, the easier it will be for you to get your work done. All workplaces requires a good administration skillset and an Oral Science degree means that you can improve on this in a very concise way.

Your analytical skills will be improved as well. Part of any job requires a strong analytical sense and requires you to be able to identify issues and problems early on. If you can spot problems early on, then your patients will thank you and you'll thank yourself for not creating more work for yourself.

Communication skills, both written and verbal are also useful as well. You will ned to be able to effectively communicate with both patients and co-workers alike, especially fellow medical professionals. This also means that you need to be able to write things down which can help people as well, this can be anything from prescriptions through to detailed notes.

Multi-skilled individuals go far in the Oral Science world and being able to act on all of your skills at once will be very useful.

Will an Oral Science degree get me a job?

No degree is a guarantee of a job, regardless of what sector it’s in, however, an Oral Science degree will give you a very good chance of getting a job.

A lot of students find themselves doing a lot of work experience or an unpaid internship. This is common for a number of students after leaving university, as entry-level jobs are difficult to come by and can be very competitive.

If your degree had any kind of work placement at all, then you will have hopefully built up a good series of contacts, which we recommend you use.