Certificate of Competency in Impression Taking

The Certificate of Competency in Impression Taking is available to all registered dental nurses or hygienists. The programme provided theoretical and practical instruction to enable DCPs to take dental impressions on referral from a dental surgeon.

The course duration is two sessions—one full day and then one half day eight weeks later. This course is run in various locations and we ask you to contact us if you are interested in taking a place.

Assessment Criteria:

• Attendance at both workshops
• Completion of the Logbook of Practical Experience
• Completion of a short case study
• Completion of a short written assessment

A Certificate in Competency in Impression Taking will then be awarded.

This course is available to registered dental nurses and hygienists with access to patients requiring the following treatments:

• Study models
• Bleaching trays
• Gum shields / mouth guards
• Bruxism / grinding devices

Dental nurses will not be instructed in the taking of impressions for denture stages or fixed prosthetics but can go on to be trained in-house if they so wish. We can provide your supervising dental surgeon with the information to meet the criteria needed.

Course Specification

Theory Content

Impression materials

• Properties
• Handling
• Uses

Anatomical Considerations

Health and Safety

Cross infection control

Consent and patient responsibilities

Reasons for taking impressions

• Study models
• Bleaching trays
• Gum shields / mouthguards
• Bruxism / grinding devices

Laboratory Requirements

• What makes a good impression

What can go wrong

• Complications
• Patient management

Practical Content

Dental nurses will be introduced to the practicalities of impression taking by taking impressions on each other under supervision of the course tutor.

Once competent, the dental nurses will then take impressions for patients in their dental environment under the supervision of their nominated clinician. A Logbook of Practical Experience must be completed detailing a minimum of eight patients before the dental nurse can take impressions unsupervised. In addition, dental nurses will undertake a short case study of one of the patients. This course also attracts 12 hours of verifiable CPD.

If you are interested in this course please contact us to find out when and where the next programme will be run.