Queen’s considers new dental therapy degree as Allister presses Minister over prevention gap
Saturday 14 November 2026
A new university course that could train 30 dental therapists a year in Northern Ireland is being considered as pressure grows to address major gaps in the dental workforce and improve access to preventative care.
Health Minister Robbie Butler has confirmed that officials are considering a proposal from Queen’s University Belfast for a three-year BSc (Hons) Dental Therapy programme, following correspondence from North Antrim MP Jim Allister over the absence of local training.
The development could provide Northern Ireland with a new route to training dental professionals locally, but no decision to establish the course has yet been announced. Mr Butler has also acknowledged that contractual restrictions continue to limit how dental hygienists and therapists can work within Health Service dentistry.
The latest General Dental Council figures underline the workforce disparity: its October 2026 register records just 154 dental hygienists in Northern Ireland compared with 9,677 in England.
Queen’s proposal could train 30 each year
Mr Butler revealed details of the Queen’s proposal in a response to Mr Allister, who has repeatedly raised concerns about dental hygiene and therapy training in Northern Ireland.
“Officials within Workforce Policy Directorate, working alongside the Chief Dental Officer and relevant stakeholders, are exploring options to support the training of dental professionals in Northern Ireland,” the Minister wrote. “This includes consideration of a proposal from Queen’s University Belfast to establish a three-year BSc (Hons) Dental Therapy programme with an annual intake of 30 students.”
The wording is significant: the programme remains a proposal under consideration rather than an approved course, and the Minister’s response does not provide a start date or confirm funding.
Mr Allister welcomed the development but called for officials to ensure local training becomes a reality.
“We are talking about enhancing the dental health of the population, which has a huge impact on quality of life.
“So while news that a course in dental therapy at Queen’s University is being considered, I urge officials to do whatever is necessary to establish such training here – which will benefit the whole population in the long run.”
Northern Ireland workforce gap
Mr Allister also pointed to the latest GDC registration figures, which show a substantial difference between Northern Ireland and England.
“As the latest General Dental Council figures for October 2026 show that there were 9677 dental hygienists registered in England and 154 in Northern Ireland, which represents about 2.1 times as many in England per capita, the situation needs urgent attention,” he said.
The underlying GDC figures confirm the totals of 9,677 for England and 154 for Northern Ireland. The regulator’s regional figures are based on registered addresses, so they should not be interpreted as a precise count of hygienists currently working within the Health Service in either jurisdiction.
The figures nevertheless reinforce concerns about Northern Ireland’s capacity to expand the contribution made by hygienists and therapists, particularly when there is currently no local training provision.
Contract restrictions remain
Training more professionals is only part of the issue. Mr Allister is also calling for changes to how dental hygienists can participate in publicly funded dentistry.
He said:
“An NHS contract awarded to hygienists could enable them to provide fissure sealants, fluoride application, oral hygiene instruction and dietary advice for all ages. Oral hygiene education is hugely important for children – I understand that in some areas none exists due to financial constraints.”
Mr Allister also highlighted the potential importance of preventative dental care for older and disabled people, saying hygienists in his North Antrim constituency had reported seeing nursing-home residents whose teeth had deteriorated significantly after prolonged periods without contact with an oral health professional.
Mr Butler acknowledged that existing arrangements present obstacles to expanding the workforce.
“My Department recognises the important role that dental hygienists and dental therapists can play within the wider dental team,” the Minister said. “Effective use of these professionals can support preventative care, improve access to treatment and enable dentists to focus on patients requiring more complex interventions.
“Under the current General Dental Service arrangements, dental hygienists and dental therapists can provide Health Service care. However, they cannot contract directly with the Department and there are contractual limitations on the extent to which dental therapists can independently manage a course of treatment. Together with the absence of local training provision, these factors present challenges to expanding the dental hygiene and therapy workforce in Northern Ireland.”
Prevention at heart of wider dental pressures
The debate comes against serious wider pressures facing publicly funded dentistry in Northern Ireland, where access to Health Service dental care has become an increasing concern.
A Department of Health-commissioned Cost of Service Review published this year found that fewer than half of Northern Ireland’s population was registered with a general dental practitioner for publicly funded care, after more than 389,000 registrations were lost between the fourth quarter of 2022/23 and the third quarter of 2025/26. The review warned that publicly funded dentistry may be “approaching a tipping point”.
Against that backdrop, making greater use of hygienists and therapists could potentially allow more preventative and routine work to be delivered while dentists concentrate on patients needing more complex treatment — an approach the Health Minister himself says could improve access.
Mr Butler said prevention must remain central to improving oral health, pointing to existing Department-backed measures including the Enhanced Child Examination Scheme and expansion of the Happy Smiles programme.
For patients, the Queen’s proposal represents a potentially important change after years without local dental therapy training, but it is not yet a solution. The course still requires consideration and no timetable has been announced, while the contractual barriers identified by the Minister remain. Whether Northern Ireland can turn the proposal into a sustainable new workforce — and give those professionals greater scope to deliver publicly funded preventative care — is now the key issue.
