About Us

NEBDN is governed by a Board of Trustees comprising professionals from various backgrounds, including a number from the Dental profession. The role of the Board of Trustees is to oversee standards and performance through the following Committees:

• Education and Standards Committee
• Finance & Business Effectiveness Committee
• Governance Committee

In addition to this, NEBDN has two further Qualification Committee groups listed below, who are responsible for the process and reporting of qualifications and ratifying results. As part of this process, NEBDN relies on Subject Matter Experts to provide support on reviewing and creating exam questions to ensure standards are met.

• Curriculum Steering Committee
• Ratification Committee

Articles of Association 2024

NEBDN work closely with the General Dental Council (GDC), whose role is to examine existing and new courses that lead to registration for both Dentists and Dental Care Professionals. This is achieved through the consideration of new course submissions, annual monitoring and inspections.

The GDC publish Standards for Education which include the requirements that apply to all UK programmes leading to registration with the GDC. They cover programmes in Dentistry, Dental Hygiene, Dental Nursing, Dental Technology, Dental Therapy, Clinical Dental Technology and Orthodontic therapy. A link to the current guidance can be found below:

GDC Standards for Education

NEBDN also work with The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) who regulate qualifications, examinations and assessments in England.

NEBDN is also regulated by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA), a non-departmental public body (NDPB) of the Department of Education (Northern Ireland).

For further information on how the Dental industry is regulated, please take a look at the below links.

General Dental Council

Ofqual

Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment – GOV.UK

Our in-house Quality Assurance team have an in-depth appreciation and knowledge of the Quality Assurance standards, as well as a wealth of teaching practice, management experience and dental knowledge. This is especially beneficial to a new Provider who is considering delivering any of the NEBDN qualifications.

NEBDN issues guidance in line with the GDC Standards for Education, which all Providers need to meet in order to deliver training for any of our qualifications.

Standard 1 – Protecting Patients

Standard 2 – Quality Evaluation and Review of the Programme

Standard 3 – Student Assessment

Accreditation of Providers:

Providers must evidence that they can meet these standards prior to accreditation by NEBDN, and  before a Learner can be entered for a qualification leading to GDC registration or towards Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Accreditation of education and training programmes helps to ensure that Providers have the necessary systems for planning, delivering and evaluating their programmes to meet the requirements of:

• NEBDN in relation to the content, outcomes and structure of the programmes
• The GDC for the statutory regulation of Dental Nurses
• The diverse needs of Learners
• Education and training provision ensuring it is educationally and socially inclusive and promotes equality

This ensures that all Learners and Dental Care Professionals are provided with high quality learning opportunities and experiences. Accredited Providers with NEDBN will have an ongoing collaborative partnership to ensure they are fully supported to maintain the required quality standards.

Role of Providers:

To provide training and support for Learners to achieve the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for the NEBDN Assessments and ensure qualifying Dental Nurses are safe practitioners.

Another integral element is to support new and existing registrants to undertake CPD to maintain their registration in compliance with the standards of the GDC, ensuring that all patients are protected and that they receive high quality care in a safe environment.