The only training academy your dental practice will ever need.

From the trainee chairside to the CQC inspector at the door, Spade Learning Academy trains every role in UK dentistry. NEBDN diploma, IPC, decontamination, CQC compliance, TCO and reception, scanning, tooth gem, and the bridge course for internationally-trained dentists.

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The only training academy your dental practice will ever need.

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GDC-Compliant Curriculum

13 Specialist Dental Courses

NEBDN-aligned & CPD-current

Real Tutors • Direct Support

Wherever you are in your dental career,
there's a course here for you.

ALREADY REGISTERED

I'm a qualified DCP looking for CPD

Top up your enhanced CPD hours with IPC, decontamination, legionella, scanning, tooth gem, and more.

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FRONT OF HOUSE

I run reception or coordinate treatment

Foundations of TCO and Dental Reception, the only course in the UK that trains the full front-of-house dental role from one provider.

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PRACTICE OWNER

I run a dental practice

Train your whole team in one place. CQC inspection mastery, SQUAT framework, IPC, decontamination, scanning; one provider, one invoice, one quality bar.

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JUST STARTING OUT

I'm a trainee dental nurse

Begin with our Introduction to Dental Nursing, then progress to the NEBDN Level 3 Diploma, the recognised pathway to GDC registration.

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OVERSEAS-QUALIFIED

I'm an international dentist

From overseas-qualified to NHS-ready. Our NHS Dentistry for Foreign Dentists course covers UDA, FP17, banding, CQC, and the GDC standards.

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COSMETIC AND EMERGING

I want to add a new clinical skill

Tooth gem certification (with or without kit) and iTero/Trios scanning, practical training in the patient-pay services that grow practice revenue.

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Online Course

From £350

S.Q.U.A.T.: The Modern Dental Practice Framework

6 months self-paced, group support Online

Setting up a UK dental practice from scratch is an 18-month, six-figure project. S.Q.U.A.T. takes you through every stage: feasibility, finance, premises, CQC registration under the current Single Assessment Framework, team building, equipment, opening, and post-opening growth. Built around real 2026 UK figures, named providers, and the regulatory anchors (HTM 01-05:2023, Use Class E, GDC standards). Essential for any dentist planning a squat, conversion, or goodwill purchase.

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From £85

Money Management course

6 months self-paced Online

Clinical training prepares you superbly for patients and barely at all for the business of being self-employed. This two-course programme closes that gap. One stream for associate dentists in their First Five Years self-employed; one for DCPs in their First Year hygienists, therapists, locum dental nurses, orthodontic therapists, and clinical dental technicians. Financial decisions made under time pressure in the early weeks compound for decades. Built so they're the right ones from day one.

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From £120

Mastering Dental Practice Inspections NHS and CQC Compliance Demystified

2-3 months to self-paced Online

The CQC inspection regime has changed. KLOEs were retired in 2024; the Single Assessment Framework and 34 Quality Statements now apply, with further sector- specific changes due late 2026. This course teaches the current framework, the evidence inspectors actually look for, the six evidence categories, and the mock- inspection toolkit that gets practices to "Standards Met" without panic. Eight weeks online, for principals, registered managers, and compliance leads.

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From £300

Foundations of TCO and Dental Reception

3-6 months to self-paced Online

The only UK course that trains the full front-of-house dental role from one provider. Reception, patient communication, treatment plan presentation, soft-conversion technique, complaint de-escalation, and the GDPR-compliant data handling every practice expects. Designed for new and experienced receptionists, treatment coordinators, and practice administrators. Eight weeks online with live tutor sessions and real-world case studies. The course that turns a phone-answerer into a revenue- driving team member.

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From £350

Tooth Gem Application

2-3 months to self-paced Online

Tooth gems are one of the fastest-growing patient-pay services in UK dentistry, high margin, low equipment cost, fully reversible. This certification course covers technique, safety, consent, post-care, and the patient marketing that fills the appointment book. Available as Theory only (no kit) or Theory + Kit ready to start applying immediately. For qualified dental nurses, therapists, hygienists, and dentists adding a new revenue stream.

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From £99

Legionella Awareness

2-3 months to self-paced Online

Every UK dental practice has a Legionella risk from dental unit waterlines and stored water. Failure to manage it is an HSE notice waiting to happen and a CQC question every inspector asks. This focused awareness course covers the legal framework (ACoP L8), water management responsibilities, daily flushing protocols, and the audit trail your inspector will request. Short, targeted, and CPD-current. Essential for IPC leads and named Responsible Persons.

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From £350

Decontamination Lead Course

Half-day workshop Online

CQC has quietly raised the bar: practices without a named, trained Decontamination
Lead are now receiving requirement notices posted publicly on the CQC site. This
course trains that named individual to HTM 01-05:2023 standard: instrument
decontamination workflow, autoclave and washer-disinfector validation, audit trail
documentation, and the daily, weekly, quarterly, and annual testing every inspector
expects. Designed for one named person per practice.

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From £270

Infection control course

Half-day workshop Online

Infection Prevention and Control is the highest-stakes compliance area in any UK dental practice and the topic CQC inspectors examine first. This course covers HTM 01-05:2023 in full: hand hygiene, PPE, decontamination zoning, single-use protocols, water management, sharps handling, and the documented audit cycle your inspector will request. Eight weeks online with practical assessments. For IPC leads, nurses, and the whole clinical team.

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From £1850

Dental Nursing

52 weeks tutor-led Online + live tutor

The recognised UK pathway to GDC registration. Our 52-week tutor-led NEBDN Level 3 RQF Diploma cohort covers PebblePad portfolios, the new 65-question Knowledge Test, and the Professional Discussion that replaced the OSCE. Weekly live tutor sessions, structured workplace evidence, adhoc in person workshops, and ongoing support throughout. Start here if you're a trainee dental nurse beginning your career, or progressing from our Introduction to Dental Nursing course.

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From £180

Itero and Trios Scanning Course

6 months to 1 year self-paced Online

Intraoral scanning is now standard in modern UK practices. This hands-on course covers iTero, Trios, and the workflow that gets accurate, lab-ready scans every time, full-arch, single-tooth, and aligner-ready files. Designed for dental nurses, treatment coordinators, and clinicians moving from putty impressions to digital. Includes troubleshooting, communication with labs, and the integration patterns that fit major UK PMS platforms.

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From £35

English as a Foreign language EFL

6 months to 1 year self-paced Online

For internationally-trained dental professionals, the clinical bar is rarely the obstacle, English fluency in a UK clinical setting is. This course builds dental-specific English: patient communication, clinical vocabulary, written notes, and the conversational confidence that NEBDN assessors and CQC inspectors expect. Eight weeks online with live tutor sessions tailored to dental contexts. Pairs powerfully with our NEBDN Diploma and NHS Dentistry for Foreign Dentists courses.

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From £75

NHS Dentistry for Foreign Dentists

2 months to self-paced Online

The clinical bar is rarely the obstacle for overseas-qualified dentists arriving in the UK. The systems gap is UDAs, FP17s, Band 1/2/3 charging, Performer Numbers, ICB commissioning, CQC, and the GDC standards your first patient assumes you already know. This course closes that gap before it costs you tens of thousands of pounds in misunderstood NHS contracts. Eight weeks online with live tutor sessions. Designed for your first year in UK NHS dentistry.

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From £600

Practice Development Manage Course

2 months to self-paced Online

The course for the role most UK practices haven't realised they need. Practice
Development Managers grow patient lists, drive treatment plan acceptance, manage
marketing campaigns, and turn clinical productivity into commercial performance.
Eight weeks online with live tutor sessions covering KPI dashboards, retention
strategies, conversion frameworks, and the financial literacy a principal will rely on.
Ideal for ambitious practice managers stepping up or principals hiring into the role.

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Browse All Courses

Every other UK dental academy trains the dental nurse. Spade Learning Academy trains the entire dental practice.

Teachers

12+

Members

304+

Courses

13+

Countries

3+

Every other UK dental academy trains the dental nurse.
Spade trains the entire dental practice.

OTHER ACADEMIES TYPICALLY OFFER

The diploma — and that's it.

NEBDN Level 3 Diploma in Dental Nursing
Maybe radiography or oral health education
Maybe a basic CPD top-up bundle
Then they send you elsewhere for everything else

SPADE GOES FURTHER

The whole dental career arc.

NEBDN Level 3 Diploma + Introduction to Dental Nursing
Six clinical and compliance CPD courses (IPC, Decon Lead, Legionella, Scanning, plus more)
Three practice management courses (SQUAT, TCO and Reception, CQC Inspections)
Tooth Gem certification — Theory or Theory + Kit
NHS Dentistry for Foreign Dentists bridge course
Bespoke Corporate Training Days for whole dental teams

What Our Students Say

Read our latest Google reviews and see why students trust Spade Learning Academy for their professional dental training.

Meet The Team

Meet the team that will support you every step of the way. At Spade Learning Academy, our experienced educators and specialists are here to guide, support, and empower you throughout your learning journey.

Ms. Sabrena Tomlinson

Sabrena is a qualified Dental Nurse and Phlebotomist with ten years of chairside experience across two healthcare systems. She trained first as a general practical nurse at the Pre-University of West Indies, Montego Bay, Jamaica, before retraining in the UK as a Dental Nurse. At Spade Learning Academy she supports trainees through the NEBDN Level 3 Diploma, with particular emphasis on the practical clinical skills the Portfolio of Evidence demands chairside support, infection control, patient communication, and the everyday confidence to function in a UK surgery. Her dual-system background makes her a natural point of contact for internationally-trained students adjusting to UK clinical conventions and terminology.

Mr. Michael Freeman

Michael leads compliance and management systems training at Spade Learning Academy. His career has been built on implementing, training, and auditing to ISO standards 9001 (quality), 14001 (environmental), 45001 (health and safety), 13485 (medical devices), and 27001 (information security) across the electronics, aerospace, food, medical, and IT sectors. At SLA he brings that structured, audit-grade approach to the courses where compliance is the deliverable: Mastering Dental Practice Inspections (NHS and CQC), the Decontamination Lead Course, Infection Prevention and Control, and the S.Q.U.A.T. practice framework. He delivers both classroom and remote sessions, and is known for making compliance content stick by linking every requirement back to a clear operational reason.

Ms. Ansar Muhammad

Ansar provides academic support to Spade Learning Academy students who need additional help bridging into the NEBDN syllabus and other technical course content. With a background in Finance and Engineering and over two years of one-to-one tutoring experience across Maths, Science, and Arabic, she works with trainees, particularly those for whom English is a second language, on the underpinning numeracy, scientific terminology, and study skills the qualifications demand. Her tutoring style is structured and tailored to each learner's pace, which makes her a strong fit for students who have struggled in larger classroom settings or who need to rebuild academic confidence before tackling the NEBDN content.

Our Latest News

CQC tightens. NEBDN reforms. NHS contracts shift. The dental professionals and practices who stay informed stay ahead and stay compliant.