The dental nursing qualification landscape has changed. Since July 2025, NEBDN's National Diploma has been retired and replaced by the new Level 3 Diploma in Dental Nursing (RQF), qualification reference 610/5579/7. Anyone enrolling on dental nursing training now is enrolling on the new RQF Diploma, not the old syllabus.

The new qualification looks different in three significant ways. Assessment has moved from the old Record of Competence and OSCE to a digital Portfolio of Evidence on PebblePad, with a 65-question Knowledge Test and a 60-minute Professional Discussion. The unit structure has been streamlined from 14 units to 10. And the evidence requirements are clearer: 80 pieces of Knowledge Evidence, 44 Witness Evidence pieces from a GDC-registered observer, and 60 Performance Evidence pieces gathered in the workplace.

For prospective trainee dental nurses, this matters now because the route is more structured but more demanding. You need a training provider with a genuine 52-week Scheme of Work mapped to the new units, an active GDC-registered tutor who can sign off witness evidence, and a clear pathway from your first day of training to your Knowledge Test booking.

At Spade Learning Academy, our NEBDN Level 3 Diploma in Dental Nursing (RQF) has been built around the new qualification from the ground up. Our 52-week programme covers all 10 units, prepares you for both the Knowledge Test and the Professional Discussion, and gives you weekly tutor-led sessions plus structured PoE evidence collection in your workplace.

If you've been thinking about dental nursing as a career, the new qualification has been launched on solid foundations. The next cohort is recruiting now.