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Published 23/03/2026
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) commissions dental hygiene and therapy undergraduate training in North and South Wales. Recent work to track the retention data for these professions shows a clear and positive trend: the majority of graduates who received the NHS Wales Bursary are choosing to begin their careers in Wales. This highlights the bursary’s strong influence on retaining early career dental professionals and supporting local services and quality patient care.
In 2025, 90% of dental therapists and 63% of dental hygienists were still working in Wales eight months after graduating. These figures demonstrate the value of investing in students and show how financial support helps turn trainees into colleagues who are motivated to build their careers within NHS Wales, recognising that wider factors can shape long term retention.
Tracking early career pathways has historically been challenging, but the bursary has changed this. As students receive financial support, HEIW can accurately monitor their transition into the workforce and understand where they choose to practise. This provides more reliable workforce intelligence and allows HEIW to measure the direct impact of its investment in dental education and services across Wales.
While monitoring workforce movements can be complex, this is a great example of how insight is essential for effective planning. It supports a transition from reactive workforce management to strategic planning, ensuring an appropriate number of dental hygienists and dental therapists are working throughout Wales. By supporting students throughout their training and tracking their early career journeys, HEIW is helping to build a sustainable and confident dental workforce in Wales.
Through the commissioning of dental hygienists and therapists, HEIW is supporting the development of a highly trained, fully qualified workforce. These professionals can work across all sectors of dentistry in Wales, helping to improve patients’ oral health. By prioritising prevention, dental hygienists and therapists help maintain oral health while dentists are able to focus on more complex treatments. Continuity of care and deeper knowledge of local needs supports earlier detection and more personalised care. A more stable workforce, with higher retention creates stronger teams who can deliver more attentive care.
To learn more about the wider dental work visit the HEIW website.