SAS Welcome

Welcome to the SAS scheme. The SAAD National Course gives you the essential underpinning knowledge and introduces the clinical skills needed for sedation. After the course, you’ll build on this through supervised clinical experience before moving on to independent practice.

Stages

National course info

Please click here to take you to information about the National Course.

Getting your supervisor approved

You’ll need to nominate a supervisor to support you during your clinical experience. Your supervisor will need to demonstrate the required knowledge, skills and experience outlined here.

Supervisors are expected to have completed a minimum of 50 cases of the technique being supervised, over the preceding two-year period or be able to evidence active involvement in sedation supervision or teaching.

Please email a completed supervisor nomination form to schemes@saad.org.uk. You can use the Supervisor Nomination Form to submit the details.

Please name your supervisor nomination form as follows

SAS 202?-?? SURNAME Forename – SNF – Supervisor name IS/IV/IS&IV.pdf

Our team will review your supervisor nomination form and either send it to our assessors for approval or get back to you if we need any further information. To help avoid delays, please make sure every question has been answered. Points include:

·      We need a number for cases in the preceding 2 years. Statements such as ‘around 2 per week’ are too vague.

·      The digital form is easy for us to read. If it is handwritten, please make sure it is clear.

·      Please make sure every question has been answered and your supervisor has signed the form.

·      Use 1 form for 1 supervisor only.

SNFs are reviewed weekly in the run up to your course, and for the month following. After which we review forms on the 1^st and 3^rd week of the month.

The course includes the review and approval of up to three supervisors. We keep this limit in place so candidates can build a good working relationship with their supervisor and benefit from meaningful feedback.

Supervised Clinical Experience and Portfolios

Once you have attended the National Course, had your supervisor approved and passed the assessment, you can begin your supervised clinical experience. We recommend waiting until these steps are complete before booking cases.

When you reach this stage, we’ll give you access to the SAS In Progress pages. There, you’ll find templates for your Clinical Logbook, DOPS, Practice Evaluation Checklist and Document Submission Checklist. These will appear under the MY SAAD tab.

Dops are to be completed with your supervisor after each case. Key things to remember here are:

• Titration; for IS drugs evidence of titration should be seen in your portfolio.
• Units; please make sure these are written on your DOPS (e.g. mg for IV drugs)
• Commentary; your supervisor should be providing feedback on each case as you engage with clinical cases. 

Submission and deadlines

Please submit all your documents to SAS@saad.org.uk for moderation within 12 months of attending the SAAD National Course. Once you reach this stage, you’ll find information on how to submit your documents under the SAS In Progress tab. This includes our convention for naming files before you submit.

You can submit your documents at any time within the 12 months. They will be reviewed by our in-house team, and either sent back to you for further information, or sent to our assessors on the following submission dates. 

Therefore please be aware of the time between submission and certification. 

Successful practitioners will receive a SAAD certificate confirming ‘SAAD Assessed Seditionist’ status which will enable you to practise independently.

Issues

We understand that things don’t always go exactly to plan. If you need advice or think you may need an extension, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help.

Contacts

If you have any questions or concerns at any stage, please contact SAS@saad.org.uk. We’ll be happy to help.

Please include the name you booked under, your scheme (SAS) and cohort year in your email so we can look up your details quickly. For example:

SAS 2006-06 SURNAME, Name (dentists in the June 2026 cohort)

SAS 2006-03 SURNAME, Name (dentist in the March 2026 cohort).

SAS 2006-11 SURNAME, Name (dentist in the Nov 2026 cohort).

SASN Welcome

Welcome to the SASN scheme. The SAAD National Course gives you the essential underpinning knowledge and introduces the clinical skills needed for sedation. After the course, you’ll build on this through supervised clinical experience before moving on to independent practice.

Stages

• Registration for the SAAD Assessed Sedation Nurse scheme, nomination of a clinical supervisor and payment of the SASN scheme fee
• Acceptance on to the scheme and approval of the clinical supervisor(s)
• Attendance of the SAAD National Course
• Completion of 20 IV and/or 10 IS cases
• Submission of logbook, DOPS sheets, practice evaluation checklist (PEC) and document submission checklist to SAAD
• Internal moderation of documents by SAAD
• Final online assessment link provided
• Complete online assessment (both IV and IS) at a time convenient to you
• Successful completion of the assessment
• Certificate sent to confirm that you are a SAAD Assessed Sedation Nurse and able to assist in the provision of dental sedation in accordance with the IACSD guidance

National course info

Please click here for information on the National course.

Getting your supervisor approved

You’ll need to nominate a supervisor to support you during your clinical experience. Your supervisor will need to demonstrate the required knowledge, skills and experience outlined here.

Supervisors are expected to have completed a minimum of 50 cases of the technique being supervised, over the preceding two-year period or be able to evidence active involvement in sedation supervision or teaching.

Please email a completed supervisor nomination form to sasn@saad.org.uk. You can use the Supervisor Nomination Form to submit the details.

Please name your supervisor nomination form as follows

SASN 202?-?? SURNAME Forename – SNF – Supervisor name IS/IV/IS&IV.pdf

Our team will review your supervisor nomination form and either send it to our assessors for approval or get back to you if we need any further information. To help avoid delays, please make sure every question has been answered. Points include:

·      We need a number for cases in the preceding 2 years. Statements such as ‘around 2 per week’ or ‘more than 50’, are too vague.

·      The digital form is easy for us to read. If it is handwritten, please make sure it is clear.

·      Please make sure every question has been answered, and your supervisor has signed the form.

·      Use 1 form for 1 supervisor only.

SNFs are reviewed weekly in the run up to your course, and for the month following. After which we review forms on the 2nd and 4th week of the month.

The course includes the review and approval of up to three supervisors. We keep this limit in place so candidates can build a good working relationship with their supervisor and benefit from meaningful feedback.

Supervised Clinical Experience and Portfolios

Once you have attended the National Course, and had your supervisor approved you can begin your supervised clinical experience. We recommend waiting until these steps are complete before booking cases.

When you reach this stage, we’ll give you access to the SASN In Progress pages. There, you’ll find templates for your Clinical Logbook, DOPS, Practice Evaluation Checklist and Document Submission Checklist. These will appear under the MY SAAD tab.

Dops are to be completed with your supervisor after each case. Key things to remember here are:

• Titration; for IS drugs evidence of titration should be seen in your portfolio.
• Units; please make sure these are written on your DOPS (e.g. mg for IV drugs)
• Commentary; your supervisor should be providing feedback on each case as you engage with clinical cases. 

Submission and deadlines

Please submit all your documents to SASN@saad.org.uk for moderation. You will need to have this approved and have taken your final assessment within 12 months of attending the SAAD National Course. Once you reach this stage, you’ll find information on how to submit your documents under the SASN In Progress tab. This includes our convention for naming files before you submit.

You can submit your documents at any time. They will be reviewed and submitted to the assessment team on the dates below. Your paperwork needs to be submitted at least three weeks before the relevant review date to be included. If you are working to your final deadline please be aware the submission deadline is 3 weeks before the 11 month mark to provide you with enough time to take the assessment.

Successful practitioners will receive a SAAD certificate confirming ‘SAAD Assessed Seditionist’ status which will enable you to practise independently.

Issues

We understand that things don’t always go exactly to plan. If you need advice or think you may need an extension, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help.

Contacts

If you have any questions or concerns at any stage, please contact SAS@saad.org.uk. We’ll be happy to help.

Please include the name you booked under, your scheme (SAS) and cohort year in your email so we can look up your details quickly. For example:

SASN 2006-06 SURNAME, Name (dentists in the June 2026 cohort)

SASN 2006-03 SURNAME, Name (dentist in the March 2026 cohort).

SASN 2006-11 SURNAME, Name (dentist in the Nov 2026 cohort).

The SAAD Assessed Sedation Therapist/Hygienist (SASH/T) scheme

Congratulations on completing the first stage of becoming a SAAD Assessed Sedation Hygienist/Therapist!

 If you have any questions or concerns at any stage please do not hesitate to contact us.

 Please be aware that all members of the sedation team must abide by the guidelines set out in the IACSD Report
Standards for Conscious Sedation in the provision of Dental Care. (v1.1 2020)

Congratulations on completing the first stage of becoming a SAAD Assessed Sedation Nurse!

The next stages are detailed below and must be completed within 12 months of enrolling for the SASN scheme.