Dental nurses

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Course dates and fees:

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Already registered for the National Course?
Click here to upgrade to the SASN scheme.

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SASN scheme starting on
8 & 9 November 2025.

Early bird rate: £1,045
After 07.09.2025: £1,095

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 SASN scheme starting on
14 & 15 March 2026.

Early bird rate: £1,095
After 31.01.2025: £1,120

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The fee includes: 

• SAAD Assessed badge
• Advice and support provided
• Documents for recording your supervised clinical experience
• Final written assessment (online)
• STAC/IACSD accredited course to enable you to independently assist with the provision of sedation
• Certificate of completion

The SASN scheme  includes approval of your supervisor, verification of your Clinical Logbook, Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) forms and the SASN Practice Checklist. The SASN scheme is only available to GDC registered dental nurses.

Please note: SAAD provides knowledge and skills training in conscious sedation in compliance with current UK Standards (IACSD, 2020). We also offer the opportunity for course participants to gain supervised clinical experience through the SASN scheme. However, it is the responsibility of candidates from the Republic of Ireland (and other countries) to ensure that SAAD's training is acceptable to both the National and local authorities, where the candidate intends to practice. SAAD is unable to enter into negotiations of behalf of course participants or to identify appropriate supervisors. 

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Click here to see all SAAD course dates, and register for the one that suits you

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• 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

You will need to nominate a supervisor to supervise your clinical experience. A suitable supervisor is someone who has a dental sedation qualification or is an experienced dental sedationist or registered dental nurse, and is providing, or assisting with the provision of dental sedation on a regular basis.

Potential SAAD supervisors must demonstrate their own relevant knowledge, skills and experience before supervising sedation new starters. 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.

*This number must not include any cases completed during the supervisor's own supervised clinical practice.

When you register for the SASN scheme you will then need to email a completed supervisor nomination form to schemes@saad.org.uk. The form requests the following information:

1. Name of proposed clinical supervisor(s)
2. GDC / GMC No. of proposed clinical supervisor(s)
3. Qualifications of proposed clinical supervisor(s)
4. Dental sedation experience of proposed clinical supervisor(s)
5. Dental sedation services offered by proposed clinical supervisor(s)
6. Address of the practice(s) where the clinical supervision will take place

It is possible to nominate more than one supervisor, and to complete your supervised experience at more than one location. You can use the Supervisor Nomination Form to submit the details.

Throughout the SASN scheme you will have email support and guidance for SAAD's SASN scheme co-ordinator, Emma Lee.

You can complete your supervised experience for one, or both techniques.

For IVS

20 IV sedations where you have assisted with the provision of the sedation

For IS

10 inhalation sedations where you have assisted with the provision of the sedation

Once you have been accepted onto the SASN scheme you will receive a link to the documents that you will need to complete during your supervised clinical experience. These are:

• Logbook for each technique
• DOPS form for each case
• Practice Checklist
• Document Submission checklist (to be completed by your supervisor)

Your documents must be submitted for moderation is six weeks prior to your final assessments date. The date of your final assessments is 12 months after you attend the SAAD National Course, however it is possible to sit the final assessment at an earlier date once you complete your supervised clinical experience.

The final assessment takes place online, in the form of single best answer questions. You will be advised how and when this will take place once your documents have been approved.

Once you pass the final assessment you will receive a certificate and a 'SAAD Assessed' badge to confirm that you have completed your sedation training in accordance with the IACSD Standards. This will mean that you can then assist with the provision of sedation independently.

 

Attend a SAAD Course and be taught by the country’s most experienced dental sedation teachers!

The SAAD Teaching Faculty has oral surgeons, paediatric dentists, special care dentists, clinical psychologists, GDPs, dental nurses, peripatetic sedationists and resuscitation officers - all experienced teachers.

Click here to read more about our teachers.

Click here for information about the venue, course times and the sample programme for the in-person element of the course

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)

Mile End Road Campus

Contact: schemes@saad.org.uk 01302 578 835

‘Standards for Conscious Sedation in the Provision of Dental Care’ (2015, 2020)

Following publication of the IACSD standards in April 2015, dentists, doctors, dental hygienists/therapists and dental nurses who have no previous experience in conscious sedation for dentistry must now undertake appropriate training before commencing independent clinical practice.

All training programmes for ‘new starters’ must include supervised clinical experience and have external validation. UK university-based courses and those run by Postgraduate Deaneries are deemed to be compliant. Other courses leading to independent (i.e. unsupervised) practice, including those run by private providers, must be accredited by the Sedation Training and Accreditation Committee (STAC) of IACSD.

The IACSD Standards state that practitioners offering supervised clinical experience in conscious sedation must now be accredited by a university, deanery or IACSD (p34, 86).

 

After attending one of the SAAD courses you will become a member of the SAAD Alumni.

Please see our Transfer, cancellation and refund policy