A ten-minute film to help prepare dental hygiene and dental therapy students for the procedure of tooth extractions in young children has been shortlisted for a 'Learning on Screen' award.

The film, which was produced by the University of Portsmouth eLearning team in partnership with Hampshire Primary Care Trust, was made because students were often anxious before placements in paediatric day surgery.

The picture shows Justin Vaughan, Bill Stote, Matt Saxey and the director, Richard Hackett

It shows in detail the whole procedure of children being anaesthetised and having teeth extracted and features interviews with a dentist, an anaesthetist and nurses who talk about minimising the impact of surgery.

Richard Hackett, Head of Media Production at the University of Portsmouth and the film's director, said the video provided a way of visually introducing to students the work of a dental care unit, the paediatric patient, the range of skills they will gain there and the staff who will support their learning.

At Queen Alexandra Hospital's Poswillo Dental Care Unit, which features in the film, 846 out of 992 patients having teeth extracted in 2008 were children. The aim of the film, 'Dental anaesthetics in Portsmouth: a preventable experience', is to prepare students for their placements, but the underlying message explains how surgery can be prevented if children and parents are better educated about dental care.

The Learning on Screen Awards, organised by the British Universities Film and Video Council (BUFVC), celebrate and reward excellence in the use of moving image, sound and related media in learning, teaching and research.