Dental Nurses are an important part of the dental team and support the dentist in all areas of dental care.
Dental Nurses work with both children and adults to support with treatment procedures and to provide reassurance to anxious patients. They support the work of the dentist by ensuring that the equipment required is ready and clean and manage any administration needed during procedures.
Working life
Working as a Dental Nurse will mean that you’ll take part in a variety of different tasks during your working day. These can include:
Decontaminating dental equipment
Maintaining dental equipment
Organising the dental equipment so that each procedure has the correct items ready
Maintaining patient records including taking the notes while the dentist examines the patient
Responding to requests from the dentist
Ensuring that the working area is cleaned and maintained to a high standard for infection prevention and control
Dental Nurses work in a variety of settings including:
Community dental services
Acute hospital settings
General dental practices
Private practice
Dental Nurses work with service users on a one-to-one basis and work with many other dental professionals including dental technicians, dental technologists, hygienists and therapists.
Dental Nurses support patients attending for routine appointments as well as those who are having more complicated treatment.
Requirements
Becoming a Dental Nurse requires you to complete a course approved by the General Dental Council (GDC) and you will then need to register with the General Dental Council before you can practice. You can work as a trainee dental nurse without academic qualifications but if you would like to progress to become registered and qualified, you will need to undertake the training programme.
Entry requirements for Dental Nurse programmes usually include:
A minimum of two GCSEs (grades 9 to 4/A to C) including English Language and Maths and a science subject for part time study
A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications for a full-time degree programme
Degree apprenticeship route
For those interested in becoming a Dental Nurse through an apprenticeship route, there are a growing number of degree apprenticeship routes available.
Opportunities include a level 3 apprenticeship in dental nursing and you would need to apply for an apprentice post at a healthcare employer willing to support the programme initially.
Personal characteristics
To work successfully as a Dental Nurse, you need to consider your own personal characteristics. You would need to have the following attributes or similar:
Be resilient and open to new ways of working
Be supportive of service users who experience nervousness related to dental procedures
Have a non-judgemental and supportive attitude
Be able to work with a variety of different people from differing backgrounds and experiences
Be able to handle confidential patient information
Be interested in understanding the science behind dentistry and how this is applied
Skills required
To work successfully as a Dental Nurse, you need to consider the skills that you have. You would need to demonstrate the following:
Be well organised and able to plan your time
Be able to communicate with a variety of people using different methods
Be able to put service users at ease quickly
Be patient, tactful and friendly
Work well as part of a team
Training and development opportunities
Once qualified and registered as a Dental Nurse, you can continue to develop your career over time. You’ll have access to a yearly continuing professional development (CPD) check-in where you can discuss any additional training needs or qualifications you would like to achieve.
You could undertake additional training to undertake x-rays and clinical photographs, take impressions of teeth, make models of teeth and apply fluoride varnish to prevent decay. Other development opportunities within dental nursing include becoming a dental hygienist, dental therapist, or orthodontic practitioner. If you enjoy working with other dental professionals, you could also become an educator and train other dental nurses to carry out the role.
Pay and benefits
Dental Nurses in the NHS usually work 37.5 hours a week and you could be required to work flexibly over 7 days depending on the setting you work in. You could also be required to work evenings and weekends on occasion.
Dental Nurses working in NHS settings are paid using the Agenda for Change (AfC) system and will typically start their career on AfC band 3 or 4 but with experience, further training and additional qualifications, can progress further up the pay scale.
Dental Nurses working in other settings or who are self-employed will have alternative working hours and pay and they will be paid according to the employer they work for.
Other benefits of working as a Dental Nurse in the NHS include access to a pension scheme, health service discounts such as a Blue Light Card and 27 days of annual leave in addition to bank holidays.
Dental Nursing in mid and south Essex
“Teamwork is very important between the dentist and dental nurse. We have a good working relationship to ensure that the patient receives the best care possible, which also makes the day more efficient. Organisation is key to ensure all materials, laboratory work, equipment is set up and ready for treatments.”
“Many patients have a fear of the unknown whilst at the dentist. When seeing patients, I explain the procedure and reassure them whilst the dentist is carrying out the treatment. If a patient appears to be anxious, I will offer my hand to comfort them during the treatment.”
