Dental Support Workers are an important part of the dental team and help provide patients with information and advice on how to care for their teeth and prevent dental problems.
Dental Hygienists work with both children and adults and work under the supervision of a dentist or a dental nurse.
Working Life
Working as a Dental Support Worker will mean that you’ll take part in a variety of different tasks during your working day. These can include:
- Be the face of the setting you work in, greeting patients and reassuring those who are nervous about their appointment.
- Working with patients on either an individual or small group basis to provide information about dental care.
- Ensure all patient records are kept up to date and are accurate.
- Support with x-rays, sterilising equipment and mixing materials needed for treatment.
- Supporting the dentist in the treatment room.
Dental Support Workers work in a variety of settings including:
- Community dental clinics.
- Acute hospital clinics.
- General dental practices.
- Private practice.
- At patients’ homes or in social care settings where patients are unable to travel.
- In school or nursery settings working with young children.
Dental Support Workers can work with service users on a one-to-one basis, in small groups or in larger groups depending on the specific need.
Requirements
Becoming a Dental Support Worker team member has no set entry requirements, but NHS and Social Care employers will expect good literacy, numeracy and IT skills as these are an important part of working in the health records team. Depending on the role, some employers may ask for GCSEs or equivalent qualifications. When applying for a role in the dental team, there may be other skills or qualifications required but this will depend on the role and the team in which the role sits.
Employers may require you to have some relevant work experience or knowledge of having worked in a similar role previously. If you are considering a role in the dental team, it is a good idea if you can demonstrate where you have previously worked or volunteered in health or social care.
Working as a Dental Support Worker team member will provide further opportunities to develop your career through apprenticeships and internal training and there are sometimes other ways to access employment in health records such as traineeships or internships depending on the employer you work for.
Apprenticeship Route
For those interested in becoming a Dental Support Worker through an apprenticeship route, there are a growing number of apprenticeship routes available.
Opportunities to access these apprenticeships are currently limited 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 Support Worker, 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 accurate and able to follow instructions.
- 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 record patient data accurately.
Skills Required
To work successfully as a Dental Support Worker, 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.
- Be able to use training techniques and support those developing skills in tooth brushing for example.
- Be confident and able to speak to groups of people.
Training and Development Opportunities
When you begin to work as a Dental Support Worker, you will receive training you require to be able to undertake the role successfully. You will receive an induction which will introduce you to the department you will be working in, will support you to access the IT systems and will ensure you are aware of the policies and procedures you will be required to following in the undertaking of your role. You will also have to complete any statutory and mandatory training that your employer requires such as fire training, data security training and customer service.
Depending on the healthcare setting you work for, you may be able to take additional vocational qualifications to support you to develop your knowledge and skills.
Pay and Benefits
Dental Support Workers 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 Support Workers working in NHS settings are paid using the Agenda for Change (AfC) system and will typically start their career on AfC band 2 but with experience, further training and additional qualifications, can progress further up the pay scale.
Dental Support Workers 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 Support Worker in the NHS include access to a pension scheme, health service discounts such as Blue Light Card and 27 days of annual leave in addition to bank holidays.