The role of a dental nurse is to work alongside dentists, therapists, and hygienists in the care of patients. It is a multitasked, varied job and can include everything from supporting with routine check-ups to advanced specialist treatments and infection control.
Duties of a dental nurse usually include:
- To keep high standards of infection control
- To provide efficient chair side assistance enabling effective use of clinical operating time which is sensitive to the specific needs of the client group
- To provide excellent support to patients during treatments
- Maintaining and updating patient records
- Sterilising dental instruments
You can work as a trainee dental nurse without any qualifications, and you will receive training so you can carry out your duties safely. However, your salary and tasks will be very basic, and your practice manager will push you to eventually take the dental nursing course. To progress to be a qualified dental nurse you’ll need to study a dental nursing course and achieve a Diploma in Dental Nursing (level 3). There are several dental nursing courses available that will get you the qualification you need, some of them are better than others, so it is advisable to do your research and check the reviews before you enrol. It is also very important that the course is approved by the General Dental Council (GDC).
The NEBDN dental nurse course online usually takes 12-18 months to complete. Students can choose among many respectable course providers in the UK, with Dental Tutors being the leading and most prestigious school. During the course students are required to complete 11 dental nurses’ modules as well as to complete the Records of Experience (RoE). At the end of the 1-year course, students must take 2 exams, theoretical and practical, to receive the qualification. Since 2021 both exams are taken online which is very convenient for people as they do not need to leave their house. The course is also taken online which is a likeable teaching method by 90% of Dental Tutors students.
While on training, nurses can expect to earn £9-10 GBP an hour. Once qualified, the hourly wage can go up to £17 GBP. It is amazing to be earning that sort of money and working in a healthcare sector within a very short period of time.
Students who enrol in Dental Tutors online dental nurse course receive the following advantages:
- Animated videos, visual content created by their inhouse visual effects team
- Help in getting and securing a trainee dental nurse placement
- Integrated course progression tracker
- Interactive labelling exercises
- Access to all material online
- Lesson recordings for the entire syllabus
- High exam passing rate
- Mock and revision exams to help prepare
- Monthly payment plans tailored to each student
- Monday – Friday evening Zoom classes
- Student support and exam preparation lessons
- Assistance and guidance with Records of Experience
- 1-to-1 student support sessions and mentoring
- Ability to earn while you learn
- Flexibility while studying and working
