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Dental nurses support dentists in the healthcare of patients. Their work includes helping to prepare the dental surgery and ensuring that equipment and working areas are sterile. While the dentist examines and treats a patient, dental nurses help by performing tasks such as making sure the patient is comfortable, recording the dentist's observations, passing instruments, using a suction device to remove saliva and debris from the patient's mouth, preparing materials for fillings and tidying the surgery.

In some dental practices, dental nurses also work on the reception desk, answering the telephone, making appointments, dealing with paperwork, calculating the cost of treatment and taking payments. They could also be involved in taking deliveries and helping with stock control.

In hospital dentistry, dental nurses may sometimes help in the operating theatre.
For the Community Dental Service, they may work in a number of different places including health authority surgeries, mobile clinics, schools, residential homes or patients' own homes.

Dental nurses wear a uniform, surgical gloves, safety glasses and sometimes a mask when working with patients.

Entry level

Formal qualifications are not needed to begin training, but GCSEs/S grades or equivalent qualifications in English and biology can be an advantage.

Since autumn 2004, you must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) before you can practise. To qualify for this, you will need the National Certificate in Dental Nursing, NVQ/SVQ Level 3 in Oral Healthcare or a Certificate of Proficiency in Dental Nursing awarded by a recognised dental hospital.

Making the grade

There are several ways of training and studying for a qualification which will allow registration with the GDC. Most people join a general dental practice as a trainee, and learn on the job while studying for a qualification at evening classes or on day release.

You can also apply to join a dental hospital or the Community Dental Service as a student dental nurse, or train as a dental nurse in the armed forces.

Full-time courses in dental nursing last one or two years and are offered by some colleges and dental hospitals. Combining theory and practical work, the courses cover such topics as anatomy, physiology, the causes of decay and gum disease, control of infection, storage of drugs, preparing fillings, maintaining dental records and caring for patients.

Once qualified, you would be required to keep your skills and knowledge up to date through a programme of continuous professional development. You can also improve your career prospects by taking further qualifications in subjects such as oral health education, dental sedation nursing and dental anaesthetic nursing.