What is a dental nurse?

Question

I have never heard this term before. I'm a certified dental assistant in Canada. Certified are not we are called dental assistant. Just wondering if this is another countries term?

Don't mention It appreciate the answer, but I don't think you read my question properly ,before you wrote your essay lol

Answer 1

dental nurse
The work

Dental nurses work closely with dentists, providing assistance throughout a patient’s visit. Their duties include:

preparing the surgery
passing instruments
removing water and saliva from the patient’s mouth
sterilising instruments
preparing fillings.
If the dentist uses general anaesthetic, a suitably trained and qualified nurse may monitor the patient’s welfare.



Dental nurses maintain sterile conditions and ensure health and safety policy is adhered to. They help the dentist to record information about each patient and carry out stock control. They may also process radiographs.

Ensuring patients feel comfortable and relaxed at all times is important. In general practice, a dental nurse may assist on reception and with the administration of the practice.




Hours and Environment
Dental nurses generally work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Unsocial hours may be required to accommodate patients' needs. Part-time work is sometimes possible.

Dental nurses work in the NHS, private practice, community dental services, hospitals, industry, universities or the Armed Forces. Travel may be involved when working in certain branches.

Dental surgeries are clean, sterile and well-lit. Dental nurses wear a uniform and surgical gloves for protection. Safety glasses and a mask are also necessary to reduce the risk of cross-infection.

The majority of a dental nurse's work involves standing, which can be tiring.



Skills and Interests
To be a dental nurse you should:

be genuinely interested in the welfare of your patients
have a high level of manual dexterity, good eyesight and good physical health
be friendly and sympathetic with a calm, confident and reassuring manner
be able to relate well to a wide range of people including children and people with special needs
have a flexible approach to work in order to cope with frequent changes in schedule
be able to work well in a team
have good organisational skills to manage the administrative aspects of the job.

Entry

Many new entrants to this field start work with a general dental practice as a trainee dental nurse, learning on the job, and studying part-time for an approved qualification and entry onto the General Dental Council (GDC) register; see Training section for details.

It is also possible to begin working as a student dental nurse within a dental hospital or the Community Dental Service.

An alternative way into dental nursing is to study full-time for an approved qualification with a college, university or dental hospital. Courses combine theory with practical work; see Training section for details.

There are no set academic qualifications required to begin working as a trainee in a dental practice or clinic. However, most employers and course providers will ask for four GCSEs (A-C)/S grades (1-3) including English, and a science related subject; equivalent alternative qualifications may also be accepted. Personal qualities and suitability for the work are also important.

An Access to Higher Education qualification may also be accepted for entry to certain courses. Please check with course providers for exact entry requirements.

Apprenticeships may be available for those under the age of 24. In England these are currently Apprenticeships (level 2) and Advanced Apprenticeships (level 3). To find out more about these, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk

Apprenticeships may be different in other areas. For further information see Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland


Training
Since the end of July 2006, dental nurses have been able to join the General Dental Council (GDC) register - by July 2008, it will be an essential requirement for all dental nurses to be on the GDC register in order to practise in the UK.

To be considered a qualified dental nurse, with access onto the register, you should achieve one of the following:

the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN) National Certificate examination, plus 24 months experience
the S/NVQ Level 3 in Oral Healthcare: Dental Nursing
a Certificate of Proficiency in Dental Nursing awarded by a recognised Dental Hospital
the Certificate of Higher Education in Dental Nursing offered by the School of Professionals Complementary to Dentistry, at the University of Portsmouth.
Membership of the GDC is also available to:
existing members of the British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN) Voluntary National Register of Dental Nurses
dental nurses with qualifications which are no longer awarded (and therefore not listed above; the GDC hold a list)
dental nurses with four or more years' experience within the last eight years, who lack a relevant qualification.
If you have between two and four years experience, the GDC are developing routes which will allow you to 'top up' your experience with further training or assessment. If you have less than two years experience you may be able to work as a trainee whilst studying towards a recognised qualification.

Dental nurses with qualifications obtained overseas, as well as those who trained in the Armed Forces, may also be eligible to register. For more details regarding registration and acceptable qualifications, check the GDC website.



Dental nurse training covers both practical work and theory, topics include:

anatomy and physiology
dentistry techniques such as anaesthesia and sedation, restorative dentistry, orthodontics, oral surgery and dental radiography
control of infection including sterilisation, prevention of cross infection and storage of drugs
care of patients, maintaining records and preparation of fillings.

Opportunities
Dental nurses can work in general practice, hospitals, the Community Dental Service, industry, university and the Armed Forces.

Registered dental nurses may expand their knowledge and capabilities by studying for a NEBDN post-qualification certificate. These are available in a number of specialist areas, including:

Oral Health Education
Dental Sedation Nursing
Dental Anaesthetic Nursing
Special Care Dental Nursing
Orthodontic Nursing.
You must be on the Voluntary National Register of Dental Nurses in order to sit the NEBDN's post-qualification examinations.

Additional examinations such as a qualification in radiography, allow dental nurses to take on more responsibility. Some dental nurses choose to train as Dental Hygienists or Dental Therapists; see relevant job profiles for more information.

There may be an improvement in pay and prospects if statutory registration with the General Dental Council is introduced. The role of the dental nurse could be expanded and some dental nurses may become practice managers. In large dental practices, dental units, hospitals and in the community dental service there are opportunities for senior posts.



Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

The starting salary for a dental nurse can be around £14,000.
An experienced and qualified dental nurse can expect to earn between £16,500 and £19,500.
A team leader or dental nurse specialist can earn between £19,000 and £25,000.



Further information


National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN)
110 London Street
Fleetwood
Lancashire
FY7 6EU
Tel: [phone]
http://www.nebdn.org.uk


NHS Learning and Development Service
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]


British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN)
PO Box 4
Room 200
Hillhouse International Business Centre
Thornton-Cleveleys
FY5 4QD
http://www.badn.org.uk


General Dental Council
37 Wimpole Street
London
W1G 8DQ
Tel: [phone]
http://www.gdc-uk.org


NHS Careers
PO Box 376
Bristol
BS99 3EY
Tel: [phone]
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk

If you would like to discuss your career options with a learning advisor at the learndirect advice line, call 0800 100 900 or email: [e-mail]

Answer 2

A dental nurse is just another term for a dental assistant, I'm a dental nurse in the UK, we have came away from the term dental assistant and changed it to dental nurse

Answer 3

Registered dental nurse these work as a part of dental team these belong to a variety of clinical settings..

Answer 4

Uh, dude...don't you know that the dentist must be male and the nurse must be female? And the nurse has to be 20 something and cute and wear high heels to work everyday. Duhhhh.... you dolt, of course men can be dental nurses and women can be dentists. I would say that the only thing a man can't be is a lingerie model or a wet nurse....right?

Answer 5

You'll occasionally hear the term "dental nurse" applied to someone who's a certified dental assistant here in the US. Would it not be nice if that were the only silly mistake we Yanks make?

Answer 6

Who is taking care of our dental called as a dental nurse, she/he has complete assistance and responsibilities our teeth, they will treat our dental and they will keep our teeth healthy .

Answer 7

Dental nurses maintain sterile conditions and ensure wellness and prophylactic.

Answer 8

I think it's the same thing.

Answer 9

the one assisting the dentist