Healthcare and Social Care - Dental Nurse
Healthcare and Social Care - Dental Nurse
Amber
Dental nurses support dentists in all areas of dental care.
- Sterilise instruments and pass them to the dentist
- Prepare materials to make fillings
- Remove water and saliva from the patient's mouth during treatment
- Make sure the patient is comfortable
- Tidy the surgery and keep records about each patient
As a Dental Nurse, you could work at a dental practice, at a health centre or in an NHS or private hospital.
You may need to wear protective clothing and a uniform.
Dental Nurses tend to work between 37 to 40 hours a week. You could work evenings and weekends on a rota.
Starting: £21,730
Experienced: £32,934
You could do a course at college that would give you the skills and knowledge to become a dental nurse.
Courses include a level 3 diploma in dental nursing and a T Level in Health.
The courses will usually be a mix of full-time study with work experience in a dental surgery. You'll usually need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course.
You could do a dental nursing advanced apprenticeship. You'll need to be working in a dental surgery to do an apprenticeship. You could also do a dental nursing advanced apprenticeship in the armed forces.
You could start as a trainee at a dental practice. You could then study for a dental nurse qualification on the job. This is a common route to take to become a dental nurse.