Diploma in Dental Nursing

Course review:

Dental nurse dental care professionals and work as part of the dental team. A dental nurse support the dentist in all aspect of patient care, this includes getting the appropriate instruments ready, mixing materials and ensuring patient comforts.

Working as a Dental Nurse in the UK

In general practice, sometimes the dental nurse may help with reception work, making appointment, taking payments, dealing with paperwork and meeting and reassuring patient.

Career prospects

Gaining the dental nurse qualification is the first step in a career within dentistry. There are many different specialist careers within dentistry and dental nursing is usually a requirement for those wishing to become a dental Hygienist or Dental therapist.

How to qualify as a Dental Nurse

You must first study at an accredited National certificate training centre or provisionally accredited centre who can then submit your name to the national examination board for dental nurse for examination. You will also need to have a total of 12 months chair side experience as a trainee dental nurse under the supervision of a qualified dentist who is registered with the general dental council. Qualification is achieved when both of these elements are successfully completed.

You should also be aware that the 12 months chair side experience or a portion of it must be done before the actual exam. Starting in may 2009 all students wishing to take the national certificate will also need to complete a document called " The Record of Experience" which is a logue of completed assignment signed b qualified dentist who is registered with the general dental council.

Different working environments

Dental practices, private clinics, hospitals and schools

The Syllabus

1. Health and safety in the workplace

2. Emergencies in the dental surgery

3. Legal and Ethical issues in the Provision of Dental care

4. Anatomical Structures and system Relative to Dental Treatment

5. Oral Disease and Pathology

6. Patient Care and Management

7. Assessing Patient Oral Health Needs and training planning

8. Oral Health Promotion and preventive Dentistry

9. Restorative Dentistry

10. Oral Surgery

11. Orthodontics Procedures

12. Dental Drugs, Materials, Instrument and equipment

13. Pain and Anxiety Control in dentistry

14. Radiography

15. Communication

This syllabus is follows the strict guidelines outline by the National Examination Board of Dental Nursing.