Dental Nurse Salary

The minimum wage is more than that in fact in October its going to be £6.35 or there abouts. I would ask your dentist for a payrise or look for something else.

Hi,
I have ( and some of my friends as well have) seen nurses that do NOT work hard. Sit and do nothing, being away with the fairies, sending sms during treatments...and not really contributing with anything other than worries..will she come in today or will she have a sick day again, some thinking "it is not my money so I can nick a box of gloves or make phone-calls for free here" et cetera.
Now, I don't , at all, think it is right to treat people bad in any way shape or form.
What I do mean is that we need to understand the differences between a dentist and a dental nurse as the complaints are about the dentists. As I mentioned there are a few differences..
It isn't always 'the dentist's' "fault that the salary is what it is and if we are so disappointed and think we deserve better, why is there no initiative for a Union?
Society today is harder, and we need to accept that and start standing up for the Dental Nursing. Not just moan about it.
I am sure that there are many hard working nurses out there, no doubt about that, but still we are missing the link to be united.
As we all know, we will do better in numbers...

I'd just like to add I don't know one dental nurse who doesn't work hard and if she doesn't want to further her education it shouldn't mean getting paid less than she deserves.

It's fantastic to hear someone getting what they deserve, good for you

Hello,
I do think we need to be honest here as well.
The Dentist has qualified after 5-7 years of education, which as we know isn't for free. It is hard time of study, don't under estimate that.
We can qualify in a year or possibly 18 months on an evening course, so can be working during the time and being paid by the dentist.

The dentist, is responsible for and pay for , the practice (the rent or other), other staff, gas, electricity, all repairs,insurances,materials, instruments, telephone etcetera etcetera weather any patients come in or not!...don't forget this! A lot of staff take advantage of various things, because "it is someone else paying", one example is ringing on the practice phone, but there are other examples...

Of course everyone must be paid according to what they are worth, and not being treated badly. but it saddens me to read all complaints without any understanding. If the dentist didn't earn any money you wouldn't have a job.
It will be a bit of a sour stick to watch if the dentist has an expensive car or so, but that is how it is. Work hard, study more, become better,get some qualification...complaints will not help.
Now, I am all for a Union as you can see from my previous postings, so don't judge me from just my comments her. I asked for some reactions from people here, a while ago about starting a Union but , you know what, the interest was nearly zero.
So, frankly, stop moaning and do something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi

There seems to be such a huge vary in wages for dental nurses
When I trained in practice at 17 I was lucky if I made £600 after tax! Then moving to community I made £13,333 a year (this was before Nhs agenda for change) now I'm in hospital as a senior dental nurse and get £26,665 my top pay band will be £27,550, Nhs community and hospitals will be on the same pay band as some medical professions which I think has made our working very fair I get the same as some staff nurses.
I am very glad I'm not in a practice anymore!

Lol

Vms118 wrote:

MrsW wrote: Salary is such a touchy subject....
Some of my colleagues and I were talking about it only the other day. We found out that there are 2 or 3 nurses who are not yet qualified because they come under the "Grandmother Scheme" (What is this exactly?!) yet, they are paid at the same rate as us who are qualified.....

Even though I agree with the general feeling of your post, especially the getting paid similarly too those who you are doing more than - i think the above statement is very short sighted. Yes they may not be qualified but to dismiss the years of experience they have (I am NOT grdanmother qualified btw) seems veryshort sighted. If all professionals of any health area had to retrain every time a new qual level came about, we'd all spend our time at uni/college and never see any patients.

And by your logic, I assume it's safe to say that - somebody who went to university and studied for a, say BSC in a subject that is not vocational and could be argued serves no real purose, deserves too be paid more than you (or I) simpy because their qualification is higher than yours (assuming you've got the nvq or nat cert)? How would you feel if you as a skilled individual were too earn less than an unskilled individual even if you were clearly more skilled?

You make a fair point. I never thought of it that way and I should have. As usual, one sided thinking.... My opinion has been well and truly changed

Vms118 - Completely agree with you, some of the 'best' nurses I've worked with have grandmothered. there is no substitute for experience. these nurses still pay the same GDC reg as us and still have to abide to the same CPD regulations.

MrsW wrote: Salary is such a touchy subject....
Some of my colleagues and I were talking about it only the other day. We found out that there are 2 or 3 nurses who are not yet qualified because they come under the "Grandmother Scheme" (What is this exactly?!) yet, they are paid at the same rate as us who are qualified.....

Even though I agree with the general feeling of your post, especially the getting paid similarly too those who you are doing more than - i think the above statement is very short sighted. Yes they may not be qualified but to dismiss the years of experience they have (I am NOT grdanmother qualified btw) seems veryshort sighted. If all professionals of any health area had to retrain every time a new qual level came about, we'd all spend our time at uni/college and never see any patients.

And by your logic, I assume it's safe to say that - somebody who went to university and studied for a, say BSC in a subject that is not vocational and could be argued serves no real purose, deserves too be paid more than you (or I) simpy because their qualification is higher than yours (assuming you've got the nvq or nat cert)? How would you feel if you as a skilled individual were too earn less than an unskilled individual even if you were clearly more skilled?

Hi,
would it be a way forward to mention pay-rise in the yearly appraisal?

Don't forget to write down all you really do, all courses, responsibilities and so on. Why you should be more paid....
When presenting it, I don't think it is a good idea to just say: -all the other nurses have more than me..., or my car is so bad I need a new one..
Right now it might be a bit difficult to get a pay-rise as times aren't really good for anyone, not even dentists.
But, you never know!

Salary is such a touchy subject....
Some of my colleagues and I were talking about it only the other day. We found out that there are 2 or 3 nurses who are not yet qualified because they come under the "Grandmother Scheme" (What is this exactly?!) yet, they are paid at the same rate as us who are qualified. I find this highly unfair. I also find it ridiculous that one of those is also the "Head Nurse", but thats a totally different subject!
I joined my current practice just over a year ago. At the interview I was asked what sort of wage I expect from them. Well, I really don't like talking money in that way but I was very brave and said that as I have the OHE and Radiography qualifications I do expect to be paid more.
Their reply was that the "going rate" for a nurse was £10.67.....this was a LOT more than I was on previously so therefore (stupidly) assumed I was being paid as per my qual's. I found out recently that I am on exactly the same as all the other nurses. It does make me angry and think: "I'll just refuse to continue taking X-rays if they refuse to up my wages" but I feel that then makes my time and effort in doing the course a total waste of time....

Having talked to many Dental Nurses on various CPD courses, the general feeling is one of being quite disheartened. We have been recognised as a profession and have all the pressures that go with it. To be registered' paying a much higher registration fee than Nurses and paramedics. To complete required amounts of verifiable CPD and non verifiable (often done in our own time). I have met some nurses who have had to pay for their own CPD courses and have to take annual leave to attend them. Most Dental Nurses love their job and are immensly caring individuals. We work at a furious pace, are masters of time management and organisation. We provide support to the patient and Dentist whilst adhering to ever increasing protocols and regulations. No wonder the frustration at the poor wages offered. I work in the North East of england where it is quite common to see adverts for Dental Nurses stating " Meets National Minimum Wage"!!!
A person can actually earn more in this region cleaning for a living which is very sad. I have been a Dental nurse for 31 years and recently passed my radiography exam. Whilst the practice paid for the course, for which i was grateful, my workload has increased but my salary hasn't!! I should add to be fair that my practice pays for registration and CPD courses. I really feel that there should be a set scale of pay for Dental Nurses. Maybe when the shortage of Dental Nurses becomes acute there will be a move in that direction. But at what cost?

a

I was gettign paid £5.50ph when i first started as a trainee in an NHS practice, i then changed to private practice and got £8.00 and 4years later im now on £10ph with talk of a payrise.
Maybe it depends on where in the country you are and also if you are working for NHS or private practice. I think you should def' be getting more than £6.00ph though! x

I would love to be getting £12.00ph, but i;m no where near that amount, I get £7.44ph, i have been doing this job for over 6years, i split my working week between reception and surgery work, I was given admin tasks to help in the practice, pt recalls, outstanding treatment, FTA's, cancelations. I cover the jobs the senior receptionist does when off, A mamber of staff has gone onto maternity leave and i have taken on the role of infection control leader for 12mths and still haven't had pay rise.
I have looked around for another practice but they to pay a low wage, we all feel under thought of and wounder if Dentists know what we do and how hard we work.

I think it's hilarious that people think, the GDC don't know what range of pay nurses receive.

The institution is full of DCP's and dentists for cryinig out loud. This business about a hygienist saying the DN's are on equal pay is rubbish. She may have actually said it but it means zip. The GDC are just as bad as the BADN.

I think that the reason the GDC don't produce more modern guidance on DCP pay is because they don't have to! why rock the boat when there's no need? it's not like DN's can strike is it? we don't have a union top organise and validate any such action.

Things are going to be this way for a long time

It's ridiculous that the GDC did not do the proper research to discover the true wage of the dental nurse. How can they be so off hand with professionals livelihoods. All they had to do was ask the dentist to fill in short survey, make it compulsory and stick a date to return by date on it and then they could work with facts instead of supposition.

Why are the BADN not representing it's members. They should have surveyed them and put forward facts on what members are actually getting paid. Again the GDC should have approached them as a source of possibly accurate information. As long as the BADN are working in conjunction with what dentists dictate they are not an independent body representing dental nurses.

Perhaps more independent dental nurses need to sit on the GDC board

They are still working in conjunction to what dentists should pay us. Now tho the GDC also say that DNs should be paid what the dentists pay us. Despite our Qualifications. When the GDC said a few years ago that we would be under the same umberella as dentists etc. This was at the Reebok. A nurse stood up and shouted out what about our wages??? The spokes person never even mentioned our wages.
Also the reason our ARF is so high is that the GDC have had a hygenist on the board and she said that all DNs were paid the same as them. So the GDC in their wisdom took that as read and gave us the Registration fees.

BADN is a union by definition but does not take on the role of a union. It may have changed now but many years ago I challenged it's definition and that it was producing recommended pay scales which were an insult to the membership. Their response was that this is what the dentists would pay, to which I pointed out that the dentist were using that to set the wages and that as they were suppose to be representing DN's then it should be based on their skills not on what dentists are willing to pay.

I am not a member so don't know if their representation has improved or they are still working in conjunction with what dentists are willing to pay.

Hiya,

Someone mentioned agency work. I can recommended toothfairies dental agency, the pay isn't the best out of all the agencies but they treat you v well. It sounds like you're undervalued and underpaid, maybe it's time to find a practice/agency that appreciate you. Good luck

Some trainee dental nurses are on £8.00 ph but once they qualify they dont get a rise as the dentist says they are already on the higher scale. Most qual nurses get £10.00 ph. If theyre lucky. I also Know of qualified nurses on alot less but cant find work else where unless they join an agency.
We cat strike as the BADN is a body not a union.

Not allowed? if vital services such as firewomen/men are allowed to strike I think DN's will be able to. But that's beside the point, there is no central nurse org to arrange any strike...

So true, but I think its written some where in our standards that we`re not allowed to strike.
But its something im looking into.

A national strike days what you want

This way when they have to work alone they may realise what you do and how much loss of earnings they have lost due to days pt being cancelled.

Im on just over £9.00 ph. Im going to ask for a pay rise if I pass my radiography the results are due out next week. But even if I dont pass Im still going to ask. Hes very good. The GDC say what we should be paid they dont recgonise yet that we a re professionals in our own right.

If this help (which I'm sure it won't), £12 would be lovely, but after 14 yrs experience, 11 post qualification, OHE qualification & trained to apply fluoride varnish, I'm only on £8 p/h. Don't hold out for much more, most bosses don't actually appreciate what their dental nurses do, until they stop doing it, that is.

I'd agree with Nerd on two things, go find somewhere else to work if you're only going to get £6p/h. Secondly DN's should be definitely paid closer to £12 p/h than £6 p/h but I think this amount is unrealistic. I'd love to know how many people actually get paid paid over £10 for a purely DN role? I'd bet less then 15% of the DN population (outside of London that is)

hey ya! i think we have another treads talking about pay and stuff, have a look at some of those oldies.... hehe
but £6.00 is very little, I was a trainee at £8 pounds an hour.... so go and find another place to work. fairly you should be getting at least £12 pounds as a qualified Dental nurse.
good luck! x

Hi all
i was told about this site and wondered if anyone could help.
ive recently sat my dn exam and passed and finish the completed course in 2 weeks. What should i be gettin paid or is £6 pounds and hour the goin rate nowadays im sure it isnt HHEELLPP?