Help...I'm Thinking of Becoming a Dental Nurse????

hey i have started 2 months ago coming from working in the hotel industry for 8 years , i do really like it the surgery put me on course which is good , its a lot of work but it will be worth it in the end

shame that nurses get paid so little , maybe after you do your exams you can get better paid job like in hospital or something

i have a nice dentis , but ive heard that some oft he m can be quiet abrupt and selfish or whatever they they named called them

its busy as your are goign from one patinte to another and you have to be super organised to rmeeber all thing , instruments and dsinfection

it was all surreal or me at first but you will leanr and you can do it !

good l;uck and sorry for mistakes loo
xxx

You must have a qualification approved by the General Dental Council (GDC) to become a dental nurse.

Hi there pr6
I've been in dentistry for 30 yrs on and off and have had good and bad jobs. I started when qualification was not needed. But I did miss the grandparenting yrs so did the nvq course after finding a placement for a trainee nurse. What you will find is that u will get the same holidays as the schools but you would then be a xpected to work at the workplace, you don just get time off. Also you must be committed to this as a career as the money is lousy some shelf stakers in shops get paid the same and they don't do 2 years study. You just need all the facts b4 you decide. I am coming out soon as Im studying to be a chiropodist and work for myself and get more money but that's m decision. Good luck with yr choice

Your duties in the surgery will consist of a large number of practical dental procedures. So you need to be the type of person to carry these out efficiently, once you are trained.

Hi,

When I first set out to become a dental nurse I found it difficult- couldn't enrol on a course without being employed/ couldn't find work as a trainee with no experience or on a course.

I wrote to all my local practices and did some work experience - which was mainly free reception labour/ learning about instruments and observing procedures for a couple of hours a day around my full time job (as a beauty therapist). But it got me enough experience for a practice to take me on within a month.

I know nowadays everyone is worried to have work experience but if your happy to sign disclaimers and their happy to complete risk assessments and notify patients then its a great way to gain new knowledge.

I met a couple of people who used Harriet Ellis and were not very happy with the training or the lack of help finding employment.

I would advise you contact your local college- they may run the NVQ in dental nursing, their tutors visit all local practices and will know of any vacancies...and will enrol you on the course. (I believe the NVQ is funded so no fee for the employer or yourself) I did this and they set up an interview for me with a local practice looking for nurses....which I actually turned down.

I found employment after sending my CV/calling to follow up receipt of it and my dentist paid for me to do the National Diploma- think this was about £1300. This was one evening a week at my local hospital post grad centre for a year. Then two exams. Fairly intense but you gain most your learning whilst working.

I hear of lots of nurses being taken on as apprentices and dropped as soon as they qualify as they would need to be paid more- so check your contacts and entitlement.

Dentistry isn't for everyone- but completing work experience helped me to see how much I enjoyed it! I know manage a practice and a team on 5 nurses.

Might also be worth joining dental community groups on facebook- iv seen many offering jobs!

Just enrolled on a Harriet Ellis course. Felt a little cheated as it said looking for people in such and such an area so I applied thinking that there would be a job available but no. I'm still looking for a placement/job and is quite difficult. My fee was less with Harriet Ellis as special promotion.(may still be available) I have done this course before over a period of two years in a dental hospital and qualified in 1988. Even though I have the knowledge it will still demand a lot of work . With the HE course the placement/job is such that technically you are working and learning on the job. So with regards to holidays you would be entitled to annual leave that fits in with your team.
Good Luck with your decision.

Most Dental Hospitals where they train undergraduate Dentists and Hygienists, most probably run a course for Dental Nurses to get the NEBDN.

I did my course through my nearest dental hospital. 1 day full day per month. 9.30am till 4.30pm. It cost £1500 and that included all exams, lessons and a text book.

The NEBDN qualification needs a record of experience (ROE) completed. this is like a coursework, and you need to be in surgery to complete it. Once that is submitted, you get entered into the written exam. It is multiple choice questions. It is about 2 hrs long. Once you pass that then you get to do the practical. If you fail the written you cannot move onto the practical. The practical (osce) is about 2 hours long. Once you pass this you get the qualification. You have 3 years from submission of the ROE coursework to pass the exams. If you keep failing and take longer than 3 years, you have to complete a new ROE.

There is about a month inbetween doing the written exam and the practical. NEBDN have an exam schedule on their website.

I did my exams in 2013.

Hi, don't know how much help I can be but I'll try.
I did my NEBDN way back in 1988, back then you had to have been working in a surgery for two years to be able to go on the course.
A friend of mine did the course a few years back and although she passed she needed to do two years chairside to get the qualification recognised. She didn't do the last 3 months so is not recognised as a qualified dental nurse and cannot register. I don't know if this is still the same now or if you can do less chair side. You need to find this out.
35years in I love the job. When I started as a 16 year old ,at interview the dentist did her best to put me off. She said the job is full of puke, bad smells, grotty mouths and bodily fluids! she painted a very grim picture but I wanted a job so badly I refused to be put off.

The job has had its moments over the years but for all the lows there's been some pretty awesome highs. It is a vocation, hence don't expect high pay unless you live/work in a particularly affluent area. My wage has always been a second income, my husband being the main bread winner.

The exam I remember even now as terrifying It started at 8.30am and didn't finish until 5.30pm (with breaks but you were kept isolated from other nurses ). It was extremely formal and very strict.

I don't mean to put you off, I just don't sugar coat things. ( should that be sugar-free coat things!). Sorry dental humour - I am institutionalized

My point is, if you read all this and still feel like giving it a go then go for it! We dental nurses are special people and as a group we all know how valuable we are and that gives us career satisfaction

I would try to find a surgery to take you on as a trainee though before you lay out all that money. Most surgeries will pay for or contribute towards your course once you are employed by them. And you really do need the hands on experience.

I hope I haven't put you off, I think the service would benefit by having more male nurses.

Good luck with your decision

Allison

Hi! Not sure how much help I can be as I didn't follow the same route as you (what you're thinking of doing).

Is it possible for you to try and find a practice what want a trainee? I work for a private practice and we've just taken on two trainee's which do in house training & 1 day at college per week. That's also how I trained. I did the National qualification.

Like you, I wasn't really fussed at Dental on the whole - quite interested in the aspects of it but wouldn't be a die hard fan of the profession, I kind of stumbled into the job roll after applying on a whim. 9 years later, I do still enjoy it and I have learned so much about the subject. I did ok at school but im generally not great at staying with one subject - ive managed with Dental though as developments are always changing, new techniques arise every year, new equipment is made which aids treatment etc. Its quite wonderful when you really dive into it. Also, when i went to do my exams, there were male's present also taking exams so don't think you'll be the only bloke in the profession.

Just note that the wage isn't great for a trained profession. Ive been qualified for years and i still earn less than £9ph - pay will increase dependant on area (London etc).

Cant really help you much more than give you advice on what i know - if you get the chance and you need/want a change; then do it. Just make yourself happy while going along

Hi I'm a Newbie, so not sure if I've posted this in the right section. Maybe the Moderators could move it if it's not.

You've likely had this kind of thread appear 1000000 times, but I need help in deciding if Dental Nursing is a wise move. I've read responses to the same question on other resources, older ones admittedly and they vary from people hating the job to people loving it. Have things got better for Dental Nurses in the last few years? Wages vary much?

A bit about me now, so would appreciate anyone taking the time to read and offer advice.



I was made redundant recently and am starting to get disillusioned re finding a job. I'm in my early 40's and I'm MALE, not many Male Dental Nurses about, right?

Anyway, I saw an ad for the industry standard Dental Nurse Diploma (NEBDN), starting in late June (Harriet Ellis, Price = £1500) not sure if there are cheaper options around for same qualification.

I would have to pay for this course obviously but I don't mind if it leads to a new Career, I do want a new Career anyway. I do have an interest in Health Related Sciences and am sure I could apply myself to this line of work.

Just a few tips would be great from anyone who has done it. It involves 1 night a week Classroom Study, 2.5 hours, good I can manage that. Not sure how much Homework time I may have to set aside?????

I'm not academically brilliant though, although I am more talented Vocationally. I started a Degree a few years ago and packed it in during the 2nd year due to the sheer volume of work involved, but I did get 75% in my first year. I also passed a Health Science Access Course with ease as well to get to Uni.

I'm guessing that this diploma will not be as demanding as a Degree though???

I have a Manufacturing/Engineering Background, so, I am practical and although you may not think it, there are similarities with my usual job and Dental nursing in regard to planning (preparing the correct tools/implements),being meticulous etc.

Next problem, I would need to get a placement at a Dentist Surgery to complete my Portfolio/ROE and thus complete the Diploma. Harriet Ellis say they will try their best to get their students a placement within 13 weeks, but there is no guarantee.

There lies the problem....NO GUARANTEE. time is running as well out and I don't think I can part with the cash with that level of uncertainty. Did any of you on here manage to find your own placement?????

I'm looking on the Jobmatch website as there may be Surgeries advertising there, but I can't guarantee that either, no luck yet.

Another worry is if I have to pass an interview to get a placement in a Dental Surgery. I am interested in the Job as a career move as it is a job I'm confident I can apply myself to.

I like people and am friendly, but I am not "excited" by Dentistry, OK, it is interesting and I highly admire the skill of Dentists. Really you could say that I am "Buying a Job that I would find interesting" providing I pass the NEBDN. I also see it as a Job with decent Job Security (so long as I do the job right).

Look at it this way though, it's not desperation as there are some jobs I wouldn't pay to get into.

If I did get a placement I'd expect it to be Minimum Wage, but I could scrape by on Minimum wage for a year, so that's no big deal.

Anyone here taken this course? Does this course have the usual term breaks that Uni Students get? For if you have Holidays Booked etc.

Any help greatly received.

Thank you.