Thinking of a Career Change - HELP!

I am a Qualified Dental Nurse for over 4 years, wants to get into tutoring. I am about to finish my level 3 in Award in Education and training (AET). Will I be able to teach Dental nursing after this course, will I be able to check students work and exams e.t.c ?, or I need some other qualification to do that.
Suggestions please.

I have recently registered onto the dental nurse network an have been reading the dental nurse forums which have gave me great insight.

After reading your response I notice you no longer work within chair side dentistry and instead work as a oral health educator, how did you gain this qualification? did you have to do this whilst being a chairside nurse? As I am slowly becoming to realise that dental nurses are always recognised for their great skills and knowledge and was considering changing into career which no longer is chairside.

Thanks!

thankyou for your reply, it's given me some things to look at. I have wanted to do my OHE qualification for ages as i didn't think I would ever have use for it as a chair side nurse, although I understand that all courses are good to do even if you don't end up using them!

But after hearing about everything you do with your qualification it has inspired me to look into this as i didn't even know that that WAS a job. I'm really excited at more options!

thankyou!

xx

Hi Charlotte, I know exactly where you are coming from. I have been a Dental Nurse for 19 years and feel very much stuck in a rut as where I work there is no possibility for progression. I have been looking for a new job for ages but either don't get a reply, get told to keep looking at the websites or that I don't have any experience to do other things. It is really beginning to get me down.
I am going to add my own post to see if I get any reply's or help, which if I do may also help you?
You are still young and will find a new path so don't give up. In the meantime try to find whats good about this career as could be a lot worse jobs out there.
I wish you luck.

Have you considered a non-clinical role within dentistry? I work as an Oral Health Educator/ Extended Duty Dental Nurse with the NHS.
The bulk of my role is community/ public dental health working in schools, family centres, workplaces and other community settings delivering classes, training and workshops as well as having an advisory role with other health professionals to ensure that oral health is considered in planning and development of interventions. A developing part of my role is working with learning disability groups to help support and acclimatise them for dental treatment.
My job is very varied and no two days are the same. I develop my own lesson plans and visual aids (inc leaflets and posters) and pretty much run my own diary. I don't think that I could go back to chairside again but there is scope to use your skills and knowledge within a different role.
I have my certificate in oral health education and i did a health promotion course as well as my EDDN training. Worth considering, perhaps? x

Hi

Yes I have had these thoughts too and know of many others that have also been there. I guess you need to start with thinking what you like doing as no two people are the same. Do you like the clinical side and would like to do something else clinical? Hospital, optics, aesthetics etc. Do you like dentistry but would like to move to a different/bigger place or a hospital? Or do you not like any of it? My friend left dentistry but went into marketing which is completely different!

Dear Charlotte,

I hope you are well too!

Your concerns are understandable and many people in many different careers can feel this at different points. Not just Dentistry alone.

Have you considered working part-time and looking for alternative options? So you have the safety net of dental industry whilst you explore other industries.

Have you considered the alternative 'niche' industries inside Dentistry besides practice - such as working in a hospital with different dental specialties - there are many e.g. orthodontics/maxillofacial.

Good luck and world is your oyster!
Sneha

Good Morning all! i hope you're all good!

so I have started to become a little restless in Dentistry, I have been a Dental Nurse for 8 years next month and I really don't want to be one for the rest of my life (I am 28). I'm also not over keen on being a Hygienist or therapist. I am a little concerned that as i have been doing this job for such a long time I am not particularly skilled in anything else, I have never enjoyed a career path for so long but I just feel I need a change.

Does anyone else have these concerns? has anyone else had a change of heart with dentistry? what does everyone else see themselves doing ? or does anyone know an ex dental nurse who changed career and what did they end up doing?

looking forward to hearing from anyone who wants to talk!

Charlotte xx