I still remember my first years as a dental nurse. What stands out the most to me is the joy and enthusiasm I felt as I learned about the different treatments and set-ups, as I discovered the depths of infection control, and as I found ways to help put patients at ease and make them smile. Like a lot of fellow dental nurses, I was – and still am – proud of the position I found myself in, and I adored the job satisfaction that I gleaned from my everyday duties and the extent to which my own patient care could affect patients and make such a positive and lasting impact on their lives. Even now, I have patients who I haven’t seen in years come to me and ask how I am, catch up on my life, and wish me well because they remember me. They remember the influence I had, and they recognise the good that I did – and this makes me happy and proud of my role.
Yet recent times have seen a dental nurse shortage, with practices crying out for help as qualified dental nurses search for work elsewhere. After all, how many of you have had the thought – or at least heard others say – that you could have less responsibility yet earn more by stacking shelves in a supermarket?
I understand the thought process, especially as the demands on our role increase and we find ourselves under closer scrutiny and with more responsibilities. For me, the job satisfaction outweighs this. I couldn’t imagine ever getting the same job satisfaction from other customer service roles as I do from dental nursing, and I also can’t see there being as many opportunities for career development as there are in and around dentistry.
Why choose dental nursing?
Although it may not seem like it, dental nursing is actually one of the best stepping stones you can take in your career in order to learn valuable skills that make you perfect for other job roles. The skills you would learn in other customer service roles are enhanced and expanded in dentistry because your responsibility is that much greater, and you’ll find that not only will you learn things that will make you stand out in job applications, but you’ll also be able to show your level of skill, responsibility, and dependability based upon your performance as a dental nurse.
What skills are there?
You may be surprised to discover the number of skills you have/will pick up as a dental nurse, because they become such a standard part of your everyday work that you don’t realise how much you are developing. While this list is by no means comprehensive, it’s a good start to seeing just how different your experience as a dental nurse is compared to other jobs:
Patient care: there is no denying that patient care holds some similarities to customer service. However, in a healthcare role, it is much more involved. Whereas in other customer service jobs you would be helping someone with a short-term problem or service, in dentistry you are doing something more long-term, which in turn helps you to fine-tune and further develop your skills of communication. As you build an excellent rapport with patients and stabilise relationships during their long-term care, you will discover the ways in which you can help others to feel at ease in your presence, how you can explain details to them in clear and concise language they can understand, and how you can be a supportive person in their care from the moment of meeting them onwards, through ongoing appointments. Patient care is not just checking a person out of a store or guiding them to the correct area for an item, but rather making a positive and lasting impact that helps them to establish habits which contribute to a better oral health regime that will improve their quality of life. It’s you who is making a difference when you help others, and finding satisfaction in doing so.
IT skills: with the amount of computer use there is in today's dentistry, it is no wonder that we will develop IT skills that we likely wouldn’t in other jobs. Data entry is part of our daily duties as we create patient files and take dental notes in appointments. Correspondence is a regular occurrence, with email responses and referrals being frequent activities. You may even find that you are a part of the practice tech support as you learn how to fix issues with computers and programming – and let’s not forget the number of programs that we have to learn and adapt to with the changing times in dentistry, be they dental software, x-ray processing, compliance programs, and even the numerous uses of Microsoft Office. These are all sought-after traits in computer-based jobs which show you have the ability and proficiency to learn and develop computer skills for various programming.
Education and learning: it may not seem like it, but the studying we do for our role is also another huge plus! Showing that you undertook a specific training course for your job demonstrates that you are academic, able and willing to learn, and that you can complete tasks to a written brief under self-guided study to a deadline. Our continuous professional development also contributes to this skill, as it shows that you can uphold your standards of practice and are willing to refresh industry-based knowledge for the development of yourself and your job. Employers are always looking for candidates able to work to deadlines, and often those who can work on their own initiative and can show that they have a proven track record of doing so – and that’s exactly what your studies provide.
Sciences and infection control: this one is quite specific, but we do take on knowledge and understanding of the biosciences and infection control that make up a large part of our responsibilities. From understanding the risks of airborne viruses and legionella through to how to prevent cross-contamination and bacteria growth, your understanding and application of such complex knowledge demonstrates to any employer that you are able to take on information relating to your role and correctly apply it in your day-to-day duties.
Teamwork: let’s not forget about the most crucial part of the practice – our teamwork. While it can be important to be able to work alone and under your own initiative, it is also equally vital that you can blend into a team and learn how to work with others in a productive and supportive manner – and where else does that happen more than in a dental practice? The team must work together to create a positive environment, to reduce practice disruption, and to help each other when problems arise. Your existing teamwork experience can be used to show how you resolve inner conflicts, how you pull the team together when there are issues with other members, or how you can take charge and lead the team to success. Teamwork, while a part of many jobs, is not one to take for granted, and dental nursing comes with more opportunities and examples of it than most others.
What progression is there?
With the development of so many skills, you may wonder what on earth you can use them for. Are you stuck in dentistry? Can you expand outside of your role or grow your dental career? It can seem like there are no options once you have settled into a role, but with dental nursing the possibilities are endless:
Advance your dental career: I have known numerous colleagues who began their career as a dental nurse before falling in love with the industry as a whole, and they have all proceeded to move on to various dental-related roles. This can be upskilling through dental nurse courses so that you are able to take radiographs and impressions or apply fluoride, or it can be through becoming a treatment-coordinator for a busy practice. Other positions include head nurse, where you take care of the team and day-to-day duties within the practice, or it can be progressing through to management where you oversee audits, risk assessments, finances, and the practice and team as a whole. Others take a different route, and instead return to university to study for a dental or hygiene qualification which can see them through to becoming a clinician. This is such a common pathway and comes after working in the industry long enough to see how much you would love being even more involved in patient care than you are as a dental nurse. Regardless of the route you choose to take, it’s no lie that dental nursing really can be used as a starting point, or it can be where you settle and are happy for the entirety of your career; but either way, you can never say you are stuck because there is so much out there to branch into because of what you have done already in your role.
Training others: if you want to leave practice care but remain within the dental industry, then why not look at taking a course and training others to become dental nurses? With there being such a high demand for dental nurses as there is, there will be plenty of opportunities to train them to become the best they can be. You may find this role in a corporate practice that needs staff to train new employees, or you may prefer to join a training agency that takes on delivering the coursework and support to the apprentices. Either way, there are opportunities for you to put your extensive knowledge to good use, and to help others to grow into the excellent dental nurses you know they can be under your tutelage.
Leave dentistry: some dental nurses find that they tire of the industry after 5+ years and yearn for something else – and that’s okay! A large plus side of this role is that the skills you develop can be transferred to many other jobs and can be valuable in a new employer's eyes. This list isn’t exhaustive of all the possibilities available, but a few different jobs I have known dental nurses go into are: dental sales; support/care work; phlebotomy; IT support; accountancy; senior management (industries vary); writing; therapy/counselling; midwifery; healthcare. There are so many more jobs that are possible too, and your skills gained from your time as a dental nurse will help you get there where other jobs may not.
Don’t underestimate your abilities – or your impact!
There is so much a dental nurse can provide a patient, and it’s important to remember the impact your actions can have on them, and on the general public.
From providing comfort and support throughout their care, to advocating for better oral health education in practice or in your social circles, you have the unique ability to use your position to create a long-term impact on others and aid their understanding and use of good oral health practices.
And the impact doesn’t end at work or at home; you can get involved in the local community to help build more knowledge and spread oral health education awareness as an oral health ambassador. From visiting local schools to help children begin good habits early – especially with so many struggling to get NHS dental appointments – to visiting care homes to advise on the best way to care for elderly dentition and dentures, your advice can be the difference that sees adults and children gaining access to information that was previously limited.
Whether it’s in practice, schools, care homes, shelters, food banks, or somewhere else entirely, our time and knowledge is crucial in making a long-term, positive impact on the lives of others as we help them to achieve oral health that reduces pain, discomfort and embarrassment, and increases knowledge, good practices and confidence.
A final note
It has become easy in recent times to be negative about our job roles for various reasons – the most prevalent of which is the pay and lack of benefits, or lack of appreciation from employers. However, I strongly believe that a job is what you make of it, and taking the initiative and making the positive changes in your own role can make a huge difference. Whether it’s by lifting the team’s spirits and encouraging them all to work together to make the working environment a better place to be, or whether it’s by finding new pastures to improve your financial position and development, there are ways for you to still be happy in the job you once loved without having to leave the industry altogether. And while it has become common to say that you would be better of as a cleaner or shop worker, due to less stress and responsibilities (such as GDC registration, indemnity, and CPD undertaking), do keep in mind that all jobs have their negatives, and ask yourself if you could gain the same job satisfaction, skills development, career progression, and personal growth from other roles as you could from the one you are already in.
And if you do choose to leave the industry, no matter what your reason or need to do so, just know that dentistry will always be here to welcome you back and, no matter what, you are appreciated and valued for all that you do.
By Natasha Garthwaite BSc, RDN.
