Thinking back to my childhood visits to the dentist, we used a local NHS practice that had one dentist, a receptionist, and a dental nurse (whom I can still see in my mind's eye). This dental nurse remained a constant over the years, even when the original dentist retired and the practice was taken over. The softly-spoken dental nurse, who remained mostly silent throughout our family visits but always had a smile and a sticker as we left the surgery, was always there.
Starting My Career in Dental Nursing
When I began my own career in dental nursing at the age of nineteen, I joined an NHS three-surgery practice. There were three nurses. One was an older lady who had been there for a long time, working for a lovely man who had owned the practice for many years. The practice had been taken over just before I joined, and there were lots of changes going on, including renovations and the introduction of a computer system.
I knew from my first day at the practice that this was what I wanted to do. As the days, weeks, and months passed and I began my NEBDN course, I remember thinking that as much as I loved the job, I didn’t feel it was something I would want to do as I got older. Naively, at nineteen, my career, life and time itself spread out before me with no end in sight.
Building Experience and Gaining Certificates
The next couple of years passed by. I now had my certificate. I had met my partner, and we had bought our first house together. I still very much enjoyed my job, but the practice was put up for sale in 2009. I was offered a job by the associate dentist I worked with who had bought a practice in the next town. Unsure of what to do, I met the buyers of my current practice and liked them. They offered me the position of lead dental nurse as well as the opportunity to undertake a post-registration dental nurse certificate in dental radiography. Wanting to further my career, I decided to stay where I was.
Returning to Work and Career Progression After Starting a Family
Fast forward a couple of years, and the practice was increasing in size. We were having additional surgeries put in, and we now had a team of seven dental nurses. I was now engaged and planning a wedding, and my thirties were creeping closer. Did I still want to be a dental nurse at thirty? But I didn’t feel old, and as I approached thirty, I realised that wasn’t old at all! I definitely had a few more years of nursing ahead of me.
After starting my family in 2013, I returned to the practice on a part-time basis. I no longer worried about being an older dental nurse, as my priorities had changed. I was still heavily invested in my career, and over the next couple of years, I gained my impression-taking certificate and undertook an infection prevention course. This course, in particular, was extremely beneficial to both myself and the practice. There was so much content I could put into everyday use, and it made me realise that it’s easy to go to work day in and day out, doing the same as you’ve always done, but so much changes in dentistry so frequently. It’s really important to stay up to date with new guidelines and protocols.
Developing Skills Beneficial to Myself and the Practice
We now had a large team of dental nurses, and I really enjoyed introducing them to the changes the practice was making since I completed the infection prevention course. Over the next few years, the practice expanded to running seven surgeries every day with a team of twelve dental nurses. The practice was still predominantly NHS, but now we were undertaking implants, smile makeovers, and a lot of Invisalign treatments.
I continued to undertake courses relevant to me and beneficial to the practice. This included a lead nurse course with DNN, a course in dental implant nursing, and a course in CBCT radiography.
Stepping into Leadership: Becoming a Clinical Manager
In July 2021, our practice manager left, and I took on the role of clinical manager. My job role now means a lot of my time is taken up by dealing with a whole host of desk-based tasks. I still dedicate one day a week to surgery, and even now, as I approach my forties, I have no desire to hang up my suction tube for good. In today’s world, where we’re constantly exposed to other people's lives online, it’s easy to question or even doubt ourselves and our own paths in life. I know I have in the past, especially in the early weeks of my new managerial role. I don’t doubt myself in surgery, though – I know what I’m doing, and more importantly, I love it!
Final Thoughts: Advice for Fellow Dental Nurses
I know a lot of people, like myself, have fallen into certain career paths through “right place, right time”, but I see so many posts on social media from dental nurses who sound so down-trodden, with no prospects of career progression, poor pay, and poor working conditions. My advice to these people would be – leave! There are so many practices out there looking for hard-working dental nurses, and many practices that really do understand the value of a highly skilled dental nurse.
Not every practice will offer you post-registration dental nursing courses, especially if it’s not going to be beneficial to them as a business, but it’s worth asking, at least in the first instance. Sell your existing skills and the dental nursing course you’d like to undertake to your employer. In many places, the progression is there for the taking. All of our dental nurses are offered dental radiography and impression-taking courses as standard, as well as training in intraoral photography and scanning. We feel this goes a long way in giving our staff a true sense of self-worth and job satisfaction, as well as giving our patients confidence in our dental team as a whole.
The world of dentistry is fast-paced and ever-changing. If you can learn, adapt, and grow, there are plenty of opportunities out there, whether that’s at your current place of employment or elsewhere. Don’t be afraid to know your worth.
Written by Shelly Colley
