Dental nurse
Dental nurses support dentists in all areas of dental care.
- Starter salary£28,000 a year
- Experienced£39,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
In this role you could:
- sterilise instruments and pass them to the dentist
- prepare materials to make fillings
- remove water and saliva from the patient's mouth during treatment
- make sure the patient is comfortable
- tidy the surgery and keep records about each patient
Working environment
You could work at a dental practice, at a health centre or in an NHS or private hospital.
You may need to wear protective clothing and a uniform.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- the ability to work well with others
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- sensitivity and understanding
- knowledge of medicine and dentistry
- customer service skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to work well with your hands
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a dental nurse
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
College
You could do a course at college that would give you the skills and knowledge to become a dental nurse.
Courses include a level 3 diploma in dental nursing and a T Level in Health.
The courses will usually be a mix of full-time study with work experience in a dental surgery.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do a Dental Nurse Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
This takes up to 2 years to complete. You'll need to be working in a dental surgery to do the apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Work
You could start as a trainee at a dental practice. You could then study for a dental nurse qualification on the job. This is a common route to take to become a dental nurse.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
Career path and progression
With experience you could:
- move into a team leader, manager or dental practice manager position
- serve in the armed forces as a dental nurse
- become a dental hygienist or dental therapist with further training
- become an orthodontic therapist to help dentists improve the look and position of patient's teeth
You can find information on other careers in dental medicine from Health Careers.
Professional and industry bodies
You can join The British Association of Dental Nurses for professional development training.
Registration
- you'll need to register with the General Dental Council
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleDental therapist
- Job roleDental technician
- Job roleDental hygienist
- Job roleHealthcare assistant
- Job roleDentist
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0