Easy training

Dental nursing does not require a 3-year degree for you to become qualified. To become qualified, you can begin an apprenticeship or start working immediately as a trainee dental nurse. If you would rather study you can enrol in a dental nursing college, like NLDC, or at a university. With a dental nursing college, you will be provided with the opportunity to earn and learn. This is popular way of becoming a dental nurse in London.

Both options allow you to work your way towards a General Dental Council (GDC) certificate. This certificate is required to work as a dental nurse in the United Kingdom.

Here are some examples of the qualifications you can gain that will help you to become a dental nurse:

• Foundation Degree in Dental Nursing
• Certificate of Higher Education in Dental Nursing
• National Diploma in Dental Nursing awarded by NEBDN
• Level 3 Diploma in Dental Nursing

A fantastic working environment

Dental practices are a great place to work in. NHS dental nurses have said in several surveys that their favourite thing about their job is their working environment. Dental practices are very fast paced. There is always something that needs doing and no two days are ever the same. Many dental nurses often comment on the staff that they work with, regularly saying how excellent, compassionate, and friendly they are.

Dental practices are normally very calm and are serene environments, despite being busy. Hygiene standards are always high, and practices are normally professional.

A career with strong job prospects

Like other jobs in the health care industry, training does not end with your initial Dental Nursing qualification. Dental nursing may be your lifelong career plan, however, one of the benefits of becoming a dental nurse is the career advancement opportunities available once qualified. Over time, as your experience increases, there are several diverse and exciting career pathways for dental nurses. Here are a few examples:

• Beauty treatment administrators (Botox, dermal fillers, teeth whitening)
• Oral Health Educators
• Dental Therapists
• NVQ Assessors
• Senior Dental Nursing
• Practice management
• Specialist Dental Nurse
• Care co-ordinators

Flexibility

In the United Kingdom currently 45% of dental nurses work full-time, 51% work part-time and 4% are self-employed. Many dental nurses recommend a career based on the flexibility of the hours that they work, which includes evenings and weekends, rather than just a 9 to 5 working week.

Dental Nurse Pay Scale

The salary of a dental nurse typically increases as you become more experienced. In the U.K the national average salary falls between £18,813 to £30,112 (National Careers Service).

Whilst training with NLDC and successfully working with a dental practice during your training you can earn up to £16,000 as a trainee.

Working with people

As a dental nurse, you are required to work with people every day. If you are a compassionate person or a people person, this will be a breeze for you. Not only do you interact with your colleagues, but you also meet new people every single day.

Variability

When speaking to dental nurses something that they always mention is the lack of boredom present in their job. This is due to a few factors, for example always engaging with different people, but one of the main reasons is because dental nurses have varying job duties. Although you will assist the dentist, that is not all you will do. Some of these varying duties include the cleaning of dental tools, taking dental x-rays, comforting patients, administrative jobs and much more!

Ready to start your new career? Visit our website to start your dental nursing journey.