A day in the life

No two working days of a dental nurse are ever the same, and it is this unpredictability that makes the role demanding and rewarding. An organised dental nurse is an amazing asset to any dental practice, but being organised still requires a lot of effort, both mentally and physically.

The day before

Checking lab work

The previous working day is still involved within the day of a dental nurse. During this time lab work should be bought out for the subsequent day. It allows the dental nurse to follow up on any lab work that may still be in transit, or communicate with reception and labs to ensure it will be back for the appointment. This is especially important if a number of dental nurses work within the same surgery during the week, or if different dental nurses work with different clinicians; it may mean work is chased more frequently. The dental nurse may then need to ask reception to follow up on work that is not returned. Lab work such as Invisalign requires a login to track, and some dental nurses may have access to this. However, this can create problems when it is revealed that the clinician hasn’t completed a prescription and therefore the lab work has not even been made. Guilt regarding lab work can affect many dental nurses even if they are only waiting for it to return.