‘I am just a dental nurse’

A stereotype is a preconceived, generalised and simplistic view of a particular type of person, group of individuals or things. These thoughts do not necessarily reflect the true nature of the stereotyped. It is a presumptuous and an overly simplistic way to compartmentalise groups in order to elucidate people's view of the world. This inherently leads to categorisation of people, which in turn leads to a negative impression or outright prejudice. This paintbrush approach is so prevalent in society that we often incorrectly believe it to be the correct view.

Dental nursing unfortunately has been prone to a stereotypical pigeonhole view in terms of their profession and duties. Common stereotypical views regarding the dental nurse is that the profession is for females and the role is somehow subordinate to other members of the dental team. The reader can probably relate or recollect when a dental nurse introduced his/herself by saying: ‘I am just a dental nurse…’ in turn perpetuating the stereotype that a dental nurse's role is undervalued or not important. On the contrary, all dentists and dental professionals will agree that it is indeed the dental nurse who sustains and maintains the dental practice. Dental nursing has and continues to evolve. The profession should not only be recognised for all its critical functional clinical responsibilities in the dental practice but also for maintaining patient relationships and representing the practice as a whole. The first point of contact for many patients is the dental nurse, due to their accessibility and the fact that many patients feel that they can openly share their concerns, expectations and/or fear. Often dental nurses become the ‘face’ of the practice. In this regard, it is paramount to have excellent clinical skills – including but not limited to – infection control in the practice whilst time management and organisational skills along with multitasking qualities are key, too. Critical to all of this is to have a transparent and seamless manner in communicating to colleagues, patients and so forth.