The role of the dental nurse: teaching and training

Very few dental nurses will spend their whole careers without providing some teaching or guidance to colleagues. This may range from short informal sessions of one-to-one instruction, to lectures for a large audience. The subjects discussed may be directly applicable to chair-side assistance but could also cover patient treatment and management.

The role of the nurse has expanded considerably since dental care professional registration in August 2008. This widening of the dental nurse role has, in turn, increased the number of skills and roles that can be taught, and the need for them to be taught. These skill requirements, for dental nurses and all dental registrants, are listed in the General Dental Council (GDC, 2009) guidance document ‘Scope of Practice’.