The pandemic has disrupted dental nurse staffing, pushing up practice demand for locums and prompting many to seek a more administrative role within the profession.

That’s according to Emma Anastasi, managing director at Diamond Dental Staff, a dental recruitment company that specialises in supplying staff to practices throughout the UK.

Emma and her team have seen a higher demand in temporary cover as well as a key change in the roles sought by dental nurses – a shift in employment expectations she believes is caused by COVID-19.

She said: ‘Some team members are having to shield, whilst others are having to adapt to what childcare support there is available to them.

‘There is also an emerging issue regarding the management of unused annual leave. Some practices may have requested their employees take some of their annual leave during the furlough period. However, for the large majority that did not request this, annual leave is still owed and, in most circumstances, needs to be used before the end of the year.

‘I’d suggest dental nurses try to support their employer and their practices by discussing what can be taken this side of the year, and what could be carried over to next year. I am sure this will benefit both workplaces and employees; it’s an important conversation to have with management.’

Emma has also seen a spike in the number of dental nurses looking to change career paths since COVID-19.

She said: ‘Prior to the first lockdown, we were receiving regular enquiries regarding the opportunities to locum. Since then, however, it has not been a conversation we have been having. When practices in England reopened in June, we had many qualified dental nurses reach out to us seeking administrative roles, opportunities to work in reception, to get involved in treatment coordinating, practice management and virtual admin roles to support them working from home.

‘The majority of these enquiries I would put down to “the fear of change”. Now that we have returned to some form of “normal”, these dental nurses seem to be more settled within their roles.’

She added: ‘Dentistry is an innovative industry that is constantly changing – with new materials, equipment and techniques – and this pandemic demonstrates our ability to adapt. We have all proven how resilient we are as professionals and how committed we to constantly improve our processes.

‘Our clients have bounced back and are incredibly busy, with many saying that the admin team has been overwhelmed with managing the backlog, while ensuring measures are in place to maintain social distancing with patients arriving and leaving the practice. These guys are the unsung heroes of the industry.’

Whilst aware of some redundancies within the profession, Emma suggests the extension to the furlough scheme may have potentially protected the loss of jobs.

She said: ‘It wasn't known at the time of these redundancies that this support would be extended. Some practice owners and members of the management teams have had to make some really tough decisions this year. However, if any dental nurses have been made redundant and would like some support with finding a new practice or taking the next step in their career, Diamond Dental Staff would be happy to help in any way we can.

‘We are really passionate about career progression opportunities, as well as personal and professional development and always encourage our dental practice clients to “train and retain” their team members. It is far more sustainable to invest in careers rather than replace them when they leave for a better opportunity.’

Author: