Dental Nursing

Dental Nursing - Kimberley Secker

Back in the summer of 2007, unsure of what I wanted to do after I graduated, a little lost in the job market, and in need of some money, I took on a temporary position as a dental nurse in a local practice. Oblivious to what the job actually entailed I had envisioned a leisurely few months reclined by a computer, occasionally pouring mouthwash and arranging some toothbrushes in a lovely mint-smelling environment.

A few weeks later, after copious saliva, blood and Prophy splatter, an introduction to some brutal looking instruments and a lot of dashing up and downstairs, the illusion was well and truly shattered!  Dental nursing is certainly not glamorous. Yet, there is a definite, if odd, satisfaction to be had from producing a perfect alginate mix, assembling a matrix band, or catching a renegade lump of amalgam with your aspirator, before it plunges down your patient�s throat. Maybe there is nothing like the smell of Eugenol in the morning? I am unsure of the exact reason, but something has got me hooked!  Almost three years on and I am still happily working at the same practice and working towards the National Certificate with my examination taking place in November.

With the new technological advances in dentistry: the development of new materials, software programmes and techniques, coupled with a surge of public interest in cosmetic treatments, it is an interesting time to be involved in the dental industry. The role of the dental nurse is also evolving; compulsory registration is giving dental nursing a more professional status and more recognition as a skilled occupation. Nurses also have more varied options for career development, as well as post-registration qualifications and hygiene courses; there is the emergence of new roles such as Orthodontic Therapists. Although demanding, dental nursing is also an interesting and rewarding occupation and I am excited to see what lies in store for its future...