Dental nursing woes

Striking is not the solution.
The amount that practices get paid by the NHS is set by the government and only increases as dictated by the government.. out of what the practice gets paid they have to pay for the nurses, reception staff, matrials, general bills, equipment maintenance, insurance, pensions etc .... The practices (unless they are heavily private) may not be able to pay much more than living wage.
This does not excuse a poor working environment ..... if you do not have a good working environment talk your dentist /practice manager/owner ..... without effective communication BOTH WAYS it will never improve. ... btw .... Some of us really REALLY appreciate our dental nurses!!!!

Just look for new job that pay like 12£/h or do agency ... dont stay in low pay after qualified.

Yep...even after a year and 3 months after this post #Ideanumber25, nothing has changed...Just after I have graduated with course and got regiatered, I actually felt nothing but - qualified CLEANER!!Did not realise I need to waste ££££ on course, exams, registratio , indemnity insurance....other expenses in order to clean!?!? Cashier in Lidl has a higher hourly wage even after registration with GDC...What is the point to all of it???? Looking for exit from this situation either to a workplace which pays more than a trainee nurse....or simply part time study and change to something completely different.

I feel better now as I thought I am getting crazy . I have been nursing from 2010 and at the moment I absolutely hate dental nursing. Just keep thinking I am over 40 now why did I go for it and what should I do now. (((

Hi all , hope that everyone is in a better position since this thread was began. I sincerely hope that those of you that were still working with horrible co-workers have moved on. As for myself, it took me a while, I've finally left dental nursing behind and the feeling is incredible. Only wish I'd done it sooner.
Much respect to those of you that enjoy the job but it truly wasn't for me.
Good luck and hope you find places that make you happy.

Completely know what you are all talking about

Haven't had quite as bad experiences as some of you have had but feel that dental nurses are massively under- appreciated and underpaid for the job we do.

I have only been qualified for 2 years and am thinking what the hell have i done?!

I would 100% be up for striking!!


xx

Honestly girls, I felt the same. See my earlier post about what I went through. I am in my mid thirties and have been through negative phases professionally and personally. These experiences have made me strong enough to walk away from the negativity. I know its easier said than done, but at the end of the day, you have to realise that the only person who is going to look after your well being, both physically and mentally, is you. I will not take bull**** from anybody. At the end of the day, if they see us as being disposable, I see them as being disposable too. I have professional status just like them, and won't tolerate anyone disrespecting that directly, or indirectly. Over the last couple of years, I have been doing a life cleanse which has involved removing toxic individuals from my life, that includes colleagues, friends and family members. I have no room in my mind for the negativity they project on me, and honestly, I feel much better for it and am able to have a positive influence on those around me. My mental health needs to be stable if I am to be a good health professional. If we all change our approach, and take a proactive step, then change in attitude can be implemented. But the change needs to come from us. Be brave girls, don't be afraid to take the steps you need to.

xxx

Hi Nankay,

I absolutely agree with you. We should go in strike otherwise we will never be able to raise our voice and have someone in our side.
I hope that this will happen soon so we won't be treated anymore like a piece of shit.
The reality world of dental nurses is ridiculous and painfull".

Some of the stories on here are absolutely terrible! It's so sad how none of this shocks me one bit! It's almost like I feel well this is nurses are treated because it is! We get 0 appreciation whatsoever!. The practice where I trained at had me working like a robot, for £2.60 an hr! Doing all my nursing duties and more, including scrubbing the patient and staff toilet! Even scrubbing the skirting boards. I left as soon as I qualified as the qualified pay was £6.40 an hr for a QUALIFIED nurse!! The practice I'm at now is considerably better but still makes me so unhappy when I come home every night. If anything goes wrong in the slightest the nurses get blamed even if we have nothing to do with it, it's honestly ridiculous, the pay isn't good here either, most people I know in retail are on more. When the nurses want to book some holidays off everyone makes such a huge deal as if to say "why do the nurses want time off they do nothing anyway" yet if we are off all hell breaks lose. The management make sly comments and keep asking what we're doing with our time off and constantly trying to make use feel guilty. Sorry but I'm not a scivvy and me and the dentist are NOT joined at the hip that I should only take time off when he is! I'm doing a radiography course atm but feel as if what's the point because it probably won't make much difference to my career. I had to fund the course myself and don't really have any support from the dentist or management. I can't even the take the right amount of x-Rays I need cos I feel uncomfortable to ask the dentist and don't want to put him in mood otherwise he'll be nasty to me all day. I just feel at my wits end but carrying on as we all have to make a living some how even if it is paying a hefty amount to the GDC and treated like a piece of **** all day. Always trying to think of the small positives but slowly giving up I was recently thinking imagine if us Nurses stood up for ourselves 100% and went on strike! If teachers doctors etc can do this we should do! I really do hope one day in the future there is a dental nurse strike. Maybe then our voices will be heard and not shoved to one side like a peasant.

I agree with you entirely Allison.
The wages vs what we have to pay out for is absolutely shocking.
Sometimes I do feel like our job description is only glorified cleaner, which is in no way an insult to cleaners but surely I can't be the only dental nurse who has felt like this at some point.
Nearly half of the dental nurses who were on my course have by now dropped dental nursing altogether and moved onto something else. One friend even stated that it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she'd never felt so depressed than during the time she had been a dental nurse.
I understand entirely where you're coming from with wanting to find the perfect practice.... unfortunately I don't think it exists.
I'ts the feeling of being made to feel like a slave and like you're disposable that's really upsetting in some practices.
I do wonder though what would happen if we did strike?
It's just quite demoralising for us I think, we train, qualify and constantly keep on top of our profession and shell out HUGE stupid amounts of our wages to do just that but only to not be recognised as professionals but just slaves with certificates.

Reading through all these posts it sounds like the history of my career! I have been a dental nurse since time began and worked in loads of practices. I never stayed in one place for more than two years as I was always trying to find the practice that was perfect. All I ever wanted was a decent wage, appreciation for my efforts and to be treated as a college not a slave.
Unfortunately that has never happened. I've stopped moving around now and been at my present practice almost 10 years. It isn't any better than the other places I've worked but am fed up of moving around.
I've come to the conclusion that you have to look at what it is about the work that you like and focus on that. This does become difficult if your dentist doesn't like you interacting with patients and if you do further qualifications, often paying for them yourself, and then your dentist doesn't let you use them. I know I am a good DN but get demoralised when I have been called things such as "minion". Lots of dentists have an "us and them" mentality and there is very little we can do about it. I'm afraid we get stopped in our tracks if we try to find our voice too.
I love dental nursing, enjoy doing further qualifications but get so frustrated at not being able to work to my full potential! I'm not after a gold medal and I know none of you are either. But we have been given professional status with a hefty registration fee (given the state of our wages), but are not treated as professionals and co-workers. Using an aviation analogy, apparently I'm making the coffee while he's flying the plane.

Not yet Dentalnurse5 >< maybe at some point in the future perhaps.
At the moment I think it's best to let the dust settle and do some serious thinking at some point.
How about you because I know you were feeling equally as despondent x

Did u change careers? X

Yeah exactly, and especially in a small practice there is no escape so any tension doesn't go unnoticed and even worse- totally obvious to patients!!

Confessions of a Dental Nurse is good one! xx

It definitely makes you feel like you're not a great worker.
I understand that this dentist had had previous problems with other dental nurses. The nurse I took over from had only been there 3 months before I took over. I learnt later that she'd taken temp work because she so desperately wanted to get out of there and just took anything that came along to ensure that she could.
When I spoke to one of the hygienists she told me that no one ever lasted very long there. I managed it for 15 months before I left.
I think that's a good way to look at it, its not your problem it's their problem x
Just such a shame though, I understand the job in itself is ridden with pressure but no one wants to work given a choice, so why not make working as nice as you can for yourself and whoever needs to be a colleague?

Hahaha could be confessions of a Dental Nurse or A Year in the Life or something cliché like that! Hehe xx

Haha maybe so!!

I'm feeling better now I have left, like a weight has been lifted. The thing is, I sometimes felt like I obviously wasn't good enough but then I thought you know what- I've worked my bloody arse off, gone above and beyond for the prat and he had problems with previous nurses too. They walked out. The year he took over 7 nurses left (there were 3 dentists and the time and now only 1) because they couldn't work with him and his attitude. That's when I thought- It definitely not me- it's his problem xx

I would totally be up for an expose!!

x

Did we work at the same practice sophomoreslump8? Haha!
Some of what you have said sounds very similar to the dentist I worked with, unfortunately.
I'm actually feeling quite upbeat ( bit of a poor choice of word there ) to hear of everyone else's experience.
My own experiences were making me feel as though I was actually quite a poor worker and deserved some of the rubbish I'd been receiving.... It does make you feel that way after a while doesn't it?
I think we dental nurses should collectively publish our experiences!
Whose with me fellow dental nurses!!
*waves* hehe

I'm glad to know I am not the only one that has suffered with an awful dentist. I left on the 11th december and am really happy to have finally done so. I feel as though a wait has been lifted.
Ever since I started back in 2013 I was constantly reduced to tears - even if a patient was present (I'm not an easy crier so it was a hard time), if I got one thing wrong he would throw things about in surgery when a patient was in the chair. He would constantly row with his wife who is the practice manager to the point where they would not talk and I would have to convey messages between them. If they went away on holiday I would be the only one in surgery - which isn't great if anything bad was to happen etc. He hates everything, and I mean everything and when you would say you liked something or had an opinion it was wrong because it wasn't what he thought was right and would be in appropriate with patients like saying "when someone dies, I don't mourn we should celebrate their life. I don't grieve. I don't see the point". The most utterly insensitive human I have EVER met. He even told the previous nurse to get out of surgery as she was no use to him in her state- her grandad whom she was very close with had passed away the day before.

We constantly worked late and came in early which was taken out of our lunch hour too. He even told me that I had no right to be upset at all about things going wrong as it was my fault and I should just deal with it. I was even given a written warning for not telling him an X-ray plate was missing- it was actually in the upstairs surgery but I was still given a written warning after it had been found.

The past year it got to the point where I would actually dread going into work sitting in the car not wanting to get out, in fear of his mood swings etc. The final straw was when he has an argument with his wife and was told the door had to be kept locked and I not allow her back in if she returned!!!!! He then told our senior nurse that his wife could go and kill herself for all her cared. Utter arsehole (Sorry. Not professional). And on a work trip they fell out and he didn't leave the hotel room the entire trip and would talk to one another which made it extremely awkward for me and my senior nurse. A 6 hour drive back when no one is talking is awkward to say the least.

In these situations I would go to my practice manager, but as his wife I didn't feel like a fair decision or anything would have been made, and my issues not kept in confidence- let's face it she would stand by him whatever happened.

We were told it didn't matter how late we ran the job needed to be done (obvs no over time). We were expected to not have a life outside the surgery at all. I also did jobs that weren't even covered in my job description and just beaten down to the point where I was just constantly exhausted, grouchy, couldn't sleep- started on sleeping tablets just so I could get back to sleep because I would just worry all the time. Told know the day list inside and out, everything needed for the treatment, x rays needed- all before work even started.

I handed my notice in and he didn't speak to me the entire time I worked out my notice. And text my mum saying he wanted to come over to speak to me, my dad and mum - they're patients and sometimes see each other out of work) and he never even told me! Going behind my back. I just didn't understand what the hell he was doing. On my last day he didn't even come out to say goodbye he just shouted through a shut door. He would never admit he was in the wrong because he has told me "I am always right, never wrong" or say sorry.

Sorry to vent- I just needed to get it all off my chest and seeing you other girls do the same made me want to.

I know exactly how you feel Dentalnurse5, I dreaded getting up every day at the private practice and because I was on my own practically all the time because whenever there were no patients the dentist would leave the practice, I had no one to speak to at all.
The only people I'd speak to were obviously the patients when they came in, whenever I'd speak to them during an appointment I'd feel under scrutiny by the dentist and some times he'd even but in and dismiss me or pull apart what I'd say...at some points calling me a silly girl.
I just don't know what I've done to deserve to work for such horrible people consistently.
At the moment even though I'm sorta back at a practice I like I'm very much thinking about leaving the world of dental nursing all together. The problem is though, I don't know what else TO DO! ><
If I could go back there's no way I'd wasted my money and energy getting into this career path.

What ashame to hear these stories.


I've been nursing for 4 years.

Pay to start was £6.50 and after qualifying and being there a few years it steadily went up to £9. However there was no chance of any progression or to be put on courses unless I funded it which is I couldn't afford. There were a lot of arguing between dentists and staff were not friendly which made it a difficult atmosphere to be in. There were no benefits either.

Then the next place the pay was in the £8 mark even with my experience and that I had more experience in other dental treatments than the other nurses at the practice. Tried to get a pay rise but I will not get one for a couple of years. I've asked for additional responsibility, to go on courses and done my best to be seen as a good nurse but Ive been told no. The company I work for do not put any nurses on courses even though some have been there for many years. I can't imagine doing the same role for that long and nothing else. I'm out for very long hours of the day and I'm really struggling. I dread getting up. Im exhausted and unhappy. I find some of the people I work with not very friendly, they just want me to work in silence with no talking in between which I find really makes me feel quite sad.

Ive applied to lots of other places. There's nothing going and no agencies in the area. When I did try negotiate pay elsewhere they offer it to someone else who wil take the lower pay.

I am grateful to have an income but I'm not getting anywhere and I'm earning less than I was several years ago which is very depressing and really knocks me as I feel I've accomplished nothing. I am considering doing something completely different as I'm at a loss to what to do.

What an awful experience, and disgusting behaviour from a professional person! I have worked in two practices, and all the dentists have been lovely and very respectful and appreciate the work we do.

Oh my gosh!!! Nooo way!! That toilet story is awful!!
But yeah the IDH dentist would de-glove and just drop the gloves on the floor so I would pick them up....
The private dentist would shout, belittle and one time threw an endodontic needle up in the air because the milton wasnt dispensing properly and it very nearly went into my arm when it landed, wanted me to thaw the kitchen freezer out.
Oh and very nearly hit me when he made quite a forceful and violent shushing motion with his hand because I was reassuring a patient when they were worried during an appointment........because I was making him lose his concentration......all I said was "its OK, we'll be done very shortly, you've done very well"
I understand concentration is needed but when there is a patient obviously scared sometimes you NEED to reassure them!!

And now I ask how many stories like this there are .... all over UK.
First if I’m asked to clean a toilet I would say yes, but for 50£/hour.... I did not study to clean toilets...so extra job extra money. If they will insist on it, I simply will report to GDC that my practice forcing to clean a toilet with my uniform on. (and I will never clean it they could dream with it)
Second if ever a Dentist whatever is (Boss, co-owner, or self-employed will drop banana on ground I can guarantee that he/she will pick it and put to the bin. Never in my life that will happen whatever job I have I don’t care. Or throwing tweezers like heard few stories also and few more things.


I would like all nurse report them stories here, don´t be afraid ...

Sorry you had such a horrible time. I think most of us go through it at some point in our careers. My first trainee position was pointless, the principle had no idea how to train me. The practice was not busy at all, but I was expected to be there everyday 8am-5.30pm including answering calls during the lunch hour! I'll tell you about two incidents that contributed to the build up to when I simply walked out as I'd had enough. First incident, I was scrubbing instruments as the other dentist had done an implant session so there was a lot to clean up and my dentist had no patients that day, so I was helping the other nurse out. I had all my ope on and was in the middle of a scrubbing session, when the principle called me out of the room as he needed to show me something. I thought, ok, its my first week, I'm in training, fine, I took off my gloves, visor, apron and mask, washed my hand and went to see what he needed. He showed me the toilet and that it needed to be cleaned as there was faeces stuck to the bowl. I was extremely annoyed and explained to him that he had stopped me from carrying out my actual duties to show me this and that I would not do so in my clean clinical uniform. I also told him that I was happy to mop and clean in the surgery itself but refused to do this. I think its extremely unfair that as a trainee, he attempted to exploit me in this way. He would never have asked any of the other nurses to do this. Also, in my job description, this was not mentioned, what was mentioned was that I would be 'expected to carry out any other duties within reason', obviously, I thought this was unreasonable, especially, when the only two people to use that toilet were the two male dentists at the practice! Disgusting! The second incident was later the same day, I had switched on and prepped the surgery for an emergency patient, left the room to get the patient, and then came back to find a banana peel on the floor which the dentist had dropped on purpose knowing that I would have to pick it up before the patient saw. I viewed this as a retaliation on his part for me refusing to clean the toilet. There were many such incidents over the 2 months I was there, the first month was unpaid and so the final straw was at the end of the 2nd month when I was expecting my pay. Of course I did not get paid on time. I queried this, and didn't get a straight answer. Payment was 5 days late and I queried again, only to be shouted at for giving attitude! That was it, I gave them a moments notice and walked out. Funnily enough, I got paid an hour later!

Where I work now, is bliss! When I told them all the little stories, they were shocked! All the staff are just great, we work together, and discuss problems properly to make life easy for each other. We are expected to carry out our NURSING duties, and thats it!

Hi there, thanks for the reply : )
I hear you, its disgraceful. At the moment after the horror practices I'm just happy to be somewhere that makes me happy to be there.
When I left the practice in London I had to do it with just 2 weeks notice instead of 4 weeks.
On my last day the dentists wife took me aside and basically said to me that at some point in my life something really bad is going to happen to me as payback for leaving. This is after them telling me months previously that I was the best worker they'd ever had.
A locum friend of mine after I confided in him about it couldn't believe it.
Just fed up of my confidence being knocked constantly.

Hi,
Thanks for sharing that with us, quite interesting story, my not so far away also.
IDH practices well when I talk with my friends come slavery word up how ridiculous is working in place like that.
I went agency MOD wining 14£/hour on 37h contract, but from that experience only miss money rest was mess up work there.
them agency on 12£/h, that was good a few practices that did work not best place at all, that why they need someone.
The problem is that nurses are not together, I try help all nurses and give advice what they should or not do.
I say top all nurses new job ask at least 10£/hour on NHS ... don´t give that don´t accept job simple say no.
Problem is that many put head down and accept what is offered, but them there is no motivation at all.
This have been dragged for last 20 years that I have noticed.
His TIME to say NO, we want more, we deserve much MORE.
Not dentist with salaries of 5-10k and much more and we getting only 1200£ is simple ridiculous.
My advice take courses, team help, be responsible for more things in practice, make yourself needed them you can ask for more.
NURSEs GET OUT FROM THE SHADOW PLEASE.
Let’s SPEAK, SHARE IDEAS FOR BETTER FUTURE. This should be a very active forum and is almost DEAD.

Hi all, just really wanting and will appreciate any advice, also would be a comfort to know if any other dental nurses have felt this way ever.
I've been qualified about 4 years and at first I loved being a dental nurse, really got a kick out of helping someone and seeing the regular patients coming back. I qualified at the practice I started training at but after I qualified and my pay didn't go up by much ( I think by what I remember maybe 2p more an hour which took it to £7.24 an hour ) I started to feel really annoyed and it didn't take long before I started to look at other practices. I found another position and moved to an IDH practice.
I'd not ever really heard about IDH before working at this practice, so I went there hoping that this would be the practice for me, ie I'd be appreciated, I'd be paid more fairly and in recognition of the fact I was qualified yada yada yada.
The time I worked at this practice was probably the lowest I'd ever felt in my working life, I'd cry every morning before going in...literally the first thing I'd do waking up in the morning was cry. When I walked into the x-ray room and saw a dental nurse crying I thought to myself this isn't right, this is a horrible way to carry on.
I then moved up to London to be with my boyfriend and worked in a Private practice on £10 an hour. I was the only dental nurse and there was no other members of staff there for the majority of the time and coupled with the fact I knew no-one else except my boyfriend in London it was a very lonely 2 years for me. The fact that the dentist was very sarcastic and moody didn't help much either.
I did get an interview for another practice shortly before I left but because it was a big practice I completely freaked out that it would be another IDH experience. My boyfriend and I have since moved back down to where I used to live as I missed my family and his family missed him ( they hadn't seen him properly for about 10 years )
I've since started back at the practice I trained and qualified at after my old team mate told me a position was available. I'm on £7.75 an hour which is depressing after being on £10 for so long. But the practice is a lovely practice to work at and I've not found a happier practice to work at.
Just any advice on the situation would be welcome and if any other dental nurses have ever felt like just walking away from dental nursing altogether.
Thank you....long rambling story over haha!