It is no secret that dental nurses are vital to the everyday running of the practice. However, we’re also essential when it comes to patient care and comfort. It can be all too easy to think that the only ones who build a good rapport with patients are those who make and complete the appointments – the dentists, hygienists, and receptionists – but the patients also look to dental nurses for support and to help them remain calm. It’s important that you understand your role and responsibility to be able to help them effectively.

We all get introduced to the HTM 01-05 very early on in our careers, and it helps us to achieve at least essential practice (and, hopefully, best practice) standards during our infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures. This is something that is crucial if we want to keep our patients, and ourselves, safe. But with all of the guidance and procedures to follow, how do you ensure that the whole team is being consistent in their IPC standards?

As dedicated dental nurses, we play an invaluable role in patient care and oral health. This November, we have a unique opportunity to make a real difference in our patients' lives by participating in Oral Cancer Awareness Month. Let's explore how we can get involved and raise awareness about the importance of regular dental check-ups for early problem identification.

At Dental Nurse Network we are passionate about ensuring high quality training for the dental team, and we are excited to be launching our latest course, which is aimed at the dental reception team.

For many dental practices, employing trainee dental nurses can be an effective way of recruiting team members who can be trained to the standards of the practice. This approach not only enables the practice to nurture and develop talent within dental nursing, but also ensures that these new team members possess the skills to contribute to the longer-term success of the practice.