Wessex Dental Training

What dental nurses do

Dental nurses support dentists in the healthcare of patients. Their work includes helping to prepare the dental surgery and ensuring that equipment and working areas are sterile. While the dentist examines and treats a patient, dental nurses help by performing tasks such as making sure the patient is comfortable, recording the dentist’s observations, passing instruments, using a suction device to remove saliva and debris from the patient’s mouth, preparing materials for fillings and tidying the surgery.

Entry level

Historically, formal qualifications have not been needed to begin training, but GCSEs/S grades or equivalent qualifications in English and biology are an advantage, however selection is not solely just based on this and you will be offered a place based on your own personal merits. You will be asked to send photocopies of your educational qualifications with your application form along with your passport or other photographic ID, so please make sure you can find them! Please click on the contact us link to request an application pack. Contact us

Since autumn 2004, you must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) before you can practise as qualified dental nurse. To qualify for this, you will need the National Diploma in Dental Nursing, NVQ/SVQ Level 3 in Oral Healthcare or a Certificate of Proficiency in Dental Nursing awarded by a recognised dental hospital. You cannot be registered with the GDC as a trainee, but once you have enrolled on an accredited training course, you can work as a ‘dental nurse in training’.

Wessex Dental Training currently only provides the National Diploma training.  For more information concerning Dental Nurse Registration with the GDC, please visit the GDC website.