Apprentice Dental Nurse

An exciting opportunity to start your career as an Apprentice Dental Nurse in a friendly dental practice. You will work towards the Level 3 Dental Nurse Apprenticeship with Colchester Institute, attending college one day each fortnight. Duties include assisting the dentist, preparing instruments and maintaining a clean, organised surgery.

Wage: £16,224 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age.

Hours:

Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm, with a 1‑hour lunch break. 39 hours a week.

Duration: 1 year 9 months.

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands‑on experience.

• Assist the dentist with preparing instruments and equipment, mixing different materials as required and providing suction support.
• Cross‑infection control and decontamination.
• Chairside clinical treatments supporting the dentist.
• Processing of X‑rays.
• Accurate record keeping in line with GDPR.
• Central decontamination and reception duties (possible rotation).
• Provide chairside support during treatment.
• Mix and handle dental materials.
• Maintain the clinical environment including instruments and equipment.
• Manage patient anxiety appropriately, effectively, and safely.
• Assist in managing medical emergencies.
• Provide patients/carers with comprehensive, personalised preventive advice, instruction, and intervention.
• Support the management of acute oral conditions ensuring involvement of appropriate dental team members.
• Adopt an evidence‑based approach to clinical practice.

• Identify relevant and appropriate dental, oral, craniofacial, and general anatomy, recognising the diversity of anatomy across the patient population.
• Evaluate the health risks of prescribed, non‑prescribed and recreational drug use and misuse on oral and general health.
• Evaluate the scientific principles underpinning the use of materials and biomaterials, their limitations and selection, with emphasis on those used in dentistry.
• Identify the signs of abuse, neglect or emotional trauma, explaining local and national systems that safeguard the welfare of children and adults.
• Identify the signs of normal and abnormal facial growth, physical, mental and dental development milestones and explain their significance.
• Assess patients’ levels of anxiety, experience, and expectations in respect of dental care and oral health.
• Contribute to relevant special investigations and diagnostic procedures.
• Undertake orthodontic assessment.
• Obtain valid consent from patients, explaining all the relevant factors and taking into account the legal requirements where appropriate within scope of practice.
• Record an accurate and contemporaneous patient history.
• Accurately record dental charting as carried out by other appropriate registrants.
• Accurately record an oral health assessment.
• Prepare records, images, equipment and materials for clinical assessment.
• Process and manage dental radiographs and images.
• Identify changes in the patient’s reported oral health status and take appropriate action.
• Make arrangements for follow‑up care as prescribed by the operator.
• Identify and explain the risks within and around the clinical environment and manage them safely.
• Implement, perform and manage effective decontamination and infection control procedures according to current guidelines.
• Identify, assess and manage medical emergencies.
• Communicate effectively and sensitively, tailoring to context, by spoken, written and electronic means with all patients, including those whose first language is not English, using interpreters where necessary.
• Communicate effectively with the public and with colleagues from dental and other healthcare professions.
• Maintain contemporaneous, complete and accurate patient records in accordance with legal requirements and best practice.
• Communicate with care, compassion, empathy and respect in all professional interactions with patients, their representatives, the public and colleagues.
• Give feedback effectively to other members of the team.
• Respect the roles of dental and other healthcare professionals in the context of learning and working in a dental and wider healthcare team.
• Demonstrate…