Dental Nurse Registration

July 2008

The giant of dentistry has awoken from a long slumber and YOU, the dental nurses are a vital part of its new image. Seize the opportunities for further study and help to take the profession forward into the 21st Century.

Mandatory Registration is a great step forward; at last dental nursing is a recognised and valued career and the more courses and qualifications you obtain, the more opportunities will open up for you within the dental team.

"The more courses and qualifications you obtain, the more opportunities will open up for you." Ann Felton

Studying for the NEBDN Certificate in Oral Health Education is one way of furthering your career and can lead on to becoming a hygienist/therapist, educator or tutor. One nurse from our latest course is considering applying to become a dentist! So you can see that there are many openings for well-qualified nurses.

What does Registration mean for you?

• You must meet certain criteria to get on the register (by either having a recognised DN qualification or being experienced at your job (you need to demonstrate that you have had four years full-time experience in the past eight years or the part-time equivalent. (visit the GDC website or call 020 7344 3740 for more details)

• You must take part in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to keep knowledge and skills up-to-date and show evidence of this. Our OHE course qualifies for 45 hours of CPD.

• You must behave in an ethical and professional way at all times.

• You will be recognised as a professional, like hygienists and therapists, and as a vital component in the dental team. Many dentists in the past have not acknowledged, either clinically or financially, the importance of their nurses in the running of the practice. That is about to change.

• You will soon require professional indemnity (insurance), in case a patient brings a successful claim against you. The British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN) will be providing this as part of its membership package.

To learn more about registration, visit the BADN website.