Apprentice Dental Nurse

The apprenticeship in dental nursing is an 18-month government funded course by City & Guilds, a Level 3 Extended Diploma.

Wage

£16,575 a year

Minimum wage rates

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course

Dental nurse (level 3)

Hours

Monday- Friday 8.45am- 5.30pm
37 hours a week

Start date

Saturday 22 August 2026

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

What you'll do at work

This role will provide efficient and reliable chairside support to clinicians while ensuring high standards of patient care, confidentiality, and GDPR compliance.

• Welcoming patients and assisting with appointment scheduling
• Handling basic patient enquiries professionally and appropriately
• Preparing surgeries, sterilising instruments, and maintaining infection control to CQC standards
• Assisting clinicians during treatments and accurately updating patient records in line with GDPR
• Supporting patients’ comfort, reassurance, and overall dental experience
• Monitoring and managing stock, equipment, and surgery readiness
• Maintaining clean, safe, and fully equipped clinical areas
• Upholding patient privacy, dignity, and confidentiality at all times
• Collaborating with dentists and the wider team to deliver safe, efficient, and high-quality care

Where you'll work

Hungate
Pickering YO18 7DL

What you'll learn

Course contents include:

• Identifying relevant and appropriate dental, oral, craniofacial, and general anatomy, recognising the diversity of anatomy across the patient population.
• Evaluating the health risks of prescribed, non-prescribed and recreational drug use and misuse on oral and general health.
• Evaluating the scientific principles underpinning the use of materials and Biomaterials, their limitations and selection, with emphasis on those used in dentistry.
• Identifying the signs of abuse, neglect or emotional trauma, explaining local and national systems that safeguard the welfare of children and adults.
• Identifying the signs of normal and abnormal facial growth, physical, mental and dental development milestones and explain their significance.
• Assessing patients’ levels of anxiety, experience, and expectations in respect of dental care and oral health.
• Contributing to relevant special investigations and diagnostic procedures.
• Undertaking orthodontic assessment.
• Obtaining valid consent from patients explaining all the relevant factors and taking into account the legal requirements where appropriate within scope of practice.
• Recording an accurate and contemporaneous patient history.
• Accurately recording dental charting as carried out by other appropriate registrants.
• Accurately recording an oral health assessment.
• Preparing records, images, equipment and materials for clinical assessment.
• Processing and managing dental radiographs and images.
• Managing patient anxiety appropriately, effectively, and safely.
• Monitoring, supporting and reassuring patients through effective communication and behavioural techniques.
• Identifying changes in the patient’s reported oral health status and take appropriate action.
• Making arrangements for follow-up care as prescribed by the operator.
• Providing chairside support to the operator during treatment.
• Preparing, mixing and handling dental materials.
• Identifying and explaining the risks within and around the clinical environment and manage these in a safe and effective manner.
• Implementing, performing, and managing effective decontamination and infection control procedures according to current guidelines.
• Preparing and maintaining the clinical environment including the instruments and equipment.
• Identifying, assessing, and managing medical emergencies.
• Providing patients/carers with comprehensive, personalised preventive advice, instruction, and intervention in a manner which is accessible, promotes self-care and motivates patients/carers to comply with advice and take responsibility to maintain and improve oral health.
• Supporting the management of patients with acute oral conditions ensuring involvement of appropriate dental team members.
• Adopting an evidence-based approach to clinical practice.
• Communicating effectively and sensitively, tailoring to context, by spoken, written and or electronic means with all patients, including patients whose first language is not English, using representatives or interpreters where necessary, in relation to patients with anxious or challenging behaviour or special considerations such as emotional trauma and difficult circumstances, such as breaking bad news, or discussing issues such as alcohol consumption, smoking, or diet.
• Communicating effectively by spoken, written and electronic means with the public.
• Communicating effectively by spoken, written and electronic means with colleagues from dental and other healthcare professions in relation to the direct care of individual patients, oral health promotion and raising concerns when problems arise, including where patients cause distress to staff.
• Maintaining contemporaneous, complete and accurate patient records in accordance with legal requirements and best practice.
• Communicating with care, compassion, empathy and respect in all professional interactions with patients, their representatives, the public and colleagues.
• Communicating appropriately and effectively in professional discussions and transactions.
• Giving feedback effectively to other members of the team.
• Respecting the roles of dental and other healthcare professionals in the context of learning and working in a dental and wider healthcare team.
• Demonstrating effective team working.
• Contributing to your team in providing dental care for patients.
• Where appropriate manage, refer or delegate work according to the scope of practice of members of the dental team, in line with competence and professional practice.
• Taking a patient-centred approach to working with the dental and wider healthcare team.
• Raising concerns where appropriate about your own or others’ health, behaviour or professional performance.
• Complying with systems and processes to support safe patient care.
• Acting in accordance with current best practice guidelines.
• Acting in accordance with national and local clinical governance and health and safety requirements.
• Acting within the legal frameworks which inform personal behaviour, the delivery of healthcare and the protection and promotion of the health of individual patients.
• Acting with integrity and ensuring your actions maintain the trust of colleagues, patients, and the public in you, your team, and the profession across all environments and media.
• Demonstrating personal accountability to patients, the regulator, the team and wider community.
• Working in partnership with colleagues to develop and maintain an effective and supportive environment which promotes the safety and wellbeing of the patient and dental team.
• Where appropriate lead, manage and take professional responsibility for the actions of colleagues and other members of the team involved in patient care.
• Where appropriate support patients to negotiate the barriers and challenges which prevent sections of the population accessing oral healthcare, including patients from marginalised populations and patients with protected characteristics.
• Treating your patients, members of the public and your colleagues with dignity and respect and without discrimination.
• Supporting patients to make informed decisions about their care, making their interests your first concern.
• Demonstrating cultural competence, accepting and respecting the diversity of patients and colleagues.
• Providing the best possible outcome for your patients by using your knowledge and skills, acting as an advocate for their needs where appropriate.
• Speaking up to protect others from harm.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of evidence-based prevention at a community and or population level.
• Proactively addressing discriminatory language, behaviour and microaggressions from colleagues, patients and other professionals.
• Evaluating the role of health promotion in terms of the changing environment, community and individual behaviours to deliver health gain.
• Evaluating and applying the evidence base in relation to the environmental impacts of common treatment methods and approaches to the delivery of oral healthcare.
• Contributing positively to the healthcare communities of which you are a part.
• Evaluating an evidence base.
• Utilising the receipt of effective feedback in the professional development of self.
• Demonstrating personal development planning, recording of evidence, and reflective practice.
• Evaluating the impact of new techniques and technologies as they relate to dental nurse practice.
• Accurately assessing your own capabilities and limitations in the interest of high-quality patient care and seek advice from supervisors or colleagues where appropriate.
• Recognising personal assumptions, biases and prejudices and managing the impact of these on patient care and professional behaviour with colleagues, patients and wider society.
• Recognising the impact of contextual factors on the health care environment and patient safety and managing this professionally.
• Demonstrating own professional responsibility in the development of self.
• Developing and maintaining professional knowledge and competence.
• Demonstrating engagement with systems and personal strategies which promote and maintain physical and mental wellbeing.
• Demonstrating appropriate continuous improvement activities.
• Recognising when and how to take action if wellbeing is compromised to a point of affecting an individual’s role or professional relationships.
• Effectively managing your own time and resources.
• Underpinning all patient care with a preventive approach, that takes account of patient compliance and self-care, to contribute to the patient’s long-term oral and general health.